Montreal, QC (June 4, 2023) When the Ali brothers headed out for Le Mans earlier this week, it was agreed that there should be no expectations. The plan was to simply take in the experience at this historical 100th Anniversary 24 Hours of Le Mans, and get accustomed to their new racing career in endurance, after years of karting.
Today, both Adam and Daniel Ali paired up in the 1-hour Ligier European Series’ race, and successfully finished in 7thplace overall, driving their #14 Ligier JS P4 for InterEuropol on the 8.5-mile legendary Le Mans circuit. The young Canadians enjoyed every moment despite a minor issue leaving the grid.
Seventeen-year old Daniel took the green flag at 2:00 pm local Le Mans time, and quickly worked his way up the 25-car field while dealing with yellow flags and safety car outings.
The Torontonian did a great job keeping up the pace. When older brother Adam jumped in the car for his stint, he put in a great drive and took the checker flag an hour later in 7th place.
“This was my first race of a busy LeMans weekend and it went very well” said Daniel, smiling from ear to ear. “It was difficult as it was my first time racing the Le Mans circuit and also my first time in the Ligier LMP4 race car. But Adam and I were soon able to build up to a quick pace. Although we ended up starting the race from the back of the field, we were able to charge through the field and finish 7th overall.”
“Racing at Le Mans in the Ligier European Series this weekend was an incredible experience” commented Adam. “Since I began my motorsports career, I have looked forward to driving on this historical circuit. Even though it was our first race in the car, my brother and I had strong pace throughout the day. Though 2 safety cars hindered our drive from the back of the grid, we were still able to recover to a P7 finish and within a few seconds of the leader by the last lap. Certainly a strong debut in the car and series for me. The support of InterEuropol Competition and my driving coach Colin Noble was of great help this weekend.”
“Driving at Le Mans has been a dream of mine for a very long time” said Daniel, and I’m very happy that I got the chance to race here at Le Mans. In only a few years I went from watching the race on television hoping to one day watch the race in person, and now I get to compete in the support race. It’s been an incredible adventure so far and I owe it all to my family, BAM Motorsports, InterEuropol Competition, and my driving coach Colin Noble.”
Daniel Ali is now gearing up for his 2nd participation in the Le Mans weekend, where he’ll be competing in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, in two 1-hour races on Thursday and Friday. Stay tuned!