Ligier European Series – Natan Bihel wins elimination race

It was on a wet track that the start of Race 1 of the Ligier European Series at Spa was given. Conditions which trapped several drivers in the first minutes. Natan Bihel (M Racing) and Simone Riccitelli (LR Motorsport) lost big from the start, while pole sitter Gillian Henrion (Team Virage) lost her first place to Dimitri Enjalbert (Team Pegasus Racing). It was necessary to overtake with a miraculous rescue of the championship leader at the bus stop chicane to recover his property just before an intervention by the Safety Car, to allow the evacuation of the car of Cédric Oltramare (COOL Racing), immobilized at the side of the runway.

Unfortunately for Gillian Henrion, her pit stop dragged on and dropped her to fourth place. A second safety car was deployed following the retirement of Jacques Nicolet (Les Deux Arbres) with just over twenty minutes to go. The no. 11 of TM Evolution shared by Alain Grand and Mathieu Detry exited in the same place while leading the JS2 R category. The conditions continued to trap the various competitors and Haytham Qarajouli (RLR MSport) also started at the fault in the gravel, while the Safety Car was still on the track a quarter of an hour from the goal. While it had to move away, Laurent Millara (M Racing) was trapped in turn and the Safety Car continued.

The race was restarted for the last lap and Natan Bihel, returning from the devil vauvert, stole first place from Pegasus Racing to win. Gillian Henrion moved up to second place ahead of Anthony Nahra and Dimitri Enjalbert. In JS2 R, it was the CTF Performance duo composed of Fabien Delaplace and Laurent Piguet who won.