The paddock is almost ready for the Asian Le Mans Series at Circuit Paul Ricard this coming weekend with a 46-car entry of Hypercar, LMP2 and GT3 already on site.
As always there are familiar and new faces in abundance and, happily, a number of the teams have arrived with cars that are far from familiar in terms of their liveries.
Hypercar
The two Ferrari 499Ps are looking splendid in their rather different (both from the norm and from each other) shades of blue.
Ferrari’s technical lead Ferdinando Canizzo is on hand to take an overview of this first-time effort for the cars in anything other than full factory Pro drivers hands.
LMP2
Several of the teams have arrived with new and revised liveries. The all-red #55 livery seen at last month’s Portimão post-ELMS test has gone, replaced by a scheme that has more than an air of Martini! (featured above)
United Autosports’ #2 ORECA forgoes their usual scheme for a smart white and two shades of blue look.
Inter Europol have added a dash of Polish flag to their #43 and Virage too have added a splash of colour to their ORECA.
GT3
The GT3 entry is again hugely strong and varies with a smattering of new blood, one brand new to the Asian Le Mans Series and one car new to ACO rules racing.
The new marque is Ford, and the Mustang GT3 Evo, two of which are here in the hands of Asian Le Mans Series returnees Haupt Racing Team.
The new model is the Lamborghini Temerario with a pair of one-car teams fielding the raging bull’s latest GT3 offering.
Liepert Motorsport returns to the Asian Le Mans Series for the first time in a number of years with their newly delivered car whilst brand new team Dfyne arrives with some familiar faces from the hugely successful but now defunct FFF Racing squad.
WRT fields a solo BMW M4 GT3 Evo and, as if the eight different liveries fielded during the 2026 FIA WEC weren’t enough, here comes another cracker!
Aston Martin have four cars on the grid with a pair of familiarly coloured Heart of Racing Vantages, this the US -lagged effort’s first Asian LMS outing, plus the Blackthorn Vantage GT3 and, in the hands of Racing Spirit of Leman, the accurately named and unliveried Car Blanche.
For Mercedes AMG, GetSpeed returns with another variation on the Bartone theme, an eye-catching off white that looks as if there may be a reflective theme, whilst new team Petrolife from Malaysia are in Petronas corporate colours.
2 Seas have both of their AMGs in twin blue ‘palm tree’ base liveries with the #33 featuring highlight yellow additions, the #46 team car with luminous orange.
Winward (misspelt at present on their garage banner) have a car principally in their regular teal.
For Ferrari, AF Corse’s two cars are in corporate livery, one in the current red with yellow, the other with a scheme more familiar during the GTE Pro days!
AF Corse is also accommodating Ponos Racing, though their 296 GT3 Evo is principally crewed by staff from the team’s Japanese squad.
Garage 59 is running revised liveries on both of their McLaren GT3 Evos.
Porsche’s representatives provide some additional highlights, Proton Competition in particular have presented a pair of crackers.
Their #99 is in the iconic ‘Hippy’ livery whilst alongside the team’s sister #77 is in a stunning ‘Andial’ scheme.
High Class Racing is back in the crimson and red scheme that started the ELMS, later replaced by a dark green-based livery, and Manthey’s two 911 GT3R Evos are in completely contrasting bright orange (#91) and purple (#92) for the last race outings for the team at the end of their 30th anniversary year
Thursday will see open testing ahead of the formal start of the meeting on Friday with practice and qualifying. Race 1 is on Saturday afternoon and the second of two four-hour races is on Sunday afternoon.
Coverage of the races, and qualifying, plus the new-for 2027 Asian Le Mans Cup is live and free on YouTube with commentary from Graham Goodwin, Oliver Gavin and David Addison.
