Under the Algarve Sun: 4 Hours of Portimão Finale

Into the final round of the ELMS For 2026, 40 multi-class endurance prototypes and GT machines roar down the main straight at Portimão, the atmosphere is electric. The sun is roasting the tarmac, the crowd is searching for shade, all of this Nestled amidst the rolling hills of the southern Portuguese countryside, in 35 C, the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve provided one of the most demanding end of year races in world motorsport.

Just a few kilometers south lies the coast, world-famous for its dramatic golden limestone cliffs, hidden sea caves like the Benagil Cathedral, and fresh seafood culture. But today, all eyes were fixed on the asphalt as the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) reached its thrilling season conclusion.

Drivers often refer to it as "the high-speed rollercoaster"—a undulating 4.684 km ribbon of asphalt featuring steep crests, blind apexes, and heavy compression zones that test both mechanical grip and driver courage.

LMP2 (Overall)

In the premier prototype class, track position and traffic management through the blind downhill turns were critical. United Autosports set the benchmark in qualifying, with Grégoire Saucy storming to pole position with a blistering 1:31.140 lap time.

Over four intense hours of racing, overall victory and the coveted LMP2 title went to the #22 United Autosports Oreca 07 crew of Griffin Peebles, Grégoire Saucy, and Ben Hanley, who converted their pole position into a commanding performance

Behind them, title battles across every class hung in the balance right down to the final stint: a late-race track limits penalty stripped TDS Racing of their on-track LMP2 Pro/Am win, handing both the victory and class championship to Algarve Pro Racing;

• Qualifying Pole: #22 United Autosports – 1:31.140 (Grégoire Saucy)
• Top 3 Finishers:
  1. #22 United Autosports (G. Peebles / G. Saucy / B. Hanley)
  2. #25 Algarve Pro Racing (M. Kaiser / J. Hughes)
  3. #29 Forestier Racing by Panis (L. Rousset / O. Gray)

Portimão is a driver's paradise—you don't just steer the car, you launch it over crests where you can't even see the apex. It feels like a rollercoaster where you're in control of 600 horsepower.

LMP2 Pro/Am

The LMP2 Pro/Am race at Portimão delivered one of the most dramatic, heart-stopping finishes of the ELMS finale. Early on, pole-sitter DKR Engineering controlled the pace before turning the car over after the mandatory Bronze-driver stint, paving the way for a fierce, late-race showdown between TDS Racing and Algarve Pro Racing. Scott Huffaker took the chequered flag first on track in the #14 TDS Racing entry, but heavy, relentless pressure from Malthe Jakobsen in the #20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca forced a last-lap track limits violation. The resulting post-race penalty demoted TDS Racing down to third, handing a fairy-tale race victory and the LMP2 Pro/Am championship crown to Algarve Pro Racing's trio of Enzo Trulli, Malthe Jakobsen, and Michael Jensen on home soil.

Belguim's Jean Glorieux claimed pole for DKR Engineering with a 1:33.057.

• Top 3 Finishers:
  1. #3 DKR Engineering (J. Glorieux / M. Hernandez)
  2. #30 Duqueine Team (G. Roda / R. Verschoor)
  3. #20 Algarve Pro Racing (M. Jensen / E. Trulli)

LMP3

The lightweight prototype category was tightly fought from the opening lap. Title contenders CLX Motorsport struck early, with Louis Iglesias securing pole position on a 1:38.835.

The LMP3 class (which operates on a unified Pro/Am driver lineup structure in the ELMS) saw CLX Motorsport put on a masterclass at Portimão to sweep both the race victory and the overall championship title. Starting from pole position after a brilliant qualifying performance by Paul Lanchère, the #17 Ligier JS P320 driver lineup—Lanchère, Alexander Jacoby, and Louis Iglesias—handled the tricky multi-class traffic and blind crests with calculated precision, maintaining control at the head of the field throughout their stints. Crossing the finish line a full lap clear of second-placed #31 Racing Spirit of Léman and third-placed #11 Eurointernational, CLX Motorsport's dominant performance capped off a standout season, earning driver title honors for Lanchère and Jacoby alongside an invitation to step up to LMP2 machinery for the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans.

• Qualifying Pole: #17 CLX Motorsport – 1:38.835 (Louis Iglesias)
• Top 3 Finishers:
  1. #17 CLX Motorsport (P. Lanchere / A. Jacoby / L. Iglesias)
  2. #5 Rinaldi Racing (J. Cautela / A. Rodella)
  3. #13 Inter Europol Competition (A. Bukhantsov / H. Olarte)

LMGT3

Abdulla Ali Al-Khelaifi clinched his fourth pole of the season in the Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG with a 1:43.151. Tyre wear over long stints on Portimão’s abrasive asphalt separated the contenders in the final hour.

The LMGT3 class at Portimão produced high-stakes drama right down to the final meters, ending with Proton Competition claiming race victory while TF Sport dramatically captured the 2026 championship title. Pole-sitters Team Qatar by Iron Lynx (#62 Mercedes-AMG) led early on, but a mid-race pit-lane speed infraction triggered a costly 15-second stop-and-hold penalty that removed them from contention. This opened the door for the #75 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R (Matt Kurzejewski / Richard Lietz / Tom Sargent) to control the front and seal a composed race victory.

Meanwhile, the championship fight raged directly behind them as Charlie Eastwood in the #33 TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R absorbed relentless, multi-car pressure from the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari. When Kessel received a late three-minute stop-and-go penalty for pitting under Full Course Yellow rules in the closing laps, Eastwood crossed the finish line in second place—securing the LMGT3 drivers' and teams' title for TF Sport by a razor-thin margin alongside teammates Blake McDonald and Alec Udell.

• Top 3 Finishers:
  1. #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx (A. Al-Khelaifi / J. Hanses)
  2. #59 Racing Spirit of Léman (C. Mateu / M. Fossard)
  3. #75 Proton Competition (M. Kurzejewski / T. Sargent)