Le Mans Classic 2026 – Plateau 7 Race Report
Le Mans · July 2026
Tiga GT286 | Jan Magnussen & Christian Hope
Le Mans Classic marked a new chapter for the Legacy Outlaws Racing Tiga GT286. Following a comprehensive pre-event rebuild, which included a new gear set and a freshly rebuilt engine, the team arrived at Circuit de la Sarthe with high hopes for one of the biggest events on the historic racing calendar.
Joining Jan Magnussen for the weekend was Danish driver Christian Hope, making his competitive debut in the Tiga GT286. With no previous race experience in the car, Christian faced the daunting challenge of learning both the car and the legendary 13.6km Le Mans circuit over the course of the weekend.
Qualifying
Jan took qualifying duties for the representative time and immediately demonstrated the pace of the rebuilt Tiga, recording a 4:07.009 to secure 9th overall and 2nd in class. Christian continued to build confidence with a best lap of 4:41.142, gaining valuable experience with every lap.
Class honours went to Chahwan in the Spice SE88C with a 4:03.815.
Unfortunately, Jan's qualifying session ended dramatically when the left rear half shaft snapped on the Mulsanne Straight, leaving the Tiga stranded and requiring recovery back to the pits. Thanks to the outstanding work of the Legacy Outlaws Racing crew, the damage was repaired in time for the evening session.
Night Practice
The team's hard work paid off. The Tiga ran faultlessly throughout the night practice session, with Jan recording a 4:35.390 to finish 2nd in class as a red flag ended the session early just as Jan was starting his stint.
Even more encouraging was the outright speed of the car, reaching an impressive 302.7 km/h on the Mulsanne Straight, underlining both the performance of the rebuilt engine and the team's preparation.
Chahwan remained quickest in class with a 4:17.248, while Bourdin completed the top three in class in the ADA 02B.
With reliability restored after the qualifying setback, confidence within the team was high heading into race day.
Race 1
Christian took the start, delivering a composed opening stint and continuing to gain confidence with every lap. His fastest lap of 4:21.293 was an excellent effort for a driver still learning the characteristics of the Tiga.
The race itself ran smoothly until the mandatory pit stop. While the car stopped cleanly for the driver change, the swap between Christian and Jan took longer than planned, meaning the team exceeded the mandatory 60-second stationary time by 11 seconds.
Despite the lost time, Jan produced a superb second stint to recover strongly, bringing the Tiga home 8th overall and 2nd in class, finishing less than six seconds behind class winners Chahwan.
Following the race, the team immediately focused on improving the driver change, practising repeatedly in preparation for Race 2.
Race 2
The hard work paid dividends.
Christian again started the race and continued to improve, handing over to Jan after a much smoother and significantly faster driver change.
Just as the team prepared to release the car back into the race, a pit lane marshal intervened after spotting that the rear lights had failed. Thinking quickly, the crew activated the rain light, satisfying the regulations and allowing the Tiga to rejoin the race with only minimal delay.
Jan charged through the field to secure an outstanding 4th overall and 1st in class, finishing 22 seconds clear of Chahwan's Spice SE88C.
It was a thoroughly deserved class victory for both drivers and the entire crew after overcoming yet another setback.
Race 3
Starting 4th on the grid, the team faced one final concern before the race even began when an unusual engine noise was heard as the Tiga made its way to the assembly area.
After careful checks, the decision was made to continue, and thankfully the concerns proved unfounded. Throughout the race the car performed faultlessly, with neither Christian nor Jan reporting any issues.
Christian continued his impressive progression by lowering his personal best lap to 4:17.454, a remarkable improvement from where he began the weekend.
The final driver change of the event was executed perfectly, with the pit stop timed to perfection, allowing Jan to complete the race and secure 6th overall and 2nd in class, adding another class podium to an already successful weekend.
Weekend Summary
Le Mans Classic proved to be a fantastic weekend for the Tiga GT286 programme.
Despite suffering a broken half shaft in qualifying, overcoming a delayed driver change in Race 1, a rear light issue during Race 2 and investigating an engine concern before the final race, the team never stopped pushing forward.
Christian Hope's debut in the Tiga was hugely impressive. Improving with every session, he lowered his lap times by more than 23 seconds across the weekend while sharing driving duties seamlessly with Jan Magnussen.
The final tally reflected both the speed of the car and the determination of everyone involved:
1 Class Victory
2 Further Class Podiums
Best Overall Finish: 4th
Top Speed: 302.7 km/h on the Mulsanne Straight
A faultlessly prepared car that completed all three races
Together with the Lola T292's podium performances in Plateau 6, both Legacy Outlaws Racing entries completed one of the toughest events in historic motorsport with speed, reliability and results that reflected the dedication of every member of the team.
