ELMS reveals biggest-ever grid for 2026
- Benjamin Crundwell
- Dec 17, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Four months before the 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season opener, the entry list has been released, with 47 cars split across four classes.
The reigning LMP2 champions will partner with Forestier Racing under the name Forestier Racing by Panis. The only driver confirmed in the line-up so far is Louis Rousset, who spent 2025 racing an LMP3 in the Le Mans Cup.
Tom Blomqvist is switching from departing team Pure Rxcing to Inter Europol Competition in the No.34 car. The No.43 sister Inter Europol LMP2 — which was runner-up in 2025 — has an unchanged line-up for 2026, which includes Jakub Smiechowski, Tom Dillmann and Nick Yelloly.
The No.43 looks to be the pre-season favourite, considering last season’s performances, most significantly including a class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
IDEC Sport and Genesis Racing will once again bring two cars to the top LMP2 class. Jamie Chadwick will return in the No.18, but her team-mates are not yet confirmed. Her team-mates from last year, Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella, will not be racing in the ELMS this season as they were both promoted to the World Endurance Championship (WEC) to drive the Genesis GMR-001. The No.28 IDEC Sport car remains unchanged.
Two of the three 2025 LMP3 Drivers' Champions are making the jump to LMP2 in 2026. Adrien Closmenil and Theodor Jenson will partner with Ian Aguilera in the No.37 CLX Motorsport car. Aguilera finished in fifth place in LMP3 in 2025.
The LMP2 grid is completed with one entry each for Proton Competition, Vector Sport, United Autosports, Nielson Racing, Algarve Pro Racing and finally Duqueine Team, which will include former Formula 2 driver Richard Verschoor.
Although 11 cars will make up the LMP2 grid, there are 12 more competitors in the LMP2 Pro/Am class; this is 50% more than the 2025 season.
Having won the championship last season with Louis Delétraz, PJ Hyett and Dave Cameron, AO by TF won't be making any changes to their line-up in 2026. The team will be competing against the likes of ex-Hypercar driver Malthe Jakobsen, who is piloting the No.20 Algarve Pro Racing car.
10 LMP3 cars will compete in the 2026 season, nine of which will be Ligier JS P325-Toyotas. The odd one out is R-ace GP, who will be using the Duqueine D09-Toyota. The only team to use this car in 2024 finished last in the LMP3 Teams' Championship.
The team which dominated the class last year, CLX Motorsport, will be returning once again, however, with an all-new driver line-up. Alexander Jacoby and Bruno Ribiero will be racing the No.17 car.
While the prototype classes are virtually all one-make, six manufacturers will form the LMGT3 class, which is the biggest of the lot with 14 entries. Noticeably, the all-female crew, the Iron Dames, is not on the entry list.
The 2025 champions, TF Sport, will race with only one car, the Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R, the only non-European car on the grid. One McLaren and one Aston Martin are entered with United Autosports and Racing Spirit of Léman, respectively.
AF Corse will once again be fielding two of the six Ferrari 296 GT3s on the entry list. The grid will be completed by three Porsche 911 GT3 Rs and two Mercedes-AMG GT3s.
The first round of the 2026 ELMS season will take place on 12th April 2026 in Barcelona.
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