The entire Ligier European Series team would like to thank you for your support and trust throughout 2022. You have followed us with curiosity, interest, emotion and passion during season three of the championship. An intense year with a substantial field of twenty cars, which doubled for the round on the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit! Now let’s take a look back at the season, with the most significant numbers of the year.
11
Record number of wins in one season
Gillian Henrion, the driver of the #16 Team Virage Ligier JS P4, had a season for the ages. For his first campaign in endurance racing and behind the wheel of a sports prototype, the 19-year-old French driver, who comes from single-seaters, won the opening round at Le Castellet and (almost) everything else. Eleven victories from the 12 races contested! The young prodigy won the 2022 JS P4 title and made his mark with the record of victories in one season. In 2023, Gillian Henrion will continue his ascent up the endurance pyramid, driving a Ligier JS P320 in the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
14
The number of nationalities represented in 2022
For its third season, the Ligier European Series attracted drivers and teams from the four corners of the globe. Fourteen nationalities were represented. Among them France, Italy, Romania, Japan, Taiwan, Kuwait and the United States.
24
The first support race of the championship on the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit
While the Ligier European Series already enjoyed a five-star calendar with legendary European circuits (Imola, Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, Le Castellet, and Portimao), for the first time in 2022, competitors were able to race on the iconic Le Mans circuit during the 24 Hours week. A dream for all endurance enthusiasts. And a key event for the drivers in the championship. In 2023, for the Le Mans 24 Hours Centenary, the Ligier European Series competitors will again contest an exceptional round, as a curtain raiser to the event, on the Test Day.
39
The record number of cars entered in one race
The Ligier European Series had a solid field of entries in 2022. And the round on the Le Mans 24 Hours circuit set a record, with 39 cars battling on this occasion.
53
The age gap between the most novice and the most experienced driver
From 16 to 69 years old. An apropos slogan for this series that has rallied drivers of all ages and backgrounds. In 2023, the Ligier European Series will further emphasise this mix with two new classes: a Pro-Am class and an Am class.
90
The number of drivers who participated in the Ligier European Series in 2022
The Ligier European Series family continues to grow. Ninety drivers competed in a Ligier JS2 R or a Ligier JS P4 this season.
273,2
The top speed reached in a race
The Ligier JS P4s and Ligier JS2 Rs set the speedometers running at the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit in June. The Ligier JS P4s recorded a top speed of 273.2 kph (#23 Monza Garage with Ronnie Valori and #44 Smart Driving with Alexandru Mirea). The Ligier JS2 Rs reached 257.6 kph (#20 Zosh with Jean-René de Fournoux, #35 LADC with Jason Mc Carthy and #95 CTF Performance with Alban Varutti).
250,000
Total prize money won by the 2022 Champions
In 2022, the Ligier European Series introduced a brand-new prize fund system to enable Champions in both classes to continue their progression up the endurance pyramid. JS P4 Champion Gillian Henrion won a prize package worth €150,000 to compete in the Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2023 in a Ligier JS P320, while JS2 R Champion Haytham Qarajouli won a prize package worth €100,000 to move up to a Ligier JS P4 in 2023 in the Ligier European Series. These prizes will be on offer again in 2023 in both categories!
Now it’s time for 2023. May season four be full of successes and moments of sharing, both on and off the track.
