More than 20 cars associated with the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) will compete in the 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans after the Automobile Club de l’Ouest unveiled the 62-car entry list.
The ELMS contingent includes reigning champions, automatic invitees and several established teams across LMP2 and LMGT3. Seventeen of the 19 LMP2 entries come from ELMS teams, while multiple GT operations will also carry their European programmes onto the Circuit de la Sarthe.
The 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place on 13 and 14 June.
Forestier Racing by Panis takes up LMP2 invitation
Panis Racing earned an automatic invitation after winning the 2025 ELMS LMP2 title. The French operation has since joined forces with Forestier Racing and will compete at Le Mans under the Forestier Racing by Panis name.
The team will enter an Oreca 07-Gibson in the 19-car LMP2 field. However, reigning ELMS Drivers’ Champion Charles Milesi will not defend the title with the team at Le Mans. Instead, he will compete in the Hypercar category aboard the #35 Alpine A424.
The entry continues the connection between ELMS success and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where championship-winning teams receive an opportunity to compete in endurance racing’s most prestigious event.
Inter Europol Competition returns to defend its Le Mans crown
Inter Europol Competition will also return after finishing second in the 2025 ELMS LMP2 standings.
Jakub Śmiechowski, Tom Dillmann and Nick Yelloly will share the team’s car as they attempt to defend the LMP2 victory they secured at Le Mans in June 2025. Their result earned the Polish operation an automatic invitation for the 2026 race.
The same trio will therefore return to La Sarthe with both recent Le Mans success and a full ELMS campaign behind them.
AO by TF brings its title-winning Pro/Am crew
Reigning ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am champion AO by TF will take up its automatic invitation with PJ Hyett, Dane Cameron and Louis Delétraz.
The crew also won the LMP2 Pro/Am classification at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. Consequently, all three drivers will return in 2026 to defend both the team’s Le Mans class success and its title-winning ELMS form.
AO by TF will join a large group of ELMS-based teams in an LMP2 field that features entries from both the regular and Pro/Am categories.
CLX Motorsport steps up from LMP3 to LMP2
CLX Motorsport will move into the Le Mans LMP2 field after winning the 2025 ELMS LMP3 championship.
LMP3 Drivers’ Champions Adrien Closmenil and Theodor Jensen will share the team’s #37 Oreca 07-Gibson. Their programme marks a move into faster prototype machinery after the pair secured the European title in the entry-level prototype category.
The step also reflects the ELMS development structure, which allows drivers and teams to progress from LMP3 into LMP2 before pursuing opportunities at Le Mans and in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
ELMS teams dominate the LMP2 field
ELMS teams account for 17 of the 19 LMP2 entries confirmed for the 2026 race.
Alongside Forestier Racing by Panis, Inter Europol Competition, AO by TF and CLX Motorsport, the list includes DKR Engineering, Proton Competition, TDS Racing, United Autosports and Nielsen Racing.
Algarve Pro Racing, Vector Sport, IDEC Sport, Duqueine Team and AF Corse will also represent the championship at Le Mans.
The group brings together reigning champions, previous Le Mans winners and teams with extensive experience in four-hour European races. They will now adapt those programmes to the demands of a full day and night at La Sarthe.
TF Sport accepts LMGT3 invitation
TF Sport will represent the reigning ELMS LMGT3 champions after accepting its automatic invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
However, the team’s 2025 title-winning drivers will compete for separate FIA WEC operations. Charlie Eastwood will race for Racing Team Turkey, while Rui Andrade will represent Iron Lynx. Both drivers will remain in the LMGT3 category.
TF Sport’s presence adds another ELMS champion to the Le Mans field and extends the team’s involvement in the race.
Further ELMS teams join the LMGT3 grid
Several other ELMS operations will also compete in LMGT3.
Racing Spirit of Léman, Richard Mille AF Corse, Team Qatar by Iron Lynx and Kessel Racing all feature on the 2026 entry list.
Their inclusion gives the European championship representation across both prototype and GT racing. It also brings familiar teams from the ELMS paddock into a 62-car Le Mans field.
ELMS success opens the route to Le Mans
The automatic invitation system has placed the leading 2025 ELMS teams on the grid for the 94th running of the race.
Forestier Racing by Panis, Inter Europol Competition, AO by TF and TF Sport earned entries through their championship or Le Mans results. Meanwhile, CLX Motorsport will make the transition from its LMP3 title-winning campaign into the Le Mans LMP2 category.
The wider entry also shows the scale of the connection between the two competitions. With 17 ELMS teams in LMP2 and several more in LMGT3, the championship will provide a substantial part of the 2026 Le Mans grid.
