Algarve Pro Racing recorded the fastest time of the 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) Prologue before Rossa Racing by Virage led the second and final day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Jake Hughes set the outright benchmark in the #25 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca 07-Gibson during Monday’s final LMP2 session. His 1:28.667 placed the car ahead of IDEC Sport and Forestier Racing by Panis at the end of nine hours of Day 1 running.
Rik Koen then moved the #19 Rossa Racing by Virage Oreca to the top on Tuesday morning. His 1:29.330 led the final day, while CLX Motorsport finished the Prologue fastest in the afternoon session.
The 47-car field completed four principal sessions across the two days, with LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3 and LMGT3 teams preparing for the 4 Hours of Barcelona season opener.
Day 1: Hughes delivers the Prologue benchmark for Algarve Pro Racing
The opening day featured three sessions and nine hours of available track time at the 4.657-kilometre Barcelona circuit.
AO by TF led the four-hour morning session through Louis Delétraz, who recorded a 1:29.120 in the #99 LMP2 Pro/Am Oreca. Ryan Cullen, Vladislav Lomko and Pietro Fittipaldi’s #10 Vector Sport entry finished second, 0.229 seconds behind, while Forestier Racing by Panis placed third.
Malthe Jakobsen took the #20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca to fourth overall and second in LMP2 Pro/Am. The Dane recorded a 1:29.585, which left him 0.465 seconds behind Delétraz.
TDS Racing moved to the top during the afternoon. Scott Huffaker II set a 1:29.894 in the #14 LMP2 Pro/Am Oreca shared with Steven Thomas and Sami Meguetounif.
The #27 Nielsen Racing Oreca followed by 0.157 seconds, while Inter Europol Competition led the regular LMP2 category in third overall. Tom Dillmann, Jakub Śmiechowski and Nick Yelloly’s #43 entry recorded a 1:30.114.
However, Hughes lowered the overall benchmark during the final 30-minute LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am session. The Briton completed a 1:28.667 in the #25 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca, which he shares with Matthias Kaiser and Tristan Vautier.
Paul-Loup Chatin placed the #28 IDEC Sport Oreca second with a 1:29.139, 0.472 seconds behind Hughes. Reigning LMP2 champion Esteban Masson followed in third for Forestier Racing by Panis after setting a 1:29.273.
In LMP3, Bruno Ribeiro recorded the fastest Day 1 time aboard the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier JS P325-Toyota. His 1:38.179 placed him only 0.007 seconds ahead of Douwe Dedecker in the #11 Eurointernational Ligier.
Laurin Heinrich led LMGT3 in the #54 High Class Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. He produced a 1:41.400 during the morning session, while Charlie Eastwood put the #33 TF Sport Corvette second in class with a 1:42.110. Wayne Boyd followed in the #23 United Autosports McLaren on a 1:42.285.
Results: Morning session | Afternoon session
Day 2: Koen leads Pro/Am trio before CLX Motorsport closes on top
Rossa Racing by Virage began the final day at the front as Koen set the fastest lap of Tuesday’s four-hour morning session.
The Dutch driver recorded a 1:29.330 in the #19 Oreca shared with John Falb and Manuel Espírito Santo. His lap placed Rossa Racing by Virage 0.177 seconds ahead of DKR Engineering’s #3 LMP2 Pro/Am entry.
Marlon Hernandez took second for DKR Engineering with a 1:29.507, while the #27 Nielsen Racing Oreca completed an LMP2 Pro/Am sweep of the leading three positions. Alex Quinn, Kriton Lentoudis and James Allen’s entry finished 0.318 seconds behind the leader.
IDEC Sport led the regular LMP2 runners in fourth overall. Chatin recorded a 1:29.649 in the #28 Oreca, only 0.001 seconds behind Nielsen Racing and 0.033 seconds ahead of Doriane Pin’s #30 Duqueine Team entry.
Team Virage led LMP3 during the morning through Daniel Nogales. His 1:37.688 in the #8 Ligier beat the best LMP3 time from Day 1, although R-ace GP later lowered the category benchmark in the afternoon.
High Class Racing remained at the front of LMGT3 for a second consecutive day. Heinrich recorded a 1:41.760 in the #54 Porsche, with Mathys Jaubert following only 0.056 seconds behind in Kessel Racing’s #57 Ferrari. Fran Rueda placed the sister #74 Kessel Racing entry third in class on a 1:41.845.
CLX Motorsport ended the two-day test at the top of the final three-hour session. Theodor Jensen produced a 1:30.014 in the #37 Oreca, beating Proton Competition’s #9 entry by 0.224 seconds.
Vector Sport placed third with a 1:31.016 in the #10 Oreca, while Forestier Racing by Panis and Inter Europol Competition completed the top five.
AO by TF led LMP2 Pro/Am in seventh overall after recording a 1:31.239. Algarve Pro Racing and Nielsen Racing followed in eighth and ninth respectively.
Hugo Schwarze set the fastest LMP3 lap of the two-day Prologue in the #85 R-ace GP Duqueine D09-Toyota. His 1:37.324 during the afternoon session improved on Nogales’ morning benchmark and bettered the fastest Day 1 LMP3 time by more than eight tenths.
Spirit of Race led the final LMGT3 session with a 1:42.162 in the #55 Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo. TF Sport took second with a 1:42.278, while the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari completed the class top three.
Results: Morning Session | Afternoon Session
Attention turns to the 4 Hours of Barcelona
The ELMS field will return to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for Free Practice 1 on Friday 10 April. A second Free Practice session and Qualifying will follow on Saturday, before the 4 Hours of Barcelona begins at 12:00 local time on Sunday 12 April.
