Race Report: VSF Sports kicks off the 2026 season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

The 2026 Ligier European Series season got underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, hosting the opening round for team VSF Sports. It was a busy and contrasting weekend, marked by strong qualifying performances, two podium finishes and a victory — a promising start to the championship for the entire team.

©Paulo Maria / DPPI / Ligier European Series

Friday 10 April: building momentum and strong qualifying

Following thorough preparation and a track walk to understand the specifics of the Catalan circuit, the four VSF Sports Racing drivers took to the track for the free practice sessions.

These initial runs allowed the team to fine-tune the setup and assess the behaviour of the Ligier JS2 R cars under race conditions. Tyre degradation management, intensified by the weather conditions, proved to be a key challenge. Despite this, the drivers quickly found a strong performance level, validating competitive setups ahead of qualifying.

©Paulo Maria / DPPI / Ligier European Series

Qualification 1

Maxime Aparicio et Antonin Bernard ouvrent le bal dans une séance perturbée par un drapeau rouge. Cette interruption redistribue les cartes : pneus refroidis, fenêtre de performance réduite, stratégie à adapter. Dans ce contexte délicat, les deux pilotes livrent une prestation solide :

• Antonin Bernard secured P3 

• Maxime Aparicio finished P6 

  
  

Qualification 2

Anthony Ghibaudo and Daniel Dallakyan enjoyed a more straightforward session. With no interruptions, they were able to fully exploit the car’s potential:

• Daniel Dallakyan claimed P2 

• Anthony Ghibaudo followed with P5

Saturday 11 April: control, determination and success

Race 1: first podium despite a chaotic race

The start was well managed, including a decisive avoidance of an incident involving a JSP4. From the opening minutes, the race was punctuated by several Full Course Yellow periods, disrupting both rhythm and strategy.

During the first relay:

• Maxime Aparicio  handed over in P5 to Anthony Ghibaudo

• Antonin Bernard  handed over in P4 to Daniel Dallakyan

In the second stint, both crews fought at the front in the JS2 R category. Despite clean driving and solid defensive work, pressure from competitors intensified towards the end of the race. Just minutes before the chequered flag, both VSF Sports cars lost a position to car #88.

However, Anthony Ghibaudo managed to seize a strategic opportunity to climb back up the overall standings.

Result :

• Podium (P3) for crew #18 (Aparicio / Ghibaudo) with a PRO-AM category win

• P4 for crew #41 (Bernard/ Dallakyan)

Race 2: victory and confirmation of potential

The start of the second race was particularly sharp: Daniel Dallakyan took the lead from pole position and Anthony Ghibaudo immediately placed himself among the top three.

Four minutes into the race, a Full Course Yellow disrupted the momentum. An earlier incident involving a competitor caused car #18 to lose several positions. At the restart, Daniel Dallakyan delivered an excellent stint, defending his position with authority against very aggressive rivals. He remained composed and strategic, ensuring a clean stint and an optimal handover to Antonin Bernard.

Meanwhile, car #18 saw its race unravel following contact during an overtaking attempt, leading to an early retirement.

Decisive final stint

Grâce à un pit stop optimisé, l’équipage n°41 reprend la piste en pôle position. Antonin Bernard réalise alors un relais parfaitement maîtrisé : rythme constant, aucune erreur, très bonne gestion de la concurrence.

Result:

• Overall victory for crew #41 (Dallakyan / Bernard) 

A promising outcome

Avec deux podiums dont une victoire, des qualifications dans le haut du classement et un rythme de course compétitif, VSF Sports Racing signe une entrée en matière convaincante dans cette saison 2026.

Au-delà des résultats, ce premier rendez-vous met en lumière : une excellente cohésion d’équipe, une capacité d’adaptation stratégique, un potentiel de performance solide face à une concurrence relevée.

Rendez-vous pour la seconde manche sur le circuit du Castellet le 1er et 2 mai 2026. With two podium finishes including one victory, strong qualifying positions and competitive race pace, VSF Sports Racing delivered a convincing opening to the 2026 season.

Beyond the results, this first round highlighted: excellent team cohesion, strong strategic adaptability and solid performance potential against high-level competition

The team will return for round two at Circuit Paul Ricard (Le Castellet) on 1–2 May 2026.