With four out of six titles still up for grabs in the European Le Mans Series, the final round of the 2016 season at Estoril, Portugal promises to be extremely exciting with no less than 37 competitors on the track.

Le Mans Series

ELMS

Get up to speed on who’s who before the practice and qualifying sessions, and Hyperpole. The Official 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans Spotter Guide is your best friend when it comes to telling which of the magnificent cars is which this week (10-14 June 2026).

Get up to speed on who&rsquo;s who before the practice and qualifying sessions, and Hyperpole. The Official 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans Spotter Guide is your best friend when it comes to telling which of the magnificent cars is which this week (10-14 June 2026).

The plot of the 24 Hours of Le Mans unravels at 340 kph. Even the sharpest of eyes will appreciate the help of our Spotter Guide to pick out competitors in the vast 62-car field that will set off for a 24-hour marathon at 16:00 on Saturday 13 June.

Teams began their preparation in earnest at Test Day yesterday, which saw <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/advantage-aston-martin-in-second-free-practice-session-at-le-mans-test-day-60710">an impressive performance from Aston Martin THOR Team</a>. Now it&rsquo;s your turn to get race-ready. The handy guide has all the essential information you need, clearly displayed.

This year&rsquo;s grid is a full 62 cars, split into three classes:

<ul>
	<li>18 Hypercars;</li>
	<li>19 LMP2;</li>
	<li>25 LMGT3.</li>
</ul>

Whether you&rsquo;re seated comfortably in the grandstands, on a bank overlooking a corner, or at home on the sofa, the guide produced by Archim&egrave;de will help you keep pace with the action.

<h2>Check out the new 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans liveries</h2>

The Spotter Guide displays each car&rsquo;s livery so you can tell them apart.

<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/genesis-magma-racing-unveil-a-spectacular-livery-for-their-maiden-24-hours-of-le-mans-60650">Genesis Magma Racing&rsquo;s GMR-001 Hypercars #17 and #19</a> sport one of the most striking decorations this year for their maiden Le Mans. The <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/a-neon-livery-for-dkr-engineering-at-the-2026-24-hours-of-le-mans-60598">DKR Engineering</a> #3 Oreca 07-Gibson, the #32 and #69 BMW M4 LMGT3 Evos of Team WRT, and the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-porsche-911-gt3-rs-commemorate-porsche-s-1951-victory-at-the-2026-24-hours-of-le-mans-60674">Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3</a>s fielded by Manthey DK Engineering (#91) and The Bend Manthey (#92) are also crowd favourites.

As the hours tick by, some colours will be clearly imprinted on our minds. Who will have the starring role in this year&rsquo;s high-speed saga?

&gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://assets.lemans.org/explorer/pdf/courses/2026/24-heures-du-mans/spotter-le-mans-2026.pdf?utm_source=social&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=pack_vip_promo_fb&amp;utm_content=ap_b9lc9oxiry" target="_blank">Download your 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans spotter guide</a> &lt;&lt;&lt;

Check out the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans Spotter Guide

The Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar taking the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans next weekend is revealing its potential. This machine is designed for performance, styled with character and intended for endurance. Its fiery livery turns heads even before it takes the track. Then the sound of its engine adds to the magic.

Its fiery livery turns heads even before it takes the track. Then the sound of its engine adds to the magic. The GMR-001-Hypercar is not just the first Hypercar entered by Genesis Magma Racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The culmination of painstaking design and engineering, it represents long-term vision. An attitude that merits respect, especially here in Le Mans. This car is the beginning of an adventure.

<h2>A Hypercar honed by several hands</h2>

The GMR-001-Hypercar was launched just after the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans as a collaborative project involving Oreca, and the engineers of both Genesis Magma Racing and Hyundai Motorsport. Three entities with the same aim.

In a Hypercar programme, every detail is important. Every millimetre of bodywork, every technical choice, every air flow influences the result. Building a car for Le Mans can be like assembling a puzzle with pieces that change as you place them. Oreca&rsquo;s contribution is the constructor&rsquo;s knowledge of prototypes. Hyundai Motorsport brings racing experience to the table, while Genesis (Hyundai&rsquo;s premium brand) confers the vision. The result is a machine conceived in a particularly short time, without compromising attention to detail.

Flowing, smooth, taut lines suggest contained energy. Air seems to slide over the bodywork like water on a polished pebble. Nothing is there just for show. Everything has a function. Yet the prototype has all the elegance associated with Genesis.

Aesthetically, the most impressive stylistic choice is the signature lighting. The race car sports the same two horizontal lines as Genesis road cars. A big statement. Especially for a discipline in which lighting plays a part in performance. Their effectiveness was confirmed early on, during night tests at the Algarve circuit in Portugal. 
The car also wears the Genesis wing emblem on the nose like a stamp of approval.

<h2>A V8 tried and tested in the FIA World Rally Championship</h2>

Under the bonnet, the GMR-001-Hypercar hides a 3.2-litre twin-turbo hybrid V8 engine.<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/genesis-fires-up-the-gmr-001-for-the-first-time-59881"> The engine was started for the first time on 9 July 2025</a>. Always a spine-tingling moment for anyone involved in the programme. Suddenly, the project has a sound.

The powertrain was developed from the V8 tried and tested in the FIA World Rally Championship. It was reworked and bench-tested to meet the demands of enduring racing. 
Coupled with a Bosch hybrid system on the rear train, it embodies current Hypercar philosophy: power, efficiency and endurance. 
At the start of the 2026 season, one of the engines had already covered 9,000 kilometres!

Listen to the sound of the Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar:

The Sound of the GMR-001 Hypercar

Découvrez le son de la Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar

<h2>A Hypercar that learns a lesson per lap</h2>

Before its first track session, the GMR-