Matt Griffin will chase a record-extending sixth class victory at Circuit Paul Ricard when Spirit of Race contests the 2026 ELMS 4 Hours of Le Castellet.
The Irish driver has competed in every European Le Mans Series race held at the French circuit since 2013. Across the previous 14 events, he claimed five LMGTE or LMGT3 victories, more than any other driver.
Griffin will make his 15th Le Castellet appearance alongside long-time teammate Duncan Cameron and David Perel in the #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 296 LMGT3. After opening the season with sixth place at Barcelona, the trio now aims to fight at the front of an intensely competitive field.
Barcelona provides a solid start to the season
Spirit of Race began its 2026 campaign with sixth place at the 4 Hours of Barcelona.
Although Griffin accepted the result, he believed the team possessed enough potential to finish higher. Tyre degradation created another major challenge at the Spanish circuit, while the timing of the Safety Car periods worked against the Ferrari crew.
Nevertheless, the team collected useful championship points and gained a clearer understanding of the increasingly competitive LMGT3 field.
“Overall, it was good. It was a tough race this year in the ELMS. I think the competition has definitely jumped up a notch. Then when you add into that, Barcelona is famous for tyre degradation, so I think we came out of a P6 potentially, if everything had went perfectly, I think maybe P3 or P4 was possible, but we were a little bit unlucky with safety cars. These things are swings and roundabouts in the ELMS. I think what I would say is, you know, we are satisfied with P6 but we need to try to be consistently in the top four.”
Consequently, Griffin has identified consistency as Spirit of Race’s immediate priority. A regular place inside the leading four would keep the team in contention throughout the season, even when circumstances prevent it from challenging for victory.
However, Paul Ricard offers Griffin one of his strongest opportunities to secure a major result.
Griffin builds remarkable Le Castellet record
Griffin claimed his first ELMS victory at Le Castellet during the 2013 season finale.
Racing alongside Johnny Mowlem in the #52 RAM Racing Ferrari 458 Italia, Griffin won the three-hour race and secured the LMGTE championship. He then returned one year later and won the first four-hour edition with Cameron and Michele Rugolo in the #55 AF Corse Ferrari.
His third victory followed in 2017, when Griffin, Cameron and Aaron Scott took the Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 to the top step. The trio repeated that achievement in 2020.
More recently, Griffin secured his fifth class victory at Paul Ricard in 2024. Cameron claimed his fourth success at the circuit, while Perel joined them in the #55 Spirit of Race Ferrari 296 LMGT3.
That history has created a strong connection between Griffin and the venue. Furthermore, his extensive testing experience at Paul Ricard helped him understand the circuit long before several of his rivals gained similar knowledge.
“Paul Ricard for me is quite a special place, me and the track just click. I’m always quick here. The very first time I came here was when I did development for Ferrari on the 488 GT3 and we did days and days here. The circuit just clicks with me.
“In terms of the race wins we’ve had with Duncan here, I think 2017 when we won, it was a really critical race, because that season we had an engine failure in Monza. In the ELMS, as you know, if you lose a race, because the way the points are structured, it’s very difficult to come back. So, to fight for the championship, we almost had to win every other race. We came here when it was the second to last round, and basically, we had to win. We qualified on pole and won the race. So, I think that when you do that, that’s always quite special.
“When we won the 2013 ELMS race here was with RAM Racing. This wasn’t with Duncan, but we also clinched a championship at that race as well, with Johnny the legend. That was probably the most boring race I’ve ever done, one of my best performances, probably of my racing career, because I started the race and in the first two hours, ended up lapping the GT field. But it’s special, because we won the championship.
“I kind of love coming back here; I’m super relaxed here. I don’t know what it is about this place. For me, it’s always Paul Ricard.”
The 2017 victory remains particularly significant because Griffin and his teammates entered the weekend under considerable championship pressure. After losing points through an engine failure at Monza, they needed to deliver an almost perfect result in France.
They responded by taking pole and converting it into victory. Meanwhile, his dominant 2013 performance also produced both a race win and the championship title.
Sector One rewards contrasting approaches
Although Paul Ricard features several demanding sections, Griffin particularly enjoys the opening sector.
The first two chicanes reward commitment and decisive inputs. However, Turn 6 requires a more controlled approach because the corner influences speed along the following stretch of the lap.
Therefore, drivers must balance aggression with restraint throughout the sector.
“I love Sector One, because, for me, it is maximum commitment. You’ve got two super-fast chicanes that you really have to commit on the entry. Then you have T6, which looks like a simple corner, but it’s critically important, particularly when we don’t do the chicane. Of this weekend, we’re doing the chicane, but when you don’t do the chicane, it’s massively important, because if you’re slow out of T6, you’re slow for the next 30 seconds. So, I love the attacking nature of the first part of Sector One, and then the kind of restrained, I suppose, is what I’d call it, the restrained nature of Turn Six. So, you have to balance it.”
The championship will again use the Mistral Straight chicane during the 2026 event. Consequently, Turn 6 will carry slightly less influence than it does on the uninterrupted layout, although drivers must still maximise their exit.
Spirit of Race must also find a set-up that supports Griffin, Cameron and Perel across Paul Ricard’s varied corner types. While the early chicanes demand responsiveness, the faster sections require stability and confidence.
Spirit of Race faces wide-open victory fight
Griffin believes Spirit of Race can challenge for victory this weekend. However, he also expects almost the entire LMGT3 field to possess the same opportunity.
The category features competitive manufacturers, strong professional drivers and increasingly accomplished Bronze-rated competitors. As a result, strategy, traffic and Safety Car timing can influence the order as significantly as outright pace.
Griffin therefore views consistency as the strongest foundation for a championship campaign. A team that finishes inside the top four throughout the season could reach the Portimão finale with a realistic opportunity to claim the title.
Even so, Spirit of Race wants more than a steady points finish at Le Castellet.
“I think we can win, but the problem is, I think there’s 14 cars on the grid that can win. The ELMS is a championship that it’s so competitive, you need to be consistent. You could probably finish in the top four in every race and go to the final round with a good chance of winning the championship, or at least in with a shout. But we want to spray champagne; I want to be on the podium.
“I think that last year we were incredibly unlucky not to win. We made a strategy misstep, and a safety car at the wrong moment hurt us, because Duncan had driven like a god, and he had a huge lead on the whole field. So, you know, we’re going to try and win this race and it’s realistic; we have a chance. But, like I said, 14 other people realistically also have a chance.”
The team came close to another victory during the previous season after Cameron created a substantial lead. However, a strategic error and poorly timed Safety Car intervention removed that advantage.
Spirit of Race will therefore aim to combine its proven Paul Ricard pace with cleaner execution this time.
Griffin seeks another chapter in Paul Ricard success
Griffin enters the second round with more experience of the event than any other LMGT3 driver.
His five victories span different teams, Ferrari models, regulations and championship eras. Furthermore, four of those successes came alongside Cameron, highlighting one of the longest and most productive partnerships in the ELMS paddock.
Perel now adds further continuity after joining the crew in 2021. Together, the three drivers have already won at Le Castellet and understand what Spirit of Race needs to challenge at the front.
However, the depth of the 2026 grid leaves no room for complacency. The team must qualify strongly, manage traffic and execute its pit strategy accurately across the full four hours.
After a solid but unspectacular Barcelona opener, Le Castellet gives Griffin an opportunity to return to the podium, claim a sixth class victory and strengthen Spirit of Race’s early LMGT3 title challenge.
