ELMS reveals biggest ever grid for 2026
- Benjamin Crundwell
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
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.
Reigning LMP2 Champions will partner with Forestier Racing, under the name Forestier Racing by Panis. The only driver confirmed in the lineup 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 lineup for 2026, which includes Jakub Smiechowski, Tom Dillmann and Nick Yelloly.
The No.43 looks to be the pre season favourite considering last seasons 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 teammates are not yet confirmed. Her teammates from last year, Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella will not be racing in the ELMS this season as they were both promoted to the 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 Ian Aguilera in the No.37 CLX Motorsport car. Aguilera finished 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 F2 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 lineup 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 will be Ligier JS P325-Toyotas. The odd one out is R-ace GP, who will be using the Duqueine D09-Toyota. The only car 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 turning once again, however with an all new driver lineup. 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.
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 Le Mans 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 the 12th April in Barcelona.
