RLR MSport and Ian Aguilera opened their 2024 account with a podium result in the Ligier European Series Barcelona Heat (12-13 April).
The Silverstone-based squad banked 27 points for finishing fourth in Heat 1 and third in Heat 2 at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, putting it and driver Aguilera second in the JS P4 Teams and Drivers Championships.
Having been fourth in the Free Practice 1, FP2 and Qualifying 1 times while still homing in on a baseline setup, the young Mexican found an extra gear in Qualifying 2 and secured a P3 start for the second Ligier race.
Heat 1 got underway behind the Safety Car following incidents on the formation lap, but Aguilera progressed to third on the road once up to full racing speed.
The field spread and the RLR MSport contender ran a lonely opening stint while dealing with excessive oversteer and relatively high tyre wear, but a mid-event Safety Car brought the pack together as the pit window opened, harming his race.
With a longer minimum pit stop time imposed on solo Silver-graded drivers, the neutralisation resulted in a loss of track position.
Fifth at the restart, Aguilera went off in pursuit of the #71 Monza Garage SRL and, although he was unable to unseat his rival, a post-race penalty for the overall leader promoted him to fourth in the definitive classification.
As in the earlier race, Aguilera had forward momentum in the opening exchanges of Heat 2, as he grabbed second position at the expense of the #66 Team Virage, which remained a keen threat as the leading #1 car drew away.
Aguilera defended staunchly but his quickly degrading Michelins enabled his rival to prise the door open and slip back through into P2 on the fourth lap of Catalunya.
Later, a trip across the gravel caused a significant delay and brought the chasing #7 Inter Europol Competition and #71 entries into play for the final podium place, but Aguilera regrouped and stood his ground until the compulsory pit stops.
The hour-long race reached a thrilling climax; mechanical issues for the rival #66 machine and a late Safety Car lifted Aguilera to second and sparked an enthralling battle.
The Mexican teenager and the #32 Team Virage traded places in a robust fight that raged on to the final lap, the former taking the chequered flag for a highly respectable P3 result.
“Overall, it has been a positive weekend in the Ligier European Series at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya,” said Aguilera. “We came away without a DNF and we collected a lot of points from both races, which gives us a strong foundation for the remainder of the 2024 season. I’m happy to have reached the podium and I believe we can fight for the championship against what is a much stronger entry than last year.
“However, there is a lot of work to be done. We struggled a little for pace throughout the weekend and are still searching for a strong baseline setup that can be tweaked to each circuit on the calendar. Considering this, third place is a fantastic result. Of course, I always want to win, but it’s a good start to the season.”
