The final two races of the Ligier European Series season were full of surprises.
Les Deux Arbres team ended the season on a high note with a win each for its two Ligier JS P4s. The #33 with Jacques Nicolet behind the wheel scored its first win of the season in race 1.
The #34 sister car and drivers Steve Zacchia and Tom Cloet won race 2. In the Ligier JS2 R category, the duel between the #24 of Orhès Racing and the #53 of MRacing was a thriller. While the #24 of Mathieu Martins and Olivier Pernaut won race 1, the #53 of MRacing with Natan Bihel at the controls got its revenge in race 2. Despite their poor luck in the final races of 2021, Jacopo Faccioni and Alessandro Cicognani (#23 HP Racing by Monza Garage) are the 2021 Ligier JS P4 Champions. Natan Bihel (#53 MRacing) is the 2021 Ligier JS2 R Champion.
Race 1: Maiden victory for the #33 Les Deux Arbres Ligier JS P4 and fifth win for the #24 Orhès Racing Ligier JS2 R
Race one of the Ligier European Series season finale at the Portimao circuit was sweet for some but sour for others. In the Ligier JS P4 category, the #33 of Les Deux Arbres scored its first win of the season and fourth for the team. The sister car, the #34, was forced to retire but was still the fastest car on the track. After a close battle at the end of the race, the #24 Orhes Racing Ligier JS2 R edged out the #53 MRacing for the win.
The #22 HP Racing by Monza Garage car of Simone Riccitelli started from pole position. The Italian team’s new entry was dominant throughout the first part of the race, followed by the #34 of Les Deux Arbres driven by Steve Zacchia. Behind them, their sister cars, the #33 of Jacques Nicolet (Les Deux Arbres) and the #23 with Jacopo Faccioni (HP Racing by Monza Garage), battled for third place. But the #23 suffered a puncture and was forced to stop in the pits.
The pit stop window opened a few minutes later. Nicola Neri climbed aboard the #22 Ligier JS P4, Tom Cloet took over the #34 and Jacopo Faccioni got in the #23. After leaving the pits, the #34 of Les Deux Arbres spun and stopped on the side of the track. It would not restart, forcing Tom Cloet to retire. The safety car period allowed the #33 and #23 to catch up to the leading #22. With 15 minutes to go, the #22 spun after contact with the #33 and fell to seventh place overall but second in the category.
With six minutes remaining on the clock, HP Racing by Monza Garage suffered another setback when the #23 Ligier JS P4 with Jacopo Faccioni on board stopped on the track. Second retirement in the sport-prototype category. After six runner-up finishes, the #33 Les Deux Arbres entry with Jacques Nicolet behind the wheel took its first success of 2021 and the fourth for the team after Barcelona, the Red Bull Ring and Monza. The #22 of HP Racing by Monza Garage finished second. Despite retiring, the #34 posted the fastest lap of the race with Steve Zacchia at the controls, in 1:49.533s.
In the GT category, the #53 MRacing Ligier JS2 R driven by Natan Bihel took the lead with the #24 Orhès Racing car of Mathieu Martins close behind. At the start of the race, the #4 of COOL Racing driven by Cédric Oltramare moved past Laurent Millara in the #69 MRacing for third place. Natan Bihel had a comfortable lead, but he was caught and then passed by Mathieu Martins at the 25-minute mark of the race.
During the mandatory pit stop, Mathieu Martins handed over the #24 Ligier JS2 R to Olivier Pernaut, who maintained a ten second lead from the #53 MRacing car. But the appearance of the safety car following the stoppage of the #34 could change everything. Natan Bihel managed to catch up. With 17 minutes remaining, the race was back on the boil. A game of cat and mouse between the two main rivals of the season began. They passed each other four times before another yellow flag condition when the #25 Orhès Racing car of Alain Bucher (and ELMS entrant Nick Adcock) went off the track.
The #69 MRacing Ligier JS2 R took advantage of the restart to take third place in the category from Cédric Oltramare in the #4 COOL Racing car. At the sharp end of the class order, the close battle continued between the #24 Orhès and the #53 MRacing. Natan Bihel retook the lead four minutes before the chequers but could not fend off Olivier Pernaut, who was determined to take the victory. He was to receive the chequered flag. Olivier Pernaut also put in the fastest lap of the race in the GT category in 1:52.975s. MRacing’s two cars, the #53 and #69, finished second and third respectively.
Jacques Nicolet, Les Deux Arbres, Ligier JS P4 #33, Winner, Race 1: “It’s great to finally win a race this season. And I’m delighted to have done it at Portimao because it’s a fantastic circuit, which is so much fun for the drivers. But it wasn’t an easy win. I had to battle quite a lot with my competitors and with my teammate [Steve Zacchia, Les Deux Arbres driver #33]. I had a great time. We are here to have fun, and that was the case with all the on-track battles!”
Mathieu Martins, Orhès Racing, Ligier JS2 R #24, Winner Ligier JS2 R, Race 1: “Our strategy was to create as big a gap as possible to Natan [Natan Bihel, #53 MRacing driver] during my stint at the beginning of the race to allow Olivier [Olivier Pernaut] to get in the car with a lead. But the safety car didn’t help us and allowed Natan to come back at the end of the race. There were some great battles between Olivier and Natan, and we got the win!”
