Under bright sunshine, the 23 Ligier European Series competitors were back in action on Saturday, 13 September, for Race 2 of the Silverstone Heat. It was another spectacular race, marked by two safety car periods and a red flag stoppage triggered by rain late in the race. Despite the twists and turns, two double victories emerged: in JS P4, the #1 Team Virage Ligier JS P4 with Brandon McCaughan and Leo Samy Robinson took its second consecutive victory, mirrored in JS2 R by Simone Riccitelli in the #7 LR Motorsport Ligier JS2 R.
Ligier JS P4: Team Virage one-two with #1 and #88
Hamda Al Qubaisi made an excellent start from pole position in the #88 Team Virage Ligier JS P4. But Kristian Brookes (#33 360 Competition) and Leo Samy Robinson (#1 Team Virage) immediately poured on the pressure. Kristian Brookes overtook Hamda Al Qubaisi outside track limits and had to give the position back, allowing Leo Samy Robinson to take the lead, but the British driver eventually gave back a position to his Emirati rival.
There was intense battling further back, resulting in a three-car incident among the #6 ANS Motorsport (Iko Segret), the #19 Trajectus Motorsport entry (Mathis Poulet), the #22 from Loire Valley Racing run by Trajectus Motorsport (Romain Boeckler) and the #12 ASM Motorsport (Ruben Hage). Vic Stevens, in Team Virage’s #27 car, suffered the consequences and found himself immobilised in the pit lane with a mechanical issue, requiring a safety car period.
When the race resumed, Robinson retained the lead ahead of Hamda Al Qubaisi (#88) and Kristian Brookes (#33). But after the pit stops, Amna Al Qubaisi in Team Virage’s #88 was in first place, just ahead of Brandon McCaughan (#1) and Christopher Preen (#33). With less than 20 minutes to go and the skies looking increasingly ominous, Brandon McCaughan overtook Al Qubaisi. Meanwhile, David Caussanel (#16 Pegasus Racing) came to a halt at the entrance to the pit lane, triggering another safety car period. The rain began to intensify, making the track impracticable for competitors still on slicks. Race control red-flagged the race.
Brandon McCaughan and Leo Samy Robinson took the win, securing their second victory of the day in the #1 Team Virage Ligier JS P4. Their teammates, Hamda and Amna Al Qubaisi, in the #88 car, secured a one-two finish for Team Virage. Kristian Brookes and Christopher Preen, in the #33 360 Competition Ligier JS P4, completed the podium and finished first in the PRO-AM category.
Jacques Nicolet took top honours in the AM class in the #58 HP Racing by MRacing Ligier JS P4.
Leo Samy Robinson, Team Virage, Ligier JS P4 #1, Winner of Race 2:
“I started my stint and got up to P1 before the end of the first lap. Then the safety car came out, so I got a bit of rest. At the restart, Hamda [Al Qubaisi] was really close behind me. After the pit stop, I handed it to Brandon who brought it home.”
Brandon McCaughan, Team Virage, Ligier JS P4 #1, Winner of Race 2:
“The rain came, so we only had to race half of the final stint. I got up to speed quickly and caught Amna [Al Qubaisi]. I took my time not to cause any issues, waited a couple of laps, then made the move at Brooklands. The rain started to get quite heavy, so I went full cautious. The safety car came out, and I had to decide not to come in for wets, which worked well because the race ended under the safety car with a red flag.”
JS2 R: Simone Riccitelli and LR Motorsport double up
Pole-sitter, Simone Riccitelli in the #7 LR Motorsport Ligier JS2 R, maintained his lead at the start ahead of Steven Palette (#18 VSF Sports) and August Therbo (#57 23Events Racing). There was nothing in it among the three when the safety car made its first appearance.
On the restart, the battle resumed with a vengeance. Steven Palette (VSF Sports #18) came into the pits in second place. After the mandatory pit stops, Lukas Papin, now behind the wheel of the #18, exited the pits in first place. But Simone Riccitelli, in the #7 LR Motorsport LigierJS2 R, quickly found an opening to retake the lead. Behind him, August Therbo (23Events Racing #57) pressured Lukas Papin (VSF Sports #18) for second place. However, race officials called for a second safety car period to remove an immobilised car from the entrance to the pit lane.
The increasingly heavy rain made things even more difficult for the competitors. With five minutes to go, the race director called for the red flag, and the race did not resume.
Simone Riccitelli thus secured his second victory of the day and fifth of the season with the #7 LR Motorsport Ligier JS2 R. VSF Sports’ #18, driven by Steven Palette and Lukas Papin, finished second ahead of August Therbo in 23Events Racing’s #57.
Jordan and Alain Meyer (#94 Pegasus Racing) took the win in the PRO-AM category, while Florian Teillais and Tristan Clay in the VSF Sports #41 won in the AM class.
Simone Riccitelli, LR Motorsport, Ligier JS2 R #7, Winner of Race 2:
“Race 2 was very difficult. I started from pole but August [Therbo] overtook me. I tried to immediately regain the position and pushed hard. I knew Steven [Palette] had a 5-second advantage at the pit stop, so the goal was to open a gap, which I did. At the restart it went wrong because a JS P4 came out just in front of me. It was very tight and I didn’t want to risk anything. Lukas overtook me and I had to do it all over again. I knew the first two laps were the best opportunity. I was already warm from the first part of the race, so I overtook him and pushed very hard. Then the rain arrived — it was very tricky. I managed to survive, then the safety car came out and the pitlane was closed. I was asking if I could come in, but we decided to stay out, and it paid off with the win.”
The next round, the season finale of the 2025 Ligier European Series, takes place on 16 and 17 October at the Portimão circuit in Portugal. The title race is more than ever wide open, and the Portimão Heat promises to be chock-full of intense battles!
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Photo credit: DPPI
