The 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season continues with Round 2 at Circuit Paul Ricard this weekend, where a 47-car field will contest the 4 Hours of Le Castellet. A total of 140 drivers will take part across LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3 and LMGT3, with the entry list representing 30 nations. The French round also carries substantial home interest, as eight French teams and 28 French drivers prepare to compete on the Côte d’Azur.
After the opening race in Barcelona, each class arrives with an early championship leader, but the margins remain far from decisive. Notably, Forestier Racing by Panis, Algarve Pro Racing, Rinaldi Racing and Proton Competition all hold the advantage in their respective categories, while several former Le Castellet winners return hoping to reshape the standings.
Forestier Racing by Panis arrives as LMP2 leader
Forestier Racing by Panis heads into its home event at the top of the LMP2 standings after winning the opening race in Barcelona.
Reigning LMP2 drivers’ champions Esteban Masson and Oliver Gray share the #29 Oreca-Gibson with Louis Rousset. The French crew combined speed and consistency in Spain, giving the reigning champions an immediate advantage in the title fight.
Paul Ricard now offers the team an opportunity to strengthen that position in front of its home supporters. However, the long straights, heavy braking zones and technical sections will demand a different balance from the package that delivered victory in Barcelona.
IDEC Sport returns with two strong crews
IDEC Sport will also carry significant French hopes with its two-car LMP2 entry.
Jamie Chadwick returns to the venue where she made history in 2025 by becoming the first female driver to win an ELMS race overall. She shares the #18 Oreca with Valerio Rinicella and Laurents Hörr, who also knows how to win at Le Castellet after previously succeeding in LMP3.
The sister #28 car brings together former LMP2 champions Paul Lafargue and Paul-Loup Chatin with Job Van Uitert. The Dutch driver has won at the circuit in both LMP3 and LMP2, adding valuable experience to an already accomplished line-up.
With two competitive crews and a previous overall victory at the venue, IDEC Sport should feature prominently throughout the weekend.
Inter Europol brings Le Mans momentum to France
Inter Europol Competition arrives at Le Castellet with confidence following its recent success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Tom Dillmann will race at home in the #43 Oreca alongside Kuba Śmiechowski. Luca Ghiotto replaces Nick Yelloly for the weekend because of the Briton’s racing commitments in the United States.
The sister #34 entry also carries strong form into France. Reshad de Gerus claimed pole position in Barcelona before finishing second with Bijoy Garg, and the pair will now attempt to convert that qualifying speed into victory.
Inter Europol therefore brings both recent endurance-racing momentum and two line-ups capable of challenging near the front.
Closmenil steps into LMP2 after LMP3 success
Adrien Closmenil returns to Paul Ricard in a new category after winning the LMP3 class at the circuit in 2025 and later securing the championship. The French driver now competes in LMP2 for CLX Motorsport alongside Theodor Jensen and Ian Aguilera in the #37 Oreca.
His previous experience at the venue should help as he continues adapting to the faster machinery. However, the step into LMP2 places him against several established teams and former champions.
Tristan Vautier also races at home in the #25 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca with Jake Hughes and Mathias Kaiser. Proton Competition, United Autosports, Nielsen Racing and Vector Sport complete the 11-car LMP2 field.
Algarve Pro Racing leads LMP2 Pro/Am
The LMP2 Pro/Am category features 12 cars and 36 drivers, making it one of the largest and most competitive sections of the field. Algarve Pro Racing leads the standings after Michael Jensen, Malthe Jakobsen and Enzo Trulli won the season opener in Barcelona. The #20 Oreca delivered a complete performance in Spain, and the crew now has an early opportunity to extend its advantage.
The team must still manage significant pressure from several experienced rivals, including AF Corse, Duqueine Team, CLX Motorsport and Nielsen Racing.
AF Corse brings proven experience
AF Corse finished second in Barcelona and arrives with one of the most accomplished line-ups in the Pro/Am field. Former class champions François Perrodo and Matthieu Vaxivière will race at home alongside 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Antonio Fuoco in the #83 Oreca.
The trio combines experience, outright speed and knowledge of endurance racing strategy. After beginning the season with a podium, AF Corse will aim to take the next step at Paul Ricard.
Duqueine Team targets home success
Duqueine Team also competes on home soil after opening the season with a podium finish in Barcelona. Doriane Pin returns to ELMS competition following her Formula 1 test with Mercedes-AMG Petronas. She shares the #30 Oreca with Giorgio Roda and Richard Verschoor.
The French team showed enough pace in Spain to establish itself among the leading Pro/Am contenders. A cleaner and more complete race at Le Castellet could place the crew in the fight for victory.
