The fourth round of the 2026 Ligier European Series at Spa-Francorchamps delivered everything motorsport is known for: changing weather conditions, technical challenges, dramatic setbacks and, ultimately, a hard-earned podium finish.
While the final result shows a third-place finish, the story behind the podium reflects the resilience, determination and fighting spirit that defined MT Raceteam throughout the weekend.
The three-day event began on Friday with two qualifying sessions in extremely challenging weather conditions. Despite the heavy rain, Marcus Terkildsen delivered an outstanding performance, qualifying P2 for Race 1 before securing pole position for Race 2.
The qualifying sessions confirmed what the team had been working towards throughout the season. The balance of the car had improved significantly and, for the first time in several race weekends, everything pointed towards a genuine opportunity to fight consistently at the front.
Race 1 started exactly as planned.
Marcus made a strong start and immediately settled into the battle for the leading positions. Unfortunately, the race came to an early end when another technical issue forced the team to retire the car.
It was another frustrating moment in a season where technical problems have repeatedly prevented Marcus from converting strong performances into the results they deserved. For any racing driver, there are few things more disappointing than delivering behind the wheel, only to lose the opportunity because of circumstances entirely outside your control.
Despite the disappointment, there was little time to dwell on the setback.
Sunday’s race presented a completely different challenge before the green flag had even fallen.
Heavy fog delayed the start, with race control eventually getting the race underway behind the Safety Car.
During the Safety Car procedure, a JSP4 car was instructed to pass Marcus in order to regain its correct position at the back of the JSP4 field. Unfortunately, that information was never communicated to either Marcus or the team.
The misunderstanding resulted in contact between the two cars, leaving Marcus with a punctured right rear tyre before the race had properly begun.
After carefully bringing the car back to the pits for a tyre change, Marcus rejoined the race at the back of the field despite having started from pole position.
What followed was an impressive recovery drive.
Marcus worked his way through the field with determination and consistency, overtaking competitor after competitor while maintaining excellent pace throughout the race. The speed shown by both Marcus and the car confirmed the progress the team had made over the weekend.
Unfortunately, the heavy fog meant the race spent a significant amount of time behind the Safety Car, leaving only around 40 minutes of green flag racing. Despite charging through the field, Marcus simply ran out of time to complete his remarkable recovery. He crossed the finish line in P4, just 0.1 seconds behind third place.
Following post-race penalties, the classification was revised, promoting Marcus to a well-deserved P3 finish.
Although the podium was a rewarding outcome, the biggest positive from Spa extended far beyond the trophy itself.
For the first time in several race weekends, we had a car capable of fighting at the front from start to finish. The pace was there, the balance was there, and despite circumstances beyond our control preventing us from showing our full potential, the weekend confirmed that we are once again in a position to compete for podiums and victories.
Motorsport is rarely defined by a single race weekend.
It is defined by how teams respond to adversity, continue improving and refuse to let setbacks dictate the future.
Spa tested every part of MT Raceteam, but it also reinforced our belief that the hard work behind the scenes is moving the programme in the right direction. Every lap, every setback and every lesson learned brings us one step closer to where we know we belong.
With renewed confidence, valuable championship points and a package capable of fighting at the front, the team now turns its full attention to the next challenge.
Next stop: Silverstone.