On the morning of Saturday, 24 September, the drivers of the Ligier European Series battled it out at Spa-Francorchamps in wet conditions. Light rain made a mess of the track and allowed the #53 Ligier JS P4 (M Racing) and the #96 Ligier JS2 R (CTF Performance) to take their maiden victories of 2022. The weather was more cooperative in the afternoon, but the challenges were just as great. The #16 Ligier JS P4 (Team Virage) and the #75 Ligier JS2 R (RLR MSport) finished first, but more importantly, they won the title in their respective categories.
Race 1: M Racing and CTF Performance take their first victory in a crazy race in Belgium
Race one from the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium this Saturday, 24 September, was an incredible show. And proof that nothing should be taken for granted on the Toboggan des Ardennes, which is renowned for being demanding, especially in wet weather. The twists and turns of the race continued, and two cars scored their first victory of the season: the #53 M Racing Ligier JS P4 and the #96 CTF Performance Ligier JS2 R.
Race one of the day began early in the morning as a light rain fell over the circuit. The track conditions were delicate for the drivers who started on cold tyres on a particularly slippery asphalt.
Ligier JS P4: Incredible win by a hair’s breadth for Natan Bihel with M Racing
In the sport-prototype category, Gillian Henrion in the #16 Team Virage Ligier JS P4 held on to the lead at the start. But contact between the #3 LR Motorsport car (Simone Riccitelli) and the #85 Smart Driving entry (Andrei Vajda) caused havoc in the field. In fifth place, Dimitri Enjalbert in the #17 Pegasus Racing car took advantage of the chaos to move to the front. He ran down Gillian Henrion and snatched the lead. The #16 driver then battled for second place with George King in the #23 Monza Garage Ligier JS P4.
The yellow flags were shown twice within minutes of one other after two successive stops by a Ligier JS2 R. The #16 Ligier JS P4 made up ground to the lead car. When the race resumed, Gillian Henrion made a daring manoeuvre to overtake Dimitri Enjalbert. He slid on the vibrators but made the move stick to retake the race lead.
Ten minutes later, a safety car period allowed the stalled #4 COOL Racing Ligier JS2 R (Cédric Oltramare) to be retrieved. At the re-start, the #16, #17 and #23 Ligier JS P4s formed a three-car group at the front. Dimitri Enjalbert pressured Gillian Henrion, with the gap at less than a second. Behind, Natan Bihel in the #53 of M Racing struggled at the start but moved up the order and overtook the #33 of Les Deux Arbres (Erwin Creed) for fourth place. Back in the lead, the #16 of Team Virage widened the gap. When the pit stop window opened, it was the first to enter the pitlane.
The gap created by Dimitri Enjalbert in the #17 and a prolonged pit stop for Gillian Henrion in the #16 allowed Pegasus Racing to stay ahead. Now driven by Anthony Nahra, the #17 had a 14-second lead over the #23 Monza Garage car (Ronnie Valori). Natan Bihel in the #53 was third, Jacques Nicolet in the #33 fourth, and Gillian Henrion fifth. Natan Bihel overtook Ronnie Valori quickly and began to reel in Anthony Nahra.
The #33 Ligier JS P4 lost its right rear wheel. A second safety car period prevented Natan Bihel from overtaking Anthony Nahra, and Gillian Henrion saw the possibility of a podium finish. But the Spa-Francorchamps circuit and its climate are known for creating surprises as three Ligier JS2 R cars went off the track into the gravel trap in the latter part of the race.
The battle for the win came down to a final lap shootout. The safety car came in, and the race went green. Natan Bihel in the #53 quickly got by Anthony Nahra in the #17. Behind, Gillian Henrion in the #16 left caution to the wind as he overtook the #3 and #23. He then got past the #17 Ligier JS P4 for second place. But the top spot on the podium eluded him. Natan Bihel, the 2021 Ligier JS2 R champion, won for the first time this season in the Ligier JS P4 category. Gillian Henrion posted the fastest time of the race in 2:42.053.
The tumultuous start allowed the #11 TM Evolution Ligier JS2 R, driven by Mathieu Detry, to maintain the lead and pull away from the other GTs, including second placed Haytham Qarajouli in the #75 RLR MSport car. Further back, the #40 from RLR MSport (Horst Felix Felbermayr) overtook the #96 of CTF Performance (Fabien Delaplace) for third place. But the slippery track was unforgiving. The young Austrian in the #40 car learned this the hard way with a spin in the Raidillon. This mishap allowed Laurent Millara in the #69 M Racing car, to move up to third place.
