The Asian Le Mans Series faces uncertainty over the planned debut of its new Hypercar class after reported entry numbers fell considerably short of the initial interest shown in the category.
As reported by Sportscar365, only two Hypercars have currently entered the 2026-27 season, while reportedly only one FIA Bronze-rated driver has committed to the new headline class. The publication reports that Cetilar Racing’s Roberto Lacorte plans to compete with an AF Corse-run Ferrari 499P, while an Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6 LMH forms the second entry but still requires a Bronze-rated driver.
The low numbers contrast sharply with earlier expectations for the category, which initially attracted potential programmes involving Ferrari, Porsche, Peugeot, Isotta Fraschini and Vanwall. However, the Asian Le Mans Series continues to publicly list Hypercar alongside LMP2 and GT3 for the upcoming season, and its official Paul Ricard event page still includes Hypercar qualifying sessions.
Only two Hypercar entries reportedly committed
The Asian Le Mans Series originally positioned the introduction of Hypercar as one of the biggest changes in its recent history, opening the cars to Pro-Am combinations for the first time.
However, the current field consists of only the #83-style privateer Ferrari programme planned by Lacorte and a single Isotta Fraschini. The latter has yet to finalise the Bronze-rated component of its line-up.
That situation creates an immediate difficulty because the regulations require every Hypercar crew to include at least one Bronze-rated driver. The Asian Le Mans Series introduced that requirement to distinguish its privateer-focused category from the fully professional Hypercar competition seen in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The reported lack of Bronze drivers could therefore prove as significant as the limited number of cars. A team may possess an eligible Hypercar and the necessary operational support, but it cannot compete without forming a line-up that meets the championship’s driver-rating requirements.
Early interest had pointed towards much larger field
The current reported situation differs considerably from the level of interest that surrounded the category when organisers first announced it.
As reported by Sportscar365, BBM Sport had explored running as many as two examples of the original wingless Peugeot 9X8, while discussions also surrounded up to three Ferrari 499Ps, as many as two Porsche 963s and at least one Isotta Fraschini. Vanwall had also expressed initial interest.
BBM went far enough with its plans to take delivery of two former Peugeot 9X8s in late 2025, with Bronze-rated driver Kriton Lendoudis linked to the project. The team intended to receive technical support from Peugeot while working with an existing sports car operation.
That level of interest appeared capable of delivering the three-to-six-car field that ACO President Pierre Fillon expected when discussing the category at Le Mans in June. Instead, the reported two-car entry leaves the class below the lower end of that projection.
Europe-only calendar appears to have affected interest
The championship’s forced move away from its traditional Asian and Middle Eastern venues appears to have complicated the Hypercar project.
The 2026-27 Asian Le Mans Series will take place entirely in Europe after continuing geopolitical uncertainty in the Middle East forced organisers to revise the calendar. The championship will visit Circuit Paul Ricard, Jerez and Portimão rather than following its more familiar winter route through Asia and the Gulf region.
Organisers explored retaining a genuine Asian component through potential events at Sepang and Buriram. However, a date conflict with MotoGP at the Thai circuit ultimately prevented those plans from moving forward.
The calendar change appears particularly relevant to potential amateur Hypercar drivers. François Perrodo, who had explored a Ferrari 499P programme stated that he would not compete in the category if the season took place entirely in Europe.
That reaction highlights one of the broader challenges facing the project. The appeal of an Asian Le Mans Hypercar programme extended beyond simply driving the machinery; it also offered private drivers an opportunity to compete with those cars in a distinct winter championship. Moving the entire series into Europe places it in a much more familiar environment and potentially reduces that attraction.
Asian Le Mans Series denies Hypercar has been dropped
Despite the reported uncertainty, organisers have rejected suggestions that they have already abandoned the Hypercar class.
As reported by Sportcar365, when asked about claims that the category could disappear before the season begins, an Asian Le Mans Series spokesperson said: “I don’t know where this rumor started but it is not true.”
The championship’s own platforms currently support that position. Its official class structure continues to list Hypercar, LMP2 and GT3 as the three categories for 2026-27, while the Paul Ricard timetable includes separate Hypercar qualifying sessions.
Therefore, the reported low entry number does not amount to an official cancellation. Instead, it leaves organisers facing a decision over whether the category remains viable with such a limited field if additional entries do not materialise before November.