Olivier Pernaut, Orhès Racing, Ligier JS2 R #24, Winner, Ligier JS2 R, Race 1: “Mathieu handed over to me with a good lead which should have allowed me to have a rather easy stint. But unfortunately, as has often been the case for our team, a safety car intervened. And Natan was right behind me. We fought hard in the closing minutes of the race, always very clean. We passed each other several times. We put on a great show!”
Race 2: The final victories of the season go to the #34 Les Deux Arbres Ligier JS P4 and the #53 MRacing Ligier JS2 R
The final chequered flag of the 2021 Ligier European Series flew late on Saturday at Portimao. A thrilling end to the race in the Ligier JS P4 category with the victory and the fastest lap of the race going to the #34 of Les Deux Arbres. In the GT category, the #53 MRacing car concluded its season with a trouble-free race.
The start of the final race of the 2021 season came at 16:55. After winning the pole the day before, the #23 HP Racing by Monza Garage Ligier JS P4 of Jacopo Faccioni quickly opened up a gap on the field. The #33 Les Deux Arbres entry driven by Jacques Nicolet was second, followed by the #22 (HP Racing by Monza Garage) with Nicola Neri, and the #34 (Les Deux Arbres) with Tom Cloet. The #34 was running in fourth place when it caught up to, then passed the #22 and #33. However, the latter wasn’t about to give up without a fight and re-took second place.
While still in the lead of the race and seemingly ready to revenge its retirement in race 1, bad luck struck the #23 Ligier JS P4 once again. Shortly before the opening of the mandatory pit stop window, the #23 suffered a mechanical problem. Jacopo Faccioni managed to bring the car back to the pits, but the team retired shortly after. A cruel way to end the season for the championship leaders.
After the pit stop cycle, the #33 Ligier JS P4 of Les Deux Arbres took the lead, followed by the #34 with Steve Zacchia and the #22 driven by Simone Riccitelli. The gaps narrowed in the waning minutes of the race. With six minutes remaining, the #34 reeled in then overtook the sister car. The #22 HP Racing by Monza Garage car soon did the same. Steve Zacchia and Tom Cloet took their first win as a duo and fourth for the #34 Les Deux Arbres. Steve Zacchia clocked the fastest lap of the race in 1:48.967s.
In the Ligier JS2 R category, the #53 of MRacing and driver Natan Bihel got an excellent start and quickly opened up a comfortable gap to the #24 of Orhès Racing driven by Olivier Pernaut. The #4 of COOL Racing with Cédric Oltramare, on the other hand, lost third place to the #69 of MRacing with Laurent Millara behind the wheel. Twelve seconds separated the #53 and the #24 as the pit window opening neared.
The second half of the race was no better for the #24 Ligier JS2 R, now driven by Mathieu Martins. Despite his best efforts, he could not reduce the deficit to #53. Natan Bihel went on to win the last race of the season to take his 2021 victory total to seven. He also set the fastest lap of the race in 1:51.933s. The #24 Orhès Racing car finished second ahead of the second MRacing car, the #69.
Steve Zacchia, Les Deux Arbres, Ligier JS P4 #34, Winner, Ligier JS P4, Race 2: “I had a lot of fun watching my teammate Tom on the live stream fighting with the team’s other car. And then I jumped in, and I knew there was still some work to do. My goal was to be consistent, keep the car on the track and continue the work that Tom did in his stint. It was a great win and a great reward after the problems we had in race one.”
Tom Cloet, Les Deux Arbres, Ligier JS P4 #34, Winner, Ligier JS P4, Race 2: “I drove very carefully because it was my mistake that we didn’t finish race one. I was very well received by the team for my first time in the Ligier European Series so I had to make up for this. At least this is how I felt. We had really good fights with Jacques [Jacques Nicolet, Driver of #33 Les Deux Arbres]. It was fun. I enjoyed it a lot. This was my first in a Ligier JS P4. I think that I have now driven all of the cars from the Ligier range (except the Ligier JS F4). It’s not easy to compare with other cars. When you change cars, you have to adapt. It’s always a different driving style. But I like this, and it helps me to become a better driver.”
Natan Bihel, M Racing, Ligier JS2 R #53, Winner, Ligier JS2 R, Race 2: “It was quite difficult to keep up with Olivier [Olivier Pernaut, Driver of the #24 Orhès Racing car] and Mathieu [Mathieu Martins, Driver of the #24 Orhès Racing car] in race one. We worked a lot with the team between the two races to fine-tune the car and improve our setup. And we succeeded! I drove the entire race in the lead. I’m thrilled to finish this season with a win!”
Season two of the Ligier European Series has come to an end. After having won at every round of the season (except for Portimao), the #23 HP Racing By Monza Garage car and its drivers Jacopo Faccioni and Alessandro Cicognani are the 2021 Ligier JS P4 Champions. After finishing runner-up last year, Natan Bihel and MRacing are the 2021 Ligier JS2 R Champions.
LES JSP4 Teams Championship >>
LES JSP4 Drivers Championship >>