Milesi leads CLX Motorsport effort
Reigning ELMS LMP2 champion Charles Milesi will compete in the #47 CLX Motorsport Oreca alongside Felipe Fraga and Georgios Kolovos. Kolovos is expected to return to the cockpit after the first-corner incident that disrupted the team’s Barcelona weekend.
The crew will therefore look to reset its campaign in France. With Milesi’s championship experience and Fraga’s pace, CLX Motorsport has the tools to recover quickly.
Nielsen Racing defends Le Castellet Pro/Am win
Nielsen Racing returns as the defending LMP2 Pro/Am winner at Le Castellet. James Allen, who won the class in 2025, shares the #27 Oreca with Kriton Lentoudis and Alex Quinn. Allen has also claimed overall victories at the circuit in 2019 and 2023, making him one of the most successful active drivers at the venue.
That record gives Nielsen Racing a strong reference point as it attempts to challenge the early championship leaders.
TDS Racing fields Sami Meguetounif, Scott Huffaker II and Steven Thomas in the #14 Oreca, while Marlon Hernandez joins Jean Glorieux and Sebastián Álvarez at DKR Engineering.
AO by TF makes driver change
Reigning LMP2 Pro/Am champion AO by TF enters the second round with a revised line-up. Jonny Edgar replaces Louis Delétraz in the #99 Oreca and joins PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron for the French event. The team will aim to recover after a difficult opening round and re-establish the form that carried it to the 2025 title.
Vector Sport, Rossa Racing by Virage, United Autosports and Proton Competition complete the Pro/Am field.
Rinaldi Racing carries LMP3 lead into France
Rinaldi Racing heads the LMP3 standings after José Fernandes Cautela, Alvise Rodella and Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen won in Barcelona. The #5 Ligier-Toyota collected the maximum 25 points in Spain and now faces a 10-car field at Paul Ricard.
LMP3 often produces close racing because of the similarity in performance across the grid. Strategy, traffic and late-race execution could therefore prove decisive once again.
Lanchère returns as defending winner
Paul Lanchère returns to his home event as both the reigning ELMS and Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 champion. The French driver also won at Le Castellet in 2025 and now shares the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier with Alexander Jacoby and Bruno Ribeiro.
That combination gives CLX Motorsport one of the strongest line-ups in the class. Lanchère’s circuit knowledge and recent championship success should make the car a major contender.
R-ace GP seeks first victory of the season
R-ace GP finished second in Barcelona and brings the only Duqueine D09-Toyota in the field. Fabien Michal shares the car with Pierre-Alexandre Provost and reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 champion Hugo Schwarze.
The team demonstrated competitive pace at the opening round, but it now needs to convert that performance into victory to stay close to Rinaldi Racing in the standings.
French teams add depth to LMP3 field
M Racing competes at home with Quentin Antonel, Thomas Imbourg and 2024 LMP3 champion Nick Adcock in the #68 Ligier. Ultimate and Racing Spirit of Léman also add French representation to the category, while Romain Favre races for DKR Engineering and Louis Stern competes in the #8 Team Virage Ligier-Toyota.
Alex Bukhantsov arrives after claiming pole position in Barcelona. Alongside Henry Cubides Olarte and Chun Ting Chou, he converted that qualifying result into third place in the race.
Eurointernational completes the LMP3 field after finishing fourth at the season opener.
Proton Competition leads largest class
LMGT3 remains the largest category in the 2026 ELMS, with 14 cars representing Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Corvette. Proton Competition leads the standings after Matt Kurzejewski, Tom Sargent and Richard Lietz won in Barcelona with the #75 Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3.
The car carries a special livery commemorating the 75th anniversary of Porsche’s first class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951.
The sister #77 Porsche features a driver change, with Joel Sturm replacing Harry King for the Le Castellet weekend.
Wadoux returns to defending Le Castellet winner
Richard Mille AF Corse returns with the Ferrari that won the LMGT3 class at Le Castellet in 2025. Lilou Wadoux replaces Francesco Castellacci and rejoins Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini in the #50 car.
Wadoux holds the LMGT3 qualifying lap record at Paul Ricard and will race in front of her home crowd. The combination of proven circuit pace and an established winning line-up makes the Ferrari one of the leading contenders.
Jaubert returns after overall victory
Mathys Jaubert also returns as a previous Le Castellet winner, although he now competes in LMGT3 after taking the overall LMP2 victory in 2025. The French driver shares the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari with Takeshi Kimura and Daniel Serra. The trio already showed strong form by finishing on the podium in Barcelona.
