The ELMS get off with the reigning champion achieving a commanding victory

The European Le Mans Series got the 2026 season off to a flying start. The 4 Hours of Barcelona provided 33,000 fans visiting the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over the weekend with a thrilling race and a top-class spectacle, setting a new attendance record for this endurance event.

The opening round of the ELMS has been making headlines right from the start. An incident at the start, which thankfully had no serious consequences, meant that the race was extended by 25 minutes to make up for the time lost under a red flag. With a packed grid of competitors eager to race, the team on pole took the lead immediately. However, Inter Europol Competition (Garg, De Gérus) were unable to hold onto the lead for more than half an hour.

When the pit lane opened for the first pit stops, United Autosports (Peebles, Saucy and Hanley) took the lead, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the first hour of the race. Shortly afterwards, Forestier Racing by Panis (Rousset, Grey and Mason) began battling with the leading teams. Although they managed to lead for several laps, Jack Doohan (Nielsen Racing) appeared out of nowhere to challenge them.

With 30 minutes to go before the chequered flag, Doohan was the provisional race leader. However, things then started to go wrong for him: a final pit stop, a 10-second penalty and a collision with United Autosports. Forestier Racing by Panis managed to capitalise on this to take the lead.

The race was ultimately decided in the final five minutes, with as many as five prototypes locked in a relentless battle. Forestier Racing by Panis moved up the ranks, pushing the pole-sitting team, Inter Europol Competition, down to second place. However, Inter Europol Competition kept their chances of victory alive right until the end. United Autosports completed the overall and LMP2 podiums.

This same team also secured a podium finish in the Pro/Am category, with Brich, Patterson and Boyd taking second place. Despite finishing second, Zak Brown’s team had led for much of the race. The victory went to Algarve Pro Racing, whose drivers include Jarno Trulli’s son, Enzo Trulli, alongside his teammates Jensen and Jakobsen.

In LMP3, Rinaldi Racing (Fernandes Cautela, Rodella, Pedersen) secured a well-calculated victory in the closing stages of the race, whilst Proton Competition (Kurzejewski, Sargent, Lietz) finished top of the LMGT3 class after spending the entire four hours in the top three.

Among the home drivers, Lorenzo Fluxà (Vector Sport) secured a creditable sixth place in the LMP2 Pro/Am category, whilst Daniel Nogales (Team Virage) finished fifth in LMP3. Fran Rueda (Kessel Racing) was less fortunate, experiencing a race marred by numerous problems. He ultimately finished 11th in LMGT3.

Capietto secures second victory in the Porsche Carrera Cup France

The Porsche Carrera Cup France kicked off track action this morning with its second points-scoring race. Macéo Capietto (Pierre Martinet by Alméras) prevented Marvin Klein (ABM) from repeating as winner, with the latter ultimately having to settle for second place. Florian Latorre (2B) Autosport completed the overall podium for the single-make cup. Jérôme Boullery (Racing Technology) was the highest-placed driver in the Pro Am category.

Next stop: Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya de MotoGP

The next event to be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will be the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya de MotoGP, from 15 to 17 May. There is a wide range of tickets available, allowing you to enjoy the GP in a variety of ways.

Tickets available at www.circuitcat.com