The most eagerly awaited race of the Ligier European Series season took place on Sunday, 8 June, on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe. Thirty-three competitors set off for an hour of racing on a dry track under threatening skies. At the end of this intense race, Loire Valley Racing, with Romain Boeckler in the JS P4 category, and LR Motorsport, with Simone Riccitelli in the JS2 R category, each secured their third victory of the season.
JS P4: Third victory of the season for Loire Valley Racing.
Matteo Pianezzola, in the Iron Lynx by MRacing JS P4 #60, got off to a good start but was quickly overtaken by Romain Boeckler in the #22 Loire Valley Racing JS P4 and Maxwell Dodds in the #6 from ANS Motorsport. He was then hit by another competitor just before the safety car was deployed following the stoppage of the #18 JS2 R on track.
The battle then raged for the final 25 minutes of the race between Iko Segret, now at the wheel of the #6 ANS Motorsport JS P4, and Romain Boeckler in the #22 from Loire Valley Racing. In Team Virage’s #27 JS P4, Vic Stevens was in third place.
In the final lap, Iko Segret and Romain Boeckler were wheel-to-wheel in an exceptional battle. Romain Boeckler crossed the finish line first, giving Loire Valley Racing its third win of the season and putting an end to Team Virage’s dominance at Le Mans. Iko Segret and his teammate Maxwell Dodds finished second, followed by the #27 Team Virage car driven by Vic Stevens and Jude Peters.
Julien Schell and Takeshi Kimura, driving the #29 from Pegasus Racing, finished first in the PRO-AM category. David Caussanel won in the AM class aboard the #16 Pegasus Racing JS P4.
*Following the cancellation of a post-race penalty, Romain Boeckler and Loire Valley Racing (left) reclaim first place.
Romain Boeckler, Loire Valley Racing, #22 Ligier JS P4, Winner of the Le Mans Heat:
“It was my first time on the legendary Le Mans circuit. After a solid free practice and a successful qualifying session that put me second on the grid, I managed to get a good start and took the lead after a few laps. I then did my best to defend my position. Thanks to a great pit stop by my team, we were able to rejoin the race with a small gap. The #6 car was very fast and caught up to us with two laps to go. After an incredible battle between the two of us, I crossed the finish line in first place and took my first win at Le Mans! I’m beyond happy and proud to have achieved this on such an iconic track. See you at Spa at the end of August — I hope to keep this momentum going!”
JS2 R: LR Motorsport takes the win.
The JS2 R category got off to a smooth start, with Noé Da Cunha driving the #50 from Les Deux Arbres, taking the lead from Lukas Papin, who had started from pole position in the VSF Sports’ #18. The pole sitter quickly stopped at the side of the track after being hit by another car, which led to a safety car period.
Ligier European Series debutant Ethan Pharamond, in the #74 Loire Valley Racing JS2 R, joined the fray and led in the early moments of the race. The young driver from the Ligier JS Cup France maintained his advantage but was handed a penalty added to his pit stop for a race start infringement, as was Cindy Gudet, in the #68 of MRacing, then in third place.
Meanwhile, Simone Riccitelli, who started from 13th on the grid, launched an impressive comeback. Lap after lap, he overtook his rivals, breaking into the top 3 and eventually taking the lead after the mandatory pit stop window.
In the closing laps, the battle intensified with August Therbo in the #57 of 23Events Racing and Martin Lacquemanne in the #83 of Trajectus Motorsport. Antoine Lepesqueux, taking over from Noé Da Cunha in the #50 of Les Deux Arbres, made a strong push and ultimately claimed third place.
At the end of the hour-long race, LR Motorsport and Simone Riccitelli secured their third win of the season. 23Events Racing and August Therbo finished second in the #57 JS2 R. Antoine Lepesqueux and Noé Da Cunha, driving the #50 Les Deux Arbres car, completed the podium.
Ethan Pharamond and Pascal Huteau, in the #74 Loire Valley Racing JS2 R, finished first in the PRO-AM category, whilst Yusuke Yamasaki was victorious in the AM class aboard Pegasus Racing’s #55.
Simone Riccitelli, LR Motorsport, #7 Ligier JS2 R, Winner of the JS2 R category:
“It was an incredible race. Here in Le Mans, it’s a completely different story. The track is incredible. I’m very happy to win this round. This morning I was a little upset after qualifying because we messed up during the only lap I had — we had an electronics issue that stopped me. As I joked, next time I’ll skip qualifying, because I’ve now won three races starting from almost last. It was very good. I had a really nice battle with August Therbo — all my congrats to him, because he pushed very hard until the end. It was a very nice battle, with great respect between us. I’m really happy with this win.”
The Ligier European Series competitors can now enjoy a summer break before returning to the track for the Spa Heat on 22 and 23 August.
CLICK HERE for the results
Photo credit: DPPI
