CLICK HERE to download the 2026 European Le Mans Series Sporting Regulations.
COMPETITORS
47 cars are allowed to race during the 2026 season of the European Le Mans Series
Four categories are running on track: LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3, and LMGT3 (more information about the categories here).
Line-ups are composed of two to three drivers per car.
REGULATIONS
Each car must match its current regulations according to the ACO/FIA.
Cars are inspected before each race by official scrutineers.
Each car runs with a renewable biofuel (Excellium Racing 100) from TotalEnergies.
TYRES
LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am and LMGT3 competitors run with Goodyear tyres. LMP3 competitors run with Michelin tyres.
LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am, and LMP3 competitors have one dry and one wet tyre specifications. There are two dry and one wet tyre specifications for the LMGT3 category.
Any equipment for warming the tyres or keeping them to temperature is forbidden.
EVENT FORMAT
Each race weekend is composed of:
Free Practice: two Free Practice sessions of 90 minutes.
Bronze Test: one session of 30 minutes exclusively for FIA-ranked Bronze drivers.
Qualifying: one qualifying session of 15 minutes per category, which defines the grid order. In LMP2 Pro/Am and LMGT3, only Bronze drivers can qualify the car, whereas in LMP2 and LMP3, it's up to the competitor.
Race – which lasts 4 hours.
RACES
Each driver must drive at least 40 minutes during the race.
The winner is the car that covered the greatest distance in their category.
RACE NEUTRALISATION
If the race must be neutralized or stopped for safety reasons, multiple procedures can be decided by the Race Director:
FULL COURSE YELLOW
Intended for short neutralisations mainly for interventions lasting equal to or less than one lap.
Cars must slow down to 80kph.
The pit lane entry is closed when a Full Course Yellow (FCY) is announced.
Overtaking is forbidden.
VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR
Intended to secure interventions and used for an approximate duration of two laps before deployment of the Safety Car (SC).
Cars must slow down to 80kph.
Overtaking is forbidden.
Access to the pit lane will remain open for the duration of the VSC.
SAFETY CAR
Intended for long neutralizations.
All cars must follow the Safety Car and adapt their speed.
The pit lane entry is closed for three laps when a Safety Car (SC) is announced.
Overtaking is permitted under defined circumstances.
RED FLAG
All the cars must head back to the pitlane or stop on track regarding the conditions.
PODIUMS
Each category has its own podium for the three first competitors.
STANDINGS
Cars and drivers have their own classification in each category.
Points are awarded to the following scale:
1 – 25 points
2 – 18 points
3 – 15 points
4 – 12 points
5 – 10 points
6 – 8 points
7 – 6 points
8 – 4 points
9 – 2 points
10 – 1 point
One point is awarded for the pole position in each category.
AUTOMATIC INVITATIONS TO THE 2025 24 HOURS OF LE MANS
LMP2: 1st and 2nd placed competitors in the overall classifications will receive LMP2 invitations.
LMP2 Pro/Am: 1st placed competitor in the overall classifications will receive a LMP2 invitation.
LMP3: 1st placed competitor in the overall classifications will receive a LMP2 invitation.
LMGT3: 1st placed competitor in the overall classifications will receive a LMGT3 invitation.
