The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) have announced a new naming and colour system across their endurance racing championships, introducing changes to the LMP2, LMP3 and GT3 categories from the 2026/27 season onwards.
The revised system will apply to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, European Le Mans Series (ELMS), Asian Le Mans Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup and Asian Le Mans Cup. The changes aim to establish a consistent identity for each category, making it easier for spectators, fans and media to distinguish between different classes.
Under the new structure, categories without a suffix will designate Pro/Am line-ups, which must include at least one Bronze-rated driver under the FIA Driver Categorisation system. Meanwhile, categories carrying the ‘Pro’ suffix will not require a Bronze-rated driver. Each class will also receive a standardised colour that remains consistent across the relevant championships.
The changes will not affect the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), where the existing Hypercar and LMGT3 classifications will remain unchanged.
ACO and LMEM aim to simplify endurance racing class identification
The new classification system announced by the ACO and LMEM seeks to address differences in naming conventions across international endurance racing.
Although several championships currently feature similar prototype categories, their classifications have not always followed the same naming principles. This has created inconsistencies between categories that require Bronze-rated drivers and those that allow line-ups without that requirement.
The revised structure introduces a common distinction between the two, alongside a consistent visual identity through colour coding. The ACO hopes the changes will make it easier for audiences to follow multiple classes competing simultaneously, particularly during multi-class endurance races.
ACO President Pierre Fillon highlighted the importance of improving accessibility across the organisation’s championships.
“Le Mans has always been several races in one. Our role is to make each of them easy to follow, whether you are in the grandstands, in front of a screen or on the other side of the world. A shared language of names and colours, from Europe to Asia, serves exactly that purpose,” said Fillon.
LMP2 and LMP2 Pro receive new names for 2027
The most significant changes concern the LMP2 categories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the European Le Mans Series.
Under the current structure, LMP2 identifies the category without a mandatory Bronze-rated driver, while LMP2 Pro/Am requires at least one Bronze-rated competitor. However, the revised classification will change these naming conventions from 2027.
The existing LMP2 category will become LMP2 Pro, adopting navy blue as its identifying colour. Meanwhile, the current LMP2 Pro/Am category will become LMP2, with light blue representing the class.
The changes will therefore affect how teams and drivers are classified rather than introducing new technical regulations or altering the existing driver line-up requirements.
For example, Algarve Pro Racing’s 2026 ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am championship-winning campaign will fall under the renamed LMP2 category from 2027. Meanwhile, the existing LMP2 category will become LMP2 Pro.
The Asian Le Mans Series will retain the LMP2 designation because its existing driver regulations already require Pro/Am line-ups. However, the category will adopt light blue to match its European counterpart.
LMP2 classification changes
- 24 Hours of Le Mans and ELMS: LMP2 becomes LMP2 Pro, adopting navy blue.
- 24 Hours of Le Mans and ELMS: LMP2 Pro/Am becomes LMP2, adopting light blue.
- Asian Le Mans Series: LMP2 retains its existing name and adopts light blue.
For statistical purposes, the ACO has also confirmed that LMP2 Pro will inherit the historical records of the former LMP2 category, while the renamed LMP2 class will continue the records of LMP2 Pro/Am.
LMP3 changes introduced across Le Mans Cup championships
The LMP3 category will undergo a similar revision in the Michelin Le Mans Cup and Asian Le Mans Cup.
The existing LMP3 category, which does not require a Bronze-rated driver, will become LMP3 Pro. However, it will retain its established gold colour.
Meanwhile, the current LMP3 Pro/Am category will be renamed LMP3, adopting orange in place of purple.
Both championships will therefore follow the same distinction introduced for LMP2, with the ‘Pro’ suffix identifying line-ups without a mandatory Bronze-rated driver.
The European Le Mans Series will implement a smaller change. Its LMP3 category will retain its existing name and driver line-up requirements, but orange will replace purple as the class’s identifying colour.
The category therefore remains the same as the one in which CLX Motorsport secured the 2026 ELMS LMP3 championship, with only its visual designation changing.
LMP3 classification changes
- Michelin Le Mans Cup: LMP3 becomes LMP3 Pro, retaining gold.
- Michelin Le Mans Cup: LMP3 Pro/Am becomes LMP3, changing from purple to orange.
- Asian Le Mans Cup: Adopts the same LMP3 Pro and LMP3 names and colours as the Michelin Le Mans Cup.
- European Le Mans Series: LMP3 retains its existing name and driver line-up requirements, but changes from purple to orange.
As with LMP2, the ACO will preserve the statistical history of the renamed LMP3 categories in the Michelin Le Mans Cup and Asian Le Mans Cup, ensuring continuity between previous championship records and the updated classifications.
GT3 adopts consistent green colour across championships
The GT3 category will also receive a unified visual identity across the championships managed by the ACO and LMEM.
The Asian Le Mans Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup and Asian Le Mans Cup will adopt green as the identifying colour for GT3, replacing the previously used black.
The change aligns these competitions with the existing LMGT3 colour scheme used in the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Unlike the prototype categories, GT3 will retain its current name. The revision therefore focuses entirely on establishing a consistent colour across the different competitions.
GT3 classification changes
- Asian Le Mans Series: GT3 retains its name and changes from black to green.
- Michelin Le Mans Cup: GT3 retains its name and changes from black to green.
- Asian Le Mans Cup: GT3 retains its name and changes from black to green.
- FIA WEC, ELMS and 24 Hours of Le Mans: The existing green LMGT3 identity remains unchanged.
The FIA WEC will also continue using its established Hypercar classification, with neither the name nor its identifying colour changing.
When will the new endurance racing classifications take effect?
The changes will come into effect across the championships in stages, beginning with the 2026/27 Asian endurance racing season.
The Asian Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Cup will be the first championships to adopt the updated system, while the European competitions will follow in 2027.
The implementation schedule is as follows:
- Asian Le Mans Series: 2026/27 season.
- Asian Le Mans Cup: 2026/27 season.
- European Le Mans Series: 2027 season.
- Michelin Le Mans Cup: 2027 season.
- 24 Hours of Le Mans: 2027 edition.
- FIA World Endurance Championship: No changes to Hypercar or LMGT3.
Although the new naming system represents a significant change to the presentation of endurance racing categories, the underlying driver composition requirements will remain unchanged.
Unified system aims to improve accessibility across endurance racing
The revised classification structure will establish a consistent approach to identifying prototype and GT categories across the ACO and LMEM championships.
The introduction of the ‘Pro’ suffix will provide a clearer distinction between categories without a mandatory Bronze-rated driver and those requiring Pro/Am line-ups. Meanwhile, the standardised colour system will allow fans to identify the corresponding classes across different competitions.
Although the LMP2 and LMP3 naming changes will require an adjustment for established followers of the championships, the underlying competitive structures will remain familiar.
With the changes beginning during the 2026/27 Asian endurance racing season before expanding across European competitions in 2027, the ACO and LMEM aim to create a more accessible and consistent identity for multi-class endurance racing.
