Racing Reports : VSF Sports Racing Holds Strong at Le Mans

Louise Liechtmaneger
il y a 2 jours
3 min de lecture

VSF Sports Racing was back at the legendary Circuit of the 24 Heures du Mans for the third round of the Ligier European Series season. It was a unique event with a schedule condensed into a single day. Free practice, qualifying, and the race, all took place between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., leaving very short time for the teams and drivers to get their bearings on a track offering little grip, as they were the first cars to drive on the 24 Hours circuit.

©DPPI / Ligier European Series

Strong qualifying results

Despite these unusual conditions, our four drivers quickly found their rhythm.

With only a few clean laps at their disposal, the drivers delivered outstanding performances and qualified in 3rd and 6th positions after technical inspections led to the disqualification of a competitor. An excellent grid position, right in the heart of the leading pack.

An exciting race full of twists and turns

At the start, Antonin Bernard put in a strong performance behind the wheel of the #41 JS2 R. Locked in a battle with Marcus Terkildsen, one of his main rivals in the championship, he defended his position perfectly and handed the wheel over to his teammate Daniel Dallakyan, who was in the leading group at the time of the pit stop.

In the #18, Maxime Aparicio held his position in the top 10 and managed to stay in contact with the pack. Shortly before the pit window opened, the safety car was deployed, triggered by the retirement of two competitors, bringing the entire field back together.

Ligier JS2R #18 — ©DPPI / Ligier European Series

Most teams then made their pit stops simultaneously. At the restart, the #41 unfortunately lost a few positions in a particularly congested pit lane, while the #18, on the other hand, managed to capitalize on the situation.

Another caution period was quickly called. Daniel was then running in the top three, while Anthony Ghibaudo in the #18 held fifth place. At the restart, Daniel finds himself in the battle for the top spots while catching up to slower competitors in the JS P4 class. As he returns to his usual braking points, the significant speed differences unfortunately lead to contact. This incident forces the #41 to retire.

For his part, Anthony played it safe and maintained his pace. Capitalizing on various race developments, he crossed the checkered flag in 2nd place in the Pro/Am class and 5th overall after a competitor was disqualified.

A mixed but encouraging outcome

For the #18 crew, the results remain very positive. Maxime and Anthony put in a solid and consistent performance, allowing them to consolidate their third-place position in the championship against particularly stiff competition. The duo sits in first place in the Pro/Am standings

For the #41 car, frustration is obviously in the air. Until the incident on the final lap, Antonin and Daniel had demonstrated excellent performance and seemed poised to score points for the championship. Despite this retirement, the crew nevertheless retains the championship lead.

This race therefore leaves a mixed feeling, somewhere between sporting satisfaction and a missed opportunity. One thing is certain: the team and our drivers are now looking ahead to the next round at Spa-Francorchamps with the determination to maintain their momentum and defend their positions in the championships.

VSF Sports Racing officially begins its summer break until August.

See you in Belgium!

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