LMP2 teams reportedly raise concerns over two-car top class
The size of the potential Hypercar field has also created concerns elsewhere on the grid.
Multiple LMP2 entrants have called for organisers not to proceed with the category if only one or two Hypercars ultimately compete. One unnamed team owner described such a situation as an “embarrassment” because a tiny headline class could overshadow a considerably healthier LMP2 field of more than a dozen cars.
That concern goes beyond optics. LMP2 has traditionally provided the prototype backbone of the Asian Le Mans Series, and the category continues to attract significant entries despite the championship’s relocation.
A two-car Hypercar class would still technically sit above LMP2 in the hierarchy, even if the second-tier prototype category produced a substantially deeper and more competitive field. That could create an unusual dynamic in which the nominal headline class has limited sporting depth while the category immediately behind it produces the larger contest.
Hypercar uncertainty could also affect LMP2 regulations
Any change to the Hypercar plan could also have technical consequences for LMP2. Organisers had intended for LMP2 teams to use the low-downforce Le Mans aerodynamic package during the coming season. The change would help create a larger performance separation between LMP2 machinery and Hypercars driven partly by Bronze-rated competitors.
Without Hypercar, organisers could reconsider that requirement. The need to deliberately increase the performance gap becomes less relevant if LMP2 once again occupies the top position in the championship.
That illustrates how deeply the planned Hypercar introduction has already influenced the structure of the upcoming season. A late decision to postpone the category would consequently affect more than the teams hoping to race in it.
No automatic Le Mans invitation adds another distinction
Unlike the LMP2 and GT3 champions, the winner of the Asian Le Mans Series Hypercar category will not receive an automatic invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
That difference stems from the Pro-Am regulations. Asian Le Mans Series Hypercar crews must include a Bronze-rated driver, while Bronze drivers cannot compete in Hypercar machinery in the FIA WEC or at Le Mans.
The category therefore offers competitors access to current-generation Hypercar machinery without providing the direct Le Mans pathway traditionally associated with Asian Le Mans Series titles.
For prospective Bronze-rated entrants, the appeal instead centres on the opportunity to race machinery such as the Ferrari 499P, Porsche 963 or Peugeot 9X8 in a Pro-Am environment.
However, that structure also narrows the pool of drivers capable of sustaining programmes financially while wanting to race these technically demanding cars.
LMP3 move leaves championship exposed to possible two-class format
The uncertainty surrounding Hypercar comes after organisers already removed LMP3 from the main Asian Le Mans Series field.
The category will instead form part of the new Asian Le Mans Cup, a support championship announced at Le Mans in June. Organisers created the new series specifically as Hypercar prepared to join the main championship, leaving the Asian Le Mans Series with Hypercar, LMP2 and GT3.
If the Hypercar launch does not proceed this winter, the main championship could consequently operate with only LMP2 and GT3.
The GT3 side reportedly remains healthy amid reports that organisers have received an influx of entries, while LMP2 also appears set for a field exceeding a dozen cars.
Therefore, postponing Hypercar would not necessarily create a small overall grid. Instead, it would leave the series without the category intended to provide its new headline attraction.
Paul Ricard remains set to host Hypercar debut
For now, the Asian Le Mans Series continues preparing for Hypercar to make its debut at Circuit Paul Ricard.
The opening event runs from 13-15 November, with two four-hour races forming the first part of the six-race European season. Jerez and Portimão will then complete the campaign.
Paul Ricard represents familiar territory for many European endurance teams, having hosted the European Le Mans Series every season since 2013. Its 5.84km layout and 1.8km Mistral Straight should also provide an effective venue for the performance differences between Hypercar, LMP2 and GT3 machinery.
Whether the Hypercar element reaches the grid in its intended form remains the larger question.
The championship publicly maintains that the class will go ahead, and its official material continues to reflect a three-category structure. However, the reported two-car field sits far below the level of interest that initially surrounded the project.
With less than two months remaining before Paul Ricard, organisers now need either additional programmes to materialise or confidence that a minimal inaugural grid can still provide enough sporting value to justify launching the category as planned.
The 2026-27 Asian Le Mans Series itself appears set for healthy LMP2 and GT3 participation. The uncertainty instead surrounds whether Hypercar can deliver the headline presence organisers envisaged when they first announced its arrival.
