A record 45-car field has been unveiled for this year’s Michelin Le Mans Cup, as European sportscar racing continues to go from strength-to-strength.
The majority of growth has occurred in the ‘Pro’ LMP3 class, which has increased from 18 to 24 entries.
Defending champion R-ace GP is returning with a pair of Duqueine D09s, with Daniel Frost and Vic Stevens named as drivers so far.
A further three Duqueines feature in the class. Nielsen Racing, which ran the Adess AD25 last year, has returned to the French constructor, with whom it previously won the Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 title.
Also fielding a Duqueine is BWT Mücke Motorsport, which raced a previous-generation Duqueine in Prototype Cup Germany last season, and Steller Motorsport, which is returning to the series after a season away for their Gen 3 LMP3 debut.
The rest of the LMP3 grid is made up of Ligier JS P325s. These include new teams Brutal Fish Campos Racing, who are fielding two cars, and Trajectus Motorsport, which was founded by three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Benoit Treluyer.
Two-cars efforts come from 23Events Racings, ANS Motorsport, Team Virage, Forestier Racing by VPS and CLX Motorsport, whilst Vector Sport RLR, High Class Racing, Bretton Racing, Inter Europol Competition, M Racing and More Motorsport have each entered a single car.
Reiter Engineering, Gebhardt Motorsport, CD Sport and DKR Engineering are all absent, having contested LMP3 last year.
LMP3 Pro/Am, meanwhile, has been reduced from 17 to 11 cars for 2026.
Nielsen Racing has entered the only Duqueine in the class, with the other 10 cars being Ligiers. Reigning C champion Hadrien David switches to Nielsen from title winners R-Ace GP with Matt Bell also named in a Nielsen Diuqueine.
Rinaldi Racing is the only two-car entry, with single cars coming from Racing Spirit of Leman, P4 Racing, Inter Europol Competition, High Class Racing, GG Classics, Bretton Racing and defending champion Motorsport98, which has retained drivers’ champions Eric De Doncker and Gillian Henrion.
The headline name, however, is the sole new team, Ajith Redant Racing, with actor Ajith Kumar and ex-Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan set to continue their collaboration following on from Kumar’s prototype debut in the Asian Le Mans Series.
The reduction in LMP3 Pro/Am entries for this year is primarily due to teams switching to ‘Pro’ LMP3. 23Events Racing, ANS Motorsport, More Motorsport and M Racing have all moved their Pro/Am entry into the top category.
As was the case in LMP3, CD Sport and Reiter Engineering are amongst the teams not returning, whilst R-ace GP has also exited the LMP3 Pro/Am ranks, likely as a consequence of it making the step up to the European Le Mans Series for the first time.
Notably, with Nielsen Racing switching to Duqueine and DKR Engineering not returning, neither the ADESS nor Ginetta G61-LT-P325-Evo is set to be represented in Michelin Le Mans Cup competition this year. Both constructors are also absent from the European Le Mans Series grid.
And in GT, the field has grown from 8 to 10 cars.
Defending champion AF Corse has expanded to run two Ferrari 296 GT3 Evos, with Kessel Racing again fielding two Ferraris. Biogas Motorsport is back with a single Ferrari, although it has not upgraded its 296 GT3 to Evo specification.
2023 champion Racing Spirit of Leman is returning after two seasons away with an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, with further Aston Martins coming from Code Racing Development and Blackthorn.
The field is completed by two new teams. Dinamic GT has entered a Porsche 911 GT3 (992) Evo, whilst SMC Motorsport is set to become the first team to field a McLaren in Le Mans Cup since the inaugural, GT3-only season in 2016.
Iron Dames, Team Motopark and Ebimotors have all not returned to GT.
“With 45 cars on the grid, the Michelin Le Mans Cup reaches a historic milestone and reaffirms its pivotal role in the endurance racing ecosystem, said ACO President Pierre Fillon.
“This record underscores the teams’ trust and the appeal of a championship that has truly become a springboard to the highest level. It promises exceptionally competitive fields, hard-fought races, and a season more intense than ever for both drivers and fans.”
Frédéric Lequien, Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) CEO, added: “It is great to witness an exceptional assembly of teams and drivers for the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup, with more entries than ever before. We would like to extend a warm welcome to the new teams who will be making their debut in Barcelona and to say thank you to the teams who are returning for their continued support for the series. With a great line-up in both the Michelin Le Mans Cup and the European Le Mans Series, the 2026 season promises to be exciting. We look forward to welcoming all of you this year.”
The 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup season is set to begin at Barcelona on 10th to 11th April 2026.