Cédric Oltramare in the #4 COOL Racing Ligier JS2 R was involved in a violent accident the previous day in free practice and stopped three times by the side of the track. Despite their efforts, the Swiss team retired. After a few laps behind the safety car, the race resumed. The gap between #11 and #75 narrowed. But Haytham Qarajouli lost grip several times and lost ground. The mandatory pit window then opened.
The #11 TM Evolution Ligier JS2 R was the last to make a driver change. Mathieu Detry handed over to Alain Grand, who kept the category lead. An incident involving a Ligier JS P4 caused a second safety car period. A few minutes later, Alain Grand was caught out in a corner and came to a stop in the gravel trap. The lead reverted to the #75 GT. But then it was the Kuwaiti driver’s turn to go off the track.
Laurent Millara, in the #69 car, took the lead in this crazy race, ahead of the #40 RLR MSport and the #96 CTF Performance. But as the saying goes, all things come in threes. Laurent Millara was not spared when he lost control of his Ligier and ended up in the gravel trap. Although he fell down the order, he managed to rejoin the race. The #96 CTF Performance car became the fourth Ligier JS2 R to take the lead in the race.
Fabien Delaplace and Laurent Piguet, drivers of the #96 and three-time podium finishers, took their first win (the second for the team after that of the #95 at Castellet). The #40 finished runner-up, while the TM Evolution #25, driven by Bruno Chaudet and Freddy Menanteau, finished third for the first time this season. Freddy Menanteau scored the fastest lap of the race in its category in 2:55.903.
Natan Bihel, M Racing, Ligier JS P4 #16, winner race 1: “I didn’t expect to win this race. It wasn’t a good start with electronic problems with the car. The race circumstances meant that I was able to come back little by little and go for the win on the last lap. I didn’t think that the safety car was going to restart the race, so in my mind, it was over. When I saw the green flag, I said to myself, I had to overtake the first car immediately. I couldn’t let him get away. If I didn’t overtake him straight away, it would have been difficult with several other drivers coming back quickly.”
Fabien Delaplace, CTF Performance, Ligier JS2 R #96, winner race 1 in Ligier JS2 R: “It was a difficult start for everyone. Most of us were on slick tyres as it started to rain, and the track was wet. The choice to change tyres during the driver change was a good idea. We are thrilled to win the race. The category is very competitive. We hope to have another good race.”
Laurent Piguet, CTF Performance, Ligier JS2 R #96, winner race 1 in Ligier JS2 R: “It’s our first win, which is no small feat in this category. We made some strategic choices with the tyres, which paid off. It cost us a lot for race two, but for race one, it allowed us to stay in contention and finish in the lead.”
Race 2:
The weekend concluded at the Toboggan des Ardennes in Belgium on Saturday, 24 September. The Ligier European Series leaves the Spa-Francorchamps circuit with the victory of the leaders of the two categories, Gillian Henrion (#16 Team Virage Ligier JS P4) and Haytham Qarajouli (#75 RLR MSport Ligier JS2 R). Two victories that see both win the championship in their respective category.
The green flag waved at 1:05 pm. Pole position holder but defeated in race 1, Gillian Henrion in the #16 Team Virage Ligier JS P4 surged ahead and retained the lead. Behind him, Andrei Vajda (Smart Driving) in the #85 car and Natan Bihel (M Racing) in the #53 were in a duel for second place. The Frenchman’s attacks paid off as he passed his Romanian counterpart. Alexandru Mirea, in the #44 entry (second Smart Driving car), and Anthony Nahra, in the #17 from Pegasus Racing, were battling for fourth place. A mistake by Mirea allowed Nahra to take the position. Without delay, the driver of the sky-blue Ligier JS P4 attacked Andrei Vajda.
Unfortunately, it was a bitter blow for Pegasus Racing. The #17 went over the Raidillon’s vibrators and spun. The car set off a few metres further down the track but came to a standstill, causing the safety car to be deployed. This situation did not help Gillian Henrion in the #16, who saw his lead evaporate.
