CLX Motorsport successfully defended its European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP3 championship in 2026, securing its fourth title following a season that featured three race victories, several dramatic setbacks and a decisive performance at the 4 Hours of Portimão.
The Swiss outfit added the 2026 crown to its previous championship successes in 2022 and 2023 under the COOL Racing name, alongside its 2025 triumph as CLX Motorsport. Paul Lanchère also celebrated his second consecutive ELMS LMP3 title, sharing the honours with Alexander Jacoby after the pair had already secured the 2025/26 Asian Le Mans Series championship earlier in the year.
Meanwhile, Louis Iglesias played a crucial role in the team’s success after joining the No. 17 Ligier JS P325-Toyota midway through the campaign. The French driver contributed to all three victories and finished his debut ELMS season as championship runner-up and Rookie of the Year.
CLX Motorsport enters 2026 aiming to defend its LMP3 crown
CLX Motorsport began the 2026 season determined to extend its successful record in European endurance racing. Having secured the 2025 LMP3 championship, the Swiss organisation entered the new campaign with considerable experience and an established driver partnership.
Lanchère returned to defend his title alongside Jacoby, while Brazilian driver Bruno Ribeiro completed the team’s initial line-up. Together, the trio faced competition from several established LMP3 teams, including Rinaldi Racing, R-ace GP, Inter Europol Competition and DKR Engineering.
However, the defending champions endured a challenging start to the season, with incidents and difficult qualifying sessions restricting their results during the opening two rounds.
Barcelona: Opening-lap incident disrupts CLX Motorsport’s title defence
The 2026 championship began at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where CLX Motorsport faced immediate difficulties.
Ribeiro qualified the No. 17 Ligier seventh in LMP3, finishing 1.9 seconds behind Hugo Schwarze, who secured pole position for R-ace GP in the No. 85 Duqueine.
However, the race took a dramatic turn almost immediately. Antti Rammo lost control of the No. 4 DKR Engineering Ligier under braking for Turn 1, collecting Lanchère’s CLX Motorsport entry and the No. 68 M Racing Ligier.
The collision sent all three cars into the gravel, while a separate incident involving LMP2 Pro/Am competitors contributed to a red flag. Race control subsequently halted the event for approximately 25 minutes.
Although CLX Motorsport recovered its damaged car and returned to the circuit, the team lost eight laps during repairs. Consequently, Lanchère, Jacoby and Ribeiro could only finish eighth in class.
Meanwhile, Rinaldi Racing claimed the opening LMP3 victory through José Fernandes Cautela, Alvise Rodella and Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen. R-ace GP finished second, while Inter Europol Competition completed the podium.
The disappointing result left the defending champions facing an early deficit in the championship standings.
Le Castellet: CLX Motorsport begins its recovery
The second round at Circuit Paul Ricard offered CLX Motorsport an opportunity to recover valuable points.
Nevertheless, qualifying again proved difficult. Jacoby placed the No. 17 Ligier tenth in the LMP3 category, finishing 1.6 seconds behind DKR Engineering’s Romain Favre, who secured pole position.
Despite the challenging starting position, Lanchère made progress through the field during the opening stages. The team subsequently maintained a more competitive race pace, allowing the crew to recover several positions.
Ultimately, CLX Motorsport finished fifth in class, improving upon its Barcelona result but remaining outside the podium places.
At the front, Inter Europol Competition secured victory through Alex Bukhantsov, Chun Ting Chou and Henry Cubides Olarte. The Polish team’s success came after DKR Engineering encountered a problem with its cockpit door, forcing Wyatt Brichacek to pit while leading.
M Racing claimed second, while DKR Engineering recovered to complete the podium.
Following two rounds, Inter Europol Competition led the LMP3 championship with 40 points, ahead of Rinaldi Racing on 31. CLX Motorsport therefore needed stronger results to re-establish itself as a serious title contender.
Imola: Louis Iglesias makes immediate impact with maiden victory
The 4 Hours of Imola marked a turning point in CLX Motorsport’s campaign as the team introduced Louis Iglesias in place of Ribeiro for the remaining four rounds.
Iglesias immediately demonstrated his potential during qualifying, securing LMP3 pole position by approximately two-tenths of a second over the No. 85 R-ace GP Duqueine.
The French driver carried that momentum into the race, where CLX Motorsport produced its strongest performance of the season so far.
Lanchère, Jacoby and Iglesias controlled the LMP3 category through consistent driving and effective strategy. Furthermore, the team successfully managed its pit stops and maintained its advantage over the chasing competitors.
Iglesias eventually crossed the finish line more than 30 seconds ahead of the nearest LMP3 challenger, securing CLX Motorsport’s first victory of the 2026 season.
Rinaldi Racing finished second, while Team Virage completed the podium.
The result represented a significant turnaround after the team’s difficult opening rounds. Additionally, Iglesias’ immediate contribution strengthened the No. 17 crew for the remainder of the championship.
Having finally returned to the top step, CLX Motorsport could approach the second half of the season with renewed confidence and a much stronger championship position.
Spa-Francorchamps: Post-race disqualification delivers second victory
The fourth round at Spa-Francorchamps brought another important result for CLX Motorsport, although the team did not initially take the chequered flag in first place.
Iglesias qualified third in LMP3, finishing approximately seven-tenths behind pole-sitter Pierre-Alexandre Provost in the R-ace GP Duqueine.
The race itself featured numerous incidents and interruptions, with six Safety Car periods disrupting the opening three and a half hours.
Rinaldi Racing emerged as the strongest LMP3 competitor during the race, with Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen bringing the No. 5 Ligier home more than 50 seconds ahead of the chasing field.
However, post-race technical inspections dramatically changed the result.
Officials discovered that Rinaldi Racing’s fuel tank exceeded the permitted maximum capacity. Consequently, the stewards disqualified the No. 5 Ligier, promoting CLX Motorsport to first place.
Lanchère, Jacoby and Iglesias therefore secured their second consecutive LMP3 victory, while R-ace GP inherited second and Eurointernational completed the podium.
The Spa-Francorchamps result also transformed the championship standings. For the first time in 2026, CLX Motorsport moved into the lead, establishing a 15-point advantage over R-ace GP and a 16-point margin over Rinaldi Racing.
Although the team benefited from its rival’s disqualification, its consistent performance allowed it to capitalise on the opportunity and strengthen its title challenge.
Silverstone: R-ace GP narrows championship gap
The penultimate round brought the championship back to the United Kingdom for the Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone, where unpredictable weather created another demanding challenge.
CLX Motorsport initially demonstrated strong qualifying pace as Iglesias secured his second pole position of the campaign.
The French driver recorded a 1:53.144 lap, narrowly beating R-ace GP’s Hugo Schwarze by just 0.069 seconds.
However, heavy rain during the race forced teams to reconsider their strategies as conditions deteriorated around the circuit.
CLX Motorsport initially led portions of the LMP3 contest, but R-ace GP gradually emerged as its strongest challenger. Pierre-Alexandre Provost moved ahead following an off-track excursion by Jacoby, while Schwarze successfully managed the difficult conditions during the closing stages.
R-ace GP eventually claimed its maiden ELMS victory, with Schwarze, Provost and Fabien Michal finishing 14.401 seconds ahead of the No. 17 CLX Motorsport Ligier.
Nevertheless, CLX Motorsport limited the damage by securing second place and retaining its championship lead.
The Silverstone result reduced the gap between the two teams to nine points, setting up a direct championship battle at the season finale in Portugal.
With only one round remaining, CLX Motorsport held 84 points compared to R-ace GP’s 75. Meanwhile, Rinaldi Racing remained mathematically in contention with 59 points, although the German squad faced a considerably more difficult route to the title.
Portimão: CLX Motorsport seals fourth title with commanding victory
The 4 Hours of Portimão provided the decisive conclusion to the 2026 LMP3 championship, with CLX Motorsport entering the weekend as favourites but still facing a determined challenge from R-ace GP.
Iglesias immediately strengthened the team’s position during qualifying, securing his third pole position of the season.
The Frenchman repeatedly improved the provisional benchmark before recording a 1:38.835 lap, finishing 0.289 seconds ahead of Rinaldi Racing’s Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen. R-ace GP qualified fourth, leaving the championship challengers separated by several grid positions.
Importantly, the additional point for pole also increased CLX Motorsport’s championship advantage.
During the race, Lanchère maintained a strong position at the front of the LMP3 field while R-ace GP attempted to remain within striking distance.
However, a strategic decision under the Virtual Safety Car severely compromised R-ace GP’s title challenge.
The team attempted to complete two extended pit stops during the neutralisation period, but a red light at pit exit prevented the No. 85 Duqueine from immediately returning to the circuit.
Consequently, R-ace GP lost a lap to its championship rival and struggled to recover the deficit.
With its closest competitor losing valuable time, CLX Motorsport gained greater control of the race. Nevertheless, Lanchère, Jacoby and Iglesias continued pushing to secure victory rather than simply protect their championship position.
Iglesias eventually brought the No. 17 Ligier across the finish line an entire lap ahead of Rinaldi Racing, completing a dominant performance.
DKR Engineering finished third, while R-ace GP could only manage tenth in class.
The Portimão victory secured CLX Motorsport its second consecutive ELMS LMP3 championship under its current identity and fourth title overall, completing a remarkable recovery from its difficult start to the season.
CLX Motorsport concludes 2026 with commanding championship advantage
Following six rounds, CLX Motorsport finished the season with 110 points, securing the LMP3 Teams’ Championship by 33 points over Rinaldi Racing.
The German squad’s second-place finish at Portimão lifted it to 77 points, allowing it to overtake R-ace GP by a single point in the final standings.
Meanwhile, Lanchère and Jacoby claimed the Drivers’ Championship with 110 points, adding another European title to their earlier Asian Le Mans Series success.
Despite missing the first two rounds, Iglesias finished second in the Drivers’ Championship on 96 points. His three victories and three pole positions across the final four rounds also earned him the ELMS Rookie of the Year award.
The final 2026 ELMS championship standings reflected the strength of CLX Motorsport’s second-half performance, particularly after the team failed to reach the podium during either of the opening two races.
Across the final four rounds, the No. 17 crew secured three victories and a runner-up finish, collecting the points needed to overcome its early deficit and retain the championship.
Another successful chapter in CLX Motorsport’s LMP3 history
CLX Motorsport’s 2026 campaign demonstrated the importance of consistency, adaptability and strong driver performances in endurance racing.
Although the team initially struggled to match its rivals, the arrival of Iglesias transformed its results. The French driver quickly established a successful partnership with Lanchère and Jacoby, helping the team deliver three victories across the final four races.
Equally, CLX Motorsport’s ability to capitalise on opportunities proved important. The Spa-Francorchamps disqualification strengthened its championship position, while the team managed the pressure of a narrowing points advantage following Silverstone.
Ultimately, its dominant Portimão performance removed any doubt over the championship outcome.
With four ELMS LMP3 titles across the COOL Racing and CLX Motorsport identities, the Swiss organisation has further strengthened its position among the championship’s most successful teams, completing another memorable season in European endurance racing.
2026 ELMS standings
