Nickolas Ellis impressively scored two Ligier European Series top-seven placings on his debut at the ultra-fast Paul Ricard circuit with seventh and fifth placings.
Ellis’s co-driver Gabriel Doyle-Parfait began the opening one-hour race on May 2 from the fifth row of the 25-car grid.
He made an excellent start to place sixth on the opening lap and up a further position on the second lap prior to a Safety Car period after nine-minutes.
Fifth-placed Doyle-Parfait was spun down to 21st after contact with 20mins on the clock, Ellis taking over the #20 Trajectus Motorsport Ligier JSP4 at mid-distance.
Port Erin-born Nickolas lay 11th with all compulsory pit-stops completed, Ellis taking the chequered flag, under Safety Car conditions, seventh after a stunning recovery drive and having consistently set top-four lap times around the ultra-fast, sweeping 3.6-mile circuit.
Ellis began Race 2 from 10th position but completed lap one in eighth after a good start, Nick provisionally setting the fastest race lap as he impressively moved up to fifth early on. He dropped to sixth after 14mins then seventh (26mins), prior to pitting three-minutes later, Ellis again driving a “clean” race with no track limit indiscretions.
Doyle-Parfait benefitted from two cars spinning moving up to fifth with 20mins remaining, Gabriel bringing home their #20 Ligier home classified in fifth-place, again under Safety Car conditions, Ellis once more having set the #20 Ligier’s fastest lap time.
The third event of the season takes place at Le Mans in France on 7 June with Ellis starting the race placed 11th in the Driver’s Championship.