The sister #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari also includes French representation, with Romain Leroux joining Andrew Gilbert and Fran Rueda.
Racing Spirit of Léman represents France
Racing Spirit of Léman fields the only French-flagged car in the LMGT3 category. Valentin Hasse Clot and Clément Mateu share the #59 Aston Martin Vantage with Marius Fossard.
The team endured a difficult opening round and will seek a stronger result at home. Paul Ricard should offer the crew an opportunity to reset its campaign in familiar surroundings.
United Autosports and Team Qatar build on Barcelona pace
United Autosports arrives after Michael Birch, Garnet Patterson and Wayne Boyd finished second in Barcelona with the #23 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. The result immediately established the crew as a title contender, and another podium at Le Castellet would strengthen that position.
Team Qatar by Iron Lynx also showed strong speed in Spain. Abdulla Ali Al-Khelaifi became the first Qatari driver to secure an ELMS pole position before the #62 Mercedes-AMG finished fourth.
Maxime Martin replaces Adam Christodoulou for the French round and joins Al-Khelaifi and Julian Hanses.
TF Sport aims to recover
Reigning LMGT3 champion TF Sport endured a difficult opening race and now seeks a cleaner weekend with the #33 Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R. Charlie Eastwood shares the car with Blake McDonald and Alec Udell.
High Class Racing, Spirit of Race, Iron Lynx and GR Racing complete the 14-car class.
Paul Ricard demands precision
The 4 Hours of Le Castellet will use the 5.821km Circuit Paul Ricard layout. The venue differs from many traditional European circuits because it uses wide run-off areas rather than conventional gravel traps. High-grip painted lines slow cars that leave the racing surface, but the design also places greater focus on track limits.
The chicane on the Mistral Straight returned to the ELMS layout in 2025 for the first time since 2017 and remains in use this year.
Its inclusion breaks up the circuit’s longest flat-out section and creates another major braking zone. Teams must therefore balance straight-line speed with braking stability and traction.
Le Castellet reaches 15th ELMS race
The 2026 event will become the 15th ELMS race held at Paul Ricard since 2013. The circuit also played a unique role in the 2020 season, when pandemic restrictions forced the cancellation of the Spanish round. Paul Ricard then hosted two events, with the 4 Hours of Le Castellet taking place in July before the Le Castellet 240 night race followed one month later.
That history has made the venue a regular and important part of the championship.
United Autosports holds strongest team record
United Autosports remains the most successful ELMS team at Le Castellet with four class victories. The British operation claimed two LMP2 wins during the pair of 2020 races and added LMP3 victories in 2017 and the first event of 2020.
Racing Team Turkey has three LMP2 Pro/Am wins from 2021, 2022 and 2023. Spirit of Race also holds three victories, while TDS Racing has won in LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am and GTC.
Oreca leads the LMP2 manufacturer record with 10 wins, while Ligier has earned nine LMP3 victories. Ferrari has dominated the GT categories with 10 LMGTE wins and both LMGT3 victories.
Griffin leads driver winners list
Matt Griffin remains the most successful driver at Le Castellet since 2013, with five victories. He claimed four wins in LMGTE before adding an LMGT3 triumph in 2024. Duncan Cameron follows with four victories, while Salih Yoluc, Charlie Eastwood and James Allen have each won three times.
Several previous winners return this weekend, including Chadwick, Jaubert, Allen, Lanchère, Wadoux, Toledo and Agostini. Dillmann, Griffin, Cameron, Michael Jensen, Nick Adcock and David Perel also return after winning at the circuit in 2024.
Lap records provide key reference
Nick Yelloly holds the outright LMP2 record at Paul Ricard after setting a 1:48.741 during qualifying in 2025. Matteo Cairoli owns the LMP2 race lap record with a 1:51.281, while Louis Delétraz set the LMP2 Pro/Am race benchmark at 1:51.309.
Closmenil holds both LMP3 records after recording a 1:57.194 in qualifying and a 2:00.132 during the race.
In LMGT3, Wadoux holds the qualifying record with a 2:03.621, while Conrad Laursen set the race benchmark at 2:03.757.
Weekend schedule
- Friday, 1 May: Free Practice 1
- Saturday, 2 May: Free Practice 2 and qualifying
- Sunday, 3 May: 4 Hours of Le Castellet
Forestier Racing by Panis, Algarve Pro Racing, Rinaldi Racing and Proton Competition arrive as the early championship leaders, but Paul Ricard should provide a different test from Barcelona.
With 47 cars, extensive French representation and several former winners returning, the second round should offer the clearest indication yet of which teams can sustain a serious 2026 title challenge.
