47 cars and 140 drivers for the second round of the ELMS at Le Castellet

The second round of the European Le Mans Series (ELMSThe 2026 edition will take place at the Circuit Paul Ricard from May 1st to 3rd, with 47 cars and 140 drivers representing 30 different nationalities. We will also see eight French teams and 28 French drivers competing on home soil for this 15th edition of the Var event.

In LMP2, the eleven cars entered offer a strong field centered around the reigning champions, Forestier Racing by Panis — formerly VDS Panis Racing — who arrive at Le Castellet leading the championship after their victory in Barcelona with Esteban Masson, Oliver Gray, and Louis Rousset. Their main rival will be IDEC Sport, winners of this same race in 2025, with Jamie Chadwick, Valerio Rinicella, and Laurents Hörr in the number 18, and former LMP2 champions Paul Lafargue and Paul-Loup Chatin in the number 28. Among the other names to watch, Tom Dillmann — winner in LMP2 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — returns to his home crowd in the number 43 of Inter Europol Competition alongside two-time class winner Kuba Smiechowski. Adrien Closmenil, ELMS LMP3 2025 champion and winner at Castellet last year in this category, makes his first appearance at home since his LMP2 title for CLX Motorsport.

In LMP2 Pro/Am, twelve cars are vying for class honors, with the number 20 Algarve Pro Racing entry, victorious in Barcelona, ​​leading the championship. This car is driven by Michael Jensen, Malthe Jakobsen, and Enzo Trulli. The number 83 AF Corse entry, second in Spain, is fielded by François Perrodo, Matthieu Vaxivière, and Antonio Fuoco. Also of note is the presence of... Dorian Pinfresh from a test in Formula 1 with Mercedes Benz, who rejoins his teammates Giorgio Roda and Richard Verschoor in the number 47 Duqueine Team car on their home track. Jonny Edgar replaces Louis Delétraz at AO by TF in the number 99 car, alongside reigning champions PJ Hyett and Dane Cameron.

LMP3 and LMGT3: competitive grids with many French drivers

In LMP3, ten cars are entered, with four French teams competing. Paul Lanchère, the reigning two-time ELMS and ALMS LMP3 champion, defends his title on home soil for CLX Motorsport. The number 5 Rinaldi Racing car leads the championship after Barcelona, ​​with José Fernandes Cautela, Alvise Rodella, and Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen. R-Ace GP, second in Spain, fields Fabien Michal alongside Pierre-Alexandre Provost and Hugo Schwarze, the only crew in the Duqueine D09.ToyotaM Racing and Ultimate complete the French contingent, while Alex Bukhantsov — who took the first pole position of the season in Barcelona — will try to turn his pace into a result at Castellet.

The LMGT3 category is the largest, with fourteen cars and seven French drivers. Porsche Proton Competition's number 75 car takes the championship lead after its Barcelona victory, with Matt Kurzejewski, Tom Sargent, and Richard Lietz sporting a special livery celebrating the 75th anniversary of Porsche's first class victory at Le Mans in 1951. Classic Ferrari for sale Richard Mille AF Corse's number 50 car will also see Lilou Wadoux join Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini for her home race — the Frenchwoman won the event last year in this same car. Mathys Jaubert, who moved from LMP2 to LMGT3 this season after his impressive debut in WEC At Imola, he will also be racing on home soil in the number 57 Kessel Racing Ferrari. Reigning champions TF Sport, with Charlie Eastwood in the number 33 Corvette, will be looking to bounce back after a difficult race in Spain.

Click here to discover the list of entrants for the 4 Hours of Castellet.

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