Proton Competition holds the overnight lead at the 2026 Michelin 12H Paul Ricard after an action-filled opening six hours at Le Castellet.
The #73 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) EVO, shared by Manuel Lauck, Joel Sturm, Constantin Dressler and Jörg Dreisow, ended Part 1 at the head of the field after a late strategic shift changed the order before the overnight pause. HOFOR Racing’s GT3-AM Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO also remains on the lead lap, keeping Maximilian Partl, Torsten Kratz, Alexander Prinz and Michael Kroll firmly in contention ahead of Sunday’s concluding six hours.
The third round of the 2026 Michelin 24H Series European Series remains finely balanced. GetSpeed Team PCX Racing controlled much of the opening phase, but late fuel stops brought Proton Competition and HOFOR Racing to the front before the race was suspended overnight.
Proton benefits from late strategy call
GetSpeed Team PCX Racing appeared to have the race under control for much of Saturday’s running. Maro Engel started from pole in the #28 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO and led comfortably at the rolling start. The team built its race around early pace and clean execution, with Engel establishing a strong lead during the opening stint.
However, the picture changed in the final 15 minutes of Part 1. Jordan Boisson brought the GetSpeed Team PCX Mercedes into the pits for fuel, while HOFOR Racing’s Partl and Era Motorsport’s Ryan Dalziel also stopped before the pit lane cut-off. Proton Competition kept Lauck on track, allowing the Porsche to move into the race lead before the chequered flag.
That decision gives Proton Competition track position heading into Sunday. However, the different fuel strategies mean the true value of the call will only become clear once the second half of the race begins.
HOFOR Racing keeps GT3-AM in the overall fight
HOFOR Racing produced one of the strongest performances of the opening half by keeping its Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO on the lead lap.
The GT3-AM entry gradually moved through the order during the six-hour segment and was running second overall late in the day. Partl closed onto the rear of the leading GetSpeed Mercedes before both cars came into the pits shortly before the end of Part 1.
Although that stop prevented HOFOR from taking the overnight lead, it ensured the team remains directly in the overall fight. The Mercedes will restart Sunday alongside Proton Competition on the lead lap, while the next group of challengers sits one lap behind.
GetSpeed remains in contention despite late stop
GetSpeed Team PCX Racing lost the overnight lead, but the team remains well placed for the second half of the race.
The #28 Mercedes had led for significant portions of Part 1 after Engel’s strong opening stint. After the first pit cycle, the order shifted as Proton Competition briefly moved ahead, but GetSpeed later returned to the front with Boisson behind the wheel.
The team’s late stop dropped it one lap behind the leading Porsche and HOFOR Mercedes, but it also reduced the need for an early fuel stop when the race resumes. The sister GetSpeed Team JR286 Mercedes-AMG, shared by Adam Osieka, Steve Jans, Tanner Harvey and Patrick Liddy, will also restart one lap down after leading GT3-AM during the early part of the race.
Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II, E2P Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO, Juta Racing’s Audi and Era Motorsport’s Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO are also one lap behind the leaders, leaving several teams within reach if the second half brings interruptions or strategy changes.
Early GT3 battle shapes the opening hours
The GT3 field delivered a busy opening phase at Paul Ricard. Engel led away from pole, while Kobe de Breucker came under pressure from Saintéloc Junior Team’s Elia Erhart. The Audi driver passed the Ajith RedAnt Racing Mercedes-AMG into Virage de L’Hôtel, while Proton Competition’s Dressler was edged wide at Turn 1. That allowed Steven Palette to attack in the HAAS RT Audi.
Era Motorsport also made immediate progress. Jake Hill started eighth in the Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO and climbed into the top five within the opening corners. He then continued to move forward and reached the podium positions by lap 13. After a close fight with Erhart, Hill passed the Saintéloc Audi for second at the Mistral chicane on lap 19.
A brief Code 60 later allowed debris to be cleared from the circuit, but the lead battle continued to move through pit-stop cycles. By the final hour, GetSpeed Team PCX Racing had returned to the front, HOFOR Racing had risen to second, and the race had set up its late strategic split.
Mühlner Motorsport leads 992
Mühlner Motorsport heads the 992 class at the halfway point after a strong opening half from the #921 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
Red Camel-Jordans.nl had started from 992 pole, but Rik Breukers was crowded down to fourth at the start. Martin Rump took the class lead for Mühlner Motorsport, followed by Loic Villiger in the Orchid Racing Team entry and Steven Gambrell in the HRT Porsche.
Breukers soon recovered and moved back to second within the first 15 minutes. He then challenged Rump for the lead before moving ahead when the Mühlner driver went wide while catching a GT3 Audi.
However, Mühlner Motorsport later regained control. Rump held a lead of around half a minute during the final hour and reached the overnight pause 28 seconds clear. Chazel Technologie Course finished the opening half second in 992 and first in 992-AM, while Red Camel-Jordans.nl ended Part 1 third in class.
Chazel Technologie Course heads 992-AM
The 992-AM battle also changed shape during the opening hours.
QMMF by HRT Performance initially moved into the class lead through Ghanim Al Ali, but contact from another 992 car caused left-rear damage and forced the team into a lengthy pit stop. That setback opened the way for Chazel Technologie Course to take control of 992-AM.
By the final stages of Part 1, Jean-Mathieu Leandri had brought the #910 Porsche to second overall in the 992 category and first in 992-AM. The team will therefore resume Sunday in a strong position, with Red Camel-Jordans.nl close behind in the overall class order.
Vortex and Circuit Toys lead single-car classes
The GTX and GT4 classes each feature a single entry this weekend, but both teams completed important mileage before the overnight break.
Vortex ended the opening six hours 27th overall in GTX with Philippe Bonnel, Julien Boillot and Alexandre de Bernardinis sharing the car. In GT4, Circuit Toys reached the pause 29th overall with Johan de Rouw, Norbert Dekker, Olivier Huez and Hugo Poppe aboard the Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2.
Both entries will focus on reliability and clean running when the race resumes on Sunday.
asBest Racing leads TCE-TCX after Ligier issues
TCE-TCX changed early after trouble for the Not Only Motorsport Ligier JS2 R. Filippo Tornaghi initially surged into the class lead, but the Ligier slowed on lap two. It then dropped behind Pia Ohlsson in the asBest Racing SEAT Leon Cup Racer before stopping again. The team later traced the issue to an oil sensor problem linked to running temperature, which put the car into safe mode and restricted it to 60 km/h.
Despite losing time, the Ligier remained within reach by the end of Part 1. Tornaghi and Gino Rocchio reached the overnight pause only one lap behind the asBest Racing crew of Ohlsson, Steven Teirlinck and Rafal Gieras.
Race set for Sunday conclusion
The Michelin 12H Paul Ricard remains open heading into its final six hours. Proton Competition holds the lead, while HOFOR Racing joins it on the lead lap. Behind them, GetSpeed Team JR286, GetSpeed Team PCX Racing, Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport, E2P Racing, Juta Racing and Era Motorsport all sit one lap down and remain close enough to benefit from strategy, interruptions or reliability problems ahead.
The cars will stay in parc fermé overnight before the second half begins at 11:30 local time on Sunday. Proton Competition leads the race, but with six hours still to run at Paul Ricard, the outcome remains undecided.