Just after the mid-way point of the race, the drivers made their mandatory pitstop, and everyone entered the pitlane at the same time, which changed the race order. The #44 Ligier JS P4 came out in the lead, ahead of the #33 Les Deux Arbres (Erwin Creed), the #53, the #3 (Simone Riccitelli), the #16 and the #85. At the restart, the #33 attacked the lead car. The overtaking move was daring as the two made contact through the uphill Raidillon corner, with the Ligier JS P4 of Les Deux Arbres getting the upper hand.
The #53 Ligier JS P4 overtook the #44 from Smart Driving to pick up a position. Alexandru Mirea then lost two places. First to the #16, then the #3. Then Gillian Henrion attacked Natan Bihel in what became another duel between the two French drivers. The #16 passed the #53, then the #33. Gillian Henrion was back in the lead of the race. A place he would not relinquish until he crossed the finish line, with the fastest lap of the race in 2:24.899s. Natan Bihel received a stop-and-go penalty for not respecting the minimum pit stop time and dropped to fifth place. Andrei Vajda and Smart Driving finished second. The Les Deux Arbres gentleman duo of Jacques Nicolet and Erwin Creed completed the podium.
With 243 points in the classification, Gillian Henrion, who has won every race but one since the start of the season, leaves Spa-Francorchamps with the title of Ligier JS P4 Champion.
The safety car was deployed soon after the start following contact between the #40 RLR MSport Ligier JS2 R (Horst Felix Felbermayr) and the #96 CTF Performance (Laurent Piguet). The race was over for the British team and its Austrian driver, whose car was in the gravel trap. Starting from pole position in GT, Haytham Qarajouli in the #75 RLR MSport car continued to lead the race. The #25 entry from TM Evolution (Freddy Menanteau) was next, followed by the #69 of M Racing (Laurent Millara).
The #4 COOL Racing Ligier JS2 R (Cédric Oltramare) moved up to third place ahead of Laurent Millara. A string of Ligier JS2 R then stood out from the rest of the field, with the #75, the #25, the #4 and the #69 were in a four-car battle for the lead. When the pit stop window opened, the #75 still led, followed by the #4. But with the GTs all pitting at once and during the safety car period, the race order changed.
Laurent Millara in the #69 M Racing Ligier JS2 R was the first to leave the pits. Bruno Chaudet in the #25 was second, but Haytham Qarajouli in the #75 passed him at the restart. Another driver, Cédric Oltramare in the #4, also came in contact with the TM Evolution Ligier JS2 R as he moved up to third place
Haytham Qarajouli chased Laurent Millara and passed him with 18 minutes to go in the race. Just until the end, the #69 M Racing Ligier JS2 R chased the category leader in the hope of taking the win. The #4 COOL Racing car was also getting dangerously close. However, Haytham Qarajouli stayed focused and did not lose his nerve to go on for the win. It was a fitting comeback performance after his retirement in race 1 in the morning. The victory is all the sweeter for the Kuwaiti driver, who has clinched the 2022 Ligier JS2 R title.
Laurent Millara took the chequered flag in second place. But the 15-second penalty he was given after contact with the #25 relegated him to third place. Cédric Oltramare inherited second place. Belgian driver Mathieu Detry in the #11 TM Evolution with Alain Grand set the fastest lap of the race in 2:33.449s. The team finished fifth.
Gillian Henrion, Team Virage, #16 Ligier JS P4, winner race 2: “After race 1 and the problems we had during pit stop, I was more motivated than ever starting race 2. With the wet track, I kept braking later and later. The Ligier JS P4 is just an amazing car to drive on a wet track. It was such a great race. I cried when I crossed the finishing line. I’m so happy to have clinched the Ligier JS P4 title. I can’t wait for Portimão and to start a new challenge next year in LMP3!”
Haytham Qarajouli, RLR MSport, #75 Ligier JS2 R, race 2 :“It was quite nice to drive on a wet track. It wasn’t too wet in Race 2 compared to this morning where we stayed on slicks. We couldn’t keep the heat in the tyres so it didn’t really work out for us. Spa-Francorchamps has the fastest corners of the circuits on the 2022 calendar. It’s quite nice to see what the car can do at such a high speed. I am very happy to win the championship. It was fantastic to do my first European season in a competition like the Ligier European Series”.
The season finale of the Ligier European Series will be held in the southern Algarve, at the Portimão circuit, on 14 and 15 October. While the champions of both categories can look forward to the closing weekend with serenity, everything is still up for grabs for second and third place in the championship.
