Jake Hughes headlines APR's No.25 ELMS entry with Vautier and Kaiser
- Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah
- 4 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Algarve Pro Racing has announced the drivers for their No.25 car for the 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS). Formula E side Mahindra Racing's Reserve and Simulator Driver, Jake Hughes, is set to make his ELMS debut, joining forces with endurance racing veterans Matthias Kaiser and Tristan Vautier.
Hughes most recently competed in Formula E with Maserati MSG Racing but missed out on a full-time seat for the 2025–26 season. The Briton was snapped up by Mahindra Racing as their test and reserve driver, alongside his existing duties with Formula One side McLaren as the test and simulator driver.
The 31-year-old is excited about the prospect of racing in an endurance series: "Ive been knocking on the door and pushing to get into endurance racing since exiting junior single-seaters a few years ago, and I’m extremely proud to be joining Algarve Pro Racing for the 2026 European Le Mans Series.
"It’s very clear that APR is one of the standout teams in the global endurance racing scene and while the level of competition will be very high, the goal can only be to bring out our full potential to challenge for race wins and the championship title.
"The team, Matthias [Kaiser], Tristan [Vautier] and I worked very well together and achieved a great teamwork vibe during two days of testing in Abu Dhabi. Matthias is an impressive guy and is performing at a really high level, and I'm proud and grateful to be joining him this season. Tristan, meanwhile, has won at the top levels of endurance racing and knows all there is to know about LMP2 cars. Together, I have no doubt we will make a great team."
The Birmingham-born driver felt t Oreca 07 LMP2 car suited his driving style perfectly: "I immediately got on with the Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2, which suits my driving style as a powerful high-downforce car that’s akin to a single-seater, sitting somewhere between F2 and F3 cars in terms of its capabilities and behaviour. I’ll be throwing everything at this season in an attempt to show what I can do."
Vautier returns to APR after three years away from the Portuguese side. He brought APR a wealth of prototype experience, having driven LMP2 cars for years and tasted Hypercar machinery.
"I had spent most of my prototype career in the USA until Algarve Pro Racing gave me a chance to compete in the 2023 European Le Mans Series, so returning to the team that broadened my horizons feels special.
"I’m grateful to APR and Matthias [Kaiser] for having me, and I can’t wait to get started, as I believe we have a strong line-up, really good chemistry and solid working relationships. These are key components to success, and we got a glimpse of how well we work together while testing in Abu Dhabi."
Vautier added: "Stewart [Cox] made it clear when we shook hands that he was putting this line-up together to go for the 2026 ELMS title. Given the team’s calibre and its ability to consistently deliver winning cars, it’s down to me, Matthias and Jake [Hughes] to execute and make it happen.
Kaiser made his APR debut in the 2024 ELMS. Over the past two years, the Liechtensteiner has increased his podium tally and expanded the team-driver partnership to include the 2025-26 Asian Le Mans Series.
The 35-year-old contributed to APR's complete podium sweep during the second 4 Hours of Dubai race and a 1–2 finish during the first 4 Hours of Abu Dhabi race.
"I’m 100 per cent confident in Algarve Pro Racing and the talent behind the team, as they always deliver quick and reliable cars.
"We enter the 2026 European Le Mans Series off the back of a solid Asian Le Mans season, which included some good results and was great for keeping warm. APR’s quality really came through, and I hope we can translate that into some strong finishes in Europe.
“The fact I don’t remember where we [were] classified in recent ELMS seasons says everything about my intentions for 2026: I want to fight for the championship.
"The competition will be as fierce as ever, but we have a strong team and driver line-up, and I’m incredibly excited. It’s great to have Tristan Vautier’s experience, and I’m pleased I got to know him better in Abu Dhabi testing, where Jake [Hughes] was immediately quick. He has a great deal of single-seater experience, and I’m certain he has the capacity to learn the LMP2 car very quickly.”
