This weekend in Bahrain G-Drive Racing won the final round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LM P2 category with the no. 26 Ligier JS P2-Nissan-Dunlop. Thanks to this victory the team also wrapped up the FIA WEC Endurance Trophy for LM P2 Teams with four victories and four pole positions in the eight races on the calendar.
This first title won by the Ligier JS P2, in its first full season in the WEC, marks a red letter day in the history of the sports prototype built by Onroak Automotive. It is the culmination of a set of results built up over the months by the different teams that have run the car powered by Honda, Nissan or Judd engines on Dunlop, Michelin or Continental tyres.
This year’s FIA WEC LM P2 field was a particularly rich one, and the title won by G-Drive Racing with the Ligier JS P2 is the result of tireless work by the team all season. It had to contend with particularly tough rivals, in particular the KCMG Oreca 05 which took the battle for the title down to the wire, while the Jota Sport Gibson 015S put on some stunning performances, in particular at Le Mans; and towards the end of the championship the Signatech Alpine took the fight to the front-runners in no uncertain fashion.
Thus, the 2015 season ended in a blaze of glory for Onroak Automotive thanks to G-Drive Racing’s two Ligier JS P2s, nos 26 and 28, which clinched first and third places on the LM P2 podium in the Bahrain 6 Hours as well as finishing first and third in the FIA WEC LM P2 Endurance Trophy.
In 2015, the Tequila Patron ESM squad managed by Scott Sharp made its debut in the FIA WEC. At the second round it swapped its previous chassis for two Ligier JS P2s in what was a learning year for the American team, which had to get to grips with a new car and new circuits. It finished seventh in the Le Mans 24 Hours in LM P2 class and scored two encouraging fourth places in Austin and Fuji. ESM has decided to pursue the adventure in 2016 in the FIA WEC.
While the Ligier JS P2 came out on top, the Sard Morand team showed that the Morgan LM P2 EVO is still a quick, competitive package in the FIA WEC LM P2 field. The Swiss outfit managed by Benoît Morand was a regular front-runner, qualifying on the second row in LM P2 on three occasions, and seeing the flag in the top 5 in LM P2 in five races with a best result of third place at Spa-Francorchamps.
Jacques Nicolet, President Onroak Automotive: “This title is the fruit of the work carried out by the whole G-Drive Racing squad led by Philippe Dumas and the Onroak Automotive teams which created the Ligier JS P2. I would like to give them my warmest congratulations.
“Since its debut the Ligier JS P2 has proved its potential, its reliability and its performance, but in such a high-quality field it takes time to win. That makes the victory all the sweeter as they had to fight off tough rivals throughout the season.
“Guy Ligier would have been very proud of the overall performance of the Ligier JS P2, which has added to the success already achieved by the Ligier JS P3: it’s our way to pay homage to him!”
The firsts of the Ligier JS P2
– 1st shakedown: Bugatti circuit – 7th March 2014
– 1st race: Le Mans 24 Hours – 14th June 2014
– 1st pole position: Le Mans 24 Hours – 14th June 2014
> #46 Ligier JS P2-Nissan-Dunlop – Thiriet by TDS Racing /LM P2 category
– 1st podium: Le Mans 24 Hours – 15th June 2014
> #46 Ligier JS P2-Nissan-Dunlop – Thiriet by TDS Racing /LM P2 category
– 1st victory: Fuji 6 Hours – 12th October 2014
> #26 Ligier JS P2-Nissan-Dunlop – G-Drive Racing / FIA WEC – LM P2 category
– 1st title: WEC, FIA Endurance Trophy for LM P2 Teams – 21st November 2015
> #26 Ligier JS P2-Nissan-Dunlop – G-Drive Racing
A few figures since the Ligier JS P2’s competition debut:
– 35 races
– 14 pole positions, scratch or category
– 21 podiums, scratch or category
– 7 victories, scratch or category
– 13 fastest race laps, scratch or category