The new Ligier JS P2 car has completed a successful rollout, with the Onroak Automotive-designed prototype completing 60 laps last week at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit. (En Français)
Team boss Jacques Nicolet was present for the historic first test, which saw Alex Brundle handle driving duties of the closed-top LMP2 car, the first all-new car to come from OAK Racing’s manufacturing department.
“The day was good,” Nicolet told Endurance-Info. “There were no concerns to report and everything worked as it should.
“Alex immediately felt at ease. We do not usually run closed-top cars, so there was a slight concern about the visibility but that fear quickly dissipated.
“We are now off and running with a series of tests to develop the Ligier JS P2.
“The car completed straight-line testing on Sunday at Châteauroux to validate the aero. We will now begin testing in Spain. We’re on schedule.”
Nicolet said to still expect at least two Ligiers for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the possibility of a third depending on the car’s stage of development by June.
“We must take time to do things properly,” he said. “There will be at least two Ligiers at Le Mans with OAK Racing Team Asia and Thiriet by TDS Racing.
“For the rest, we’ll have to see according to the [rate] of development. The G-Drive Racing car will surely be a Morgan LMP2.”
It was a busy week for Onroak, as the new Ligier JS 55 car debuted at Magny-Cours during official testing for the VdeV Endurance Series.
Could the CN class car be a precursor to a LMP3 car in the future?
“At present, the car is somewhat of a hybrid of what is allowed in CN, for the chassis and mechanical components,” Nicolet said. “We added a roof with a fiberglass roll cage which is not the CN standards.
“The car is not [homologated] and will run unclassified in the VdeV Endurance Series. This allows us to gain experience for the LMP3 car.
“It’s a way to anticipate the design of the LMP3. We’re waiting for the final rules but hopefully they will be released by the summer.”