Le Mans test day Ligier schedule

The 24 Hours of Le Mans test day on Sunday, June 1, included a full Ligier European Series support program at Circuit de la Sarthe, alongside the first on-track running for the main event, according to AutoHebdo. The French outlet published the support timetable in a practical-information guide for the day, listing one morning practice session, a short qualifying session and a one-hour race in the afternoon. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest’s wider Le Mans schedule also identifies Sunday test-day access as part of the 2026 event week. The support timetable matters because it set the rhythm of the day before the June 10-14 race week for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. ### Which Ligier sessions were on the June 1 test day schedule? AutoHebdo’s published schedule listed Ligier European Series free practice from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., followed by qualifying from 9:15 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. and a race from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on June 1. The same timings appear in an independently published Le Mans race-week programme page, which places those sessions around the 24 Hours of Le Mans test-day track time. (le-mans-guide.co.uk) The one-hour race format also matches Ligier European Series promotional material for its 2026 Le Mans round. In its 2026 brochure, the series described Le Mans as “an exceptional race held during the Test Day,” rather than a standard weekend support slot. (le-mans-guide.co.uk) ### How did the Ligier timetable fit around the main Le Mans running? The Le Mans race-week programme placed the first 24 Hours of Le Mans test session from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the second from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the same Sunday. That left the Ligier race in the gap between the two main test sessions. The FIA World Endurance Championship event page confirms the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans race itself runs from June 10 to June 14. (ligiereuropeanseries.com) The ACO ticketing page separately lists Sunday, June 7, as Test Day within the official event week, indicating the support program was attached to the opening day of public track activity. (le-mans-guide.co.uk) ### Was the support race part of the Ligier European Series championship? The Ligier European Series’ own 2026 calendar identifies Le Mans as “Heat 3” on June 7, 2026. A recent series preview said 39 cars would take part in that Le Mans round on the legendary 24 Hours circuit as part of Test Day. (lemans.org) Ligier European Series material also describes the championship as part of the ACO endurance ladder, using Ligier JS P4 prototypes and JS2 R GT-style cars. That places the Le Mans support race inside the series’ regular 2026 campaign rather than as a standalone exhibition. ### What could spectators access on test day? The ACO’s 2026 Le Mans ticketing information says Club ACO facilities were open on Sunday, June 7, for Test Day. (ligiereuropeanseries.com) The 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit-access page also directs spectators to gate and opening-hour information for the event site. (ligiereuropeanseries.com) AutoHebdo’s practical-information guide, cited in the card briefing, said the day included paddock and practice access with the support series program. That made the Ligier sessions part of the public-facing schedule, not just a closed support paddock activity. ### What comes next after the test day support program? June 10 is the first day of official free practice and qualifying for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, according to the FIA WEC event page. (lemans.org) The race is scheduled to start on June 13 as part of the June 10-14 meeting. The Ligier European Series calendar lists the Le Mans Heat as its third round on June 7, and the championship resumes later in the season at Spa-Francorchamps on August 21-23, according to the series’ 2026 schedule. (le-mans-guide.co.uk) (ligiereuropeanseries.com) (fiawec.com)