For the second and final race of the weekend, at 4 pm, the weather was calmer for the Ligier European Series drivers, who once again engaged in a spirited fight for the win. The #24 Orhès Racing Ligier JS2 R clinched its first victory in the JS2 R category after three podium finishes so far this season. In the Ligier JS P4 category, the #34 Les Deux Arbres took the honours.
The weather was the headline in round two of the Ligier European Series at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. While race one took place in very wet conditions, the second race was run under sunny skies.
The #33 Les Deux Arbres Ligier JS P4, driven by Jacques Nicolet, started from pole position but was overtaken by the #23 HP Racing by Monza Garage car, with Jacopo Faccioni behind the wheel. The Italian team’s car shot to the front of the field. The #34 Les Deux Arbres with Patrice Lafargue aboard soon caught the sister car, the #33, and then passed it on lap four.
After making its driver change, the #23 Ligier JS P4 received a drive-through for speeding in the pit lane. Already overtaken by Patrice Lafargue in the #34, it lost second place to the #33 of Jacques Nicolet. With a 45-second lead over its nearest competitor, the #34 went on for the win, clocking the fastest lap of the race in 1:37.544s. Despite the #23’s attempts to overtake with Alessandro Cicognani at the commands, the #33 of Les Deux Arbres held onto second place. The Italian HP Racing Team by Monza Garage finished third.
In the Ligier JS2 R category, the #25 of Orhès Racing with Julien Fébreau took the lead with an excellent start from third place on the grid. It widened the gap to its sister car, the #24 driven by Olivier Pernaut, which started on pole position and was in a duel with Natan Bihel, in the #53 of M Racing. Further back on the grid, the #17 Arctic Energy Ligier JS2 R driven by Povilas Jankavicius was followed by the #95 CTF Performance car driven by Nicolas Beraud while the two COOL Racing cars fought for seventh place. A close duel between the #13 of Maurice Smith and the #4 of Cédric Oltramare ended with contact and a spin for the #13. An incident that earned the #4 a drive-through penalty.
After overtaking the #24 Orhès Racing Ligier JS2 R, Natan Bihel in the #53 M Racing entry took on Julien Fébreau in the #25 Orhès Racing machine to take the lead. Behind them, the #69 M Racing Ligier JS2 R driven by Laurent Millara was repeatedly attacked by the #95 CTF Performance car. After locking-up the wheels at turn one, the #69 gave up fourth place to the #95, which then set off after the #25. The fight for third place on the podium was long and intense. The two drivers made contact several times, and the tyres were severely tested. After another contact, CTF Performance got the better of the #25 of Orhès Racing. Further back on the grid, the #17 Arctic Energy and the #13 COOL Racing were in a game of cat and mouse, passing each other several times. In the end, it was the Arctic Energy car that won the duel, while the #13 was again attacked by its sister car the #4 COOL Racing Ligier JS2 R.
The #4 car of Cédric Oltramare received a seven-second stop and go penalty for not respecting the pit stop window. At the front of the field, the gap between the #53 Ligier JS2 R of Natan Bihel and the #24 now driven by Mathieu Martins was closing rapidly. Faster than its rival, the #24 overtook the #53 with less than 20 minutes to go in the race and went on for the win with a seven-second margin of victory from the #53. In the meantime, the #69 of M Racing recovered third place after overtaking the #95 with Gilles Poret in the car. The CTF Performance car now had to face the onslaught of the #13 COOL Racing car, which moved up to fourth place in the general classification.
A final battle took place on the last lap between the #95, the #4 and the #25. Despite a good defence, the CTF Performance #95 lost fifth place to the second COOL Racing car, the #4. The #25 Orhès Racing with the duo Julien Fébreau and Alain Bucher finished seventh ahead of the #17 of Arctic Energy driven by Sergei Egorov and Povilas Jankavicius.
A final battle took place on the last lap between the #95, the #4 and the #25. Despite a good defence, the CTF Performance #95 lost fifth place to the second COOL Racing car, the #4. The #25 Orhès Racing with the duo Julien Fébreau and Alain Bucher finished seventh ahead of the #17 of Arctic Energy driven by Sergei Egorov and Povilas Jankavicius.
Patrice Lafargue, Les Deux Arbres, #34 Ligier JS P4, Winner JS P4 Race 2:
”Race one this morning was a bit complicated. We did everything we were not supposed to do. But it allowed me to get to know the Ligier JS P4, which I didn’t know at all. This afternoon for race two, everything lined up. We even had good weather. It was a great pleasure to discover this car and the atmosphere of the Ligier series, which is fantastic. I quickly felt at ease in the car, which is essential for any driver. It reacts well and boosts your confidence straight away. A great discovery!”
Olivier Pernaut, Orhès Racing, #24 Ligier JS2 R, Winner JS2 R Race 2:
“We are thrilled. We started race two from pole position thanks to an intelligent strategy from the team. The race went according to plan this afternoon despite a difficult start. I was a bit stuck in a funnel at the first corner. We drove at a steady pace 2 to 3 tenths of a second behind Natan [Bihel]. We had calculated our move! Mathieu then had to be sure of his stint in the second half of the race. And that’s what he did! He made up the five seconds that separated us from Natan and crossed the finish line with a seven-second lead.”
Mathieu Martins, Orhès Racing, #24 Ligier JS2 R, Winner JS2 R Race 2:
“I am delighted with this result. We worked a lot with Olivier to prepare for this meeting. We trained on the Orhès Racing simulator. It’s vital when you don’t know a track. It allows us to be faster right away, and it paid off this weekend!”
For the complete results of the race, CLICK HERE.
That is a wrap for round two in Austria. The Ligier European Series will be in action on 4 and 5 June in France, for the Heat from Circuit Paul Ricard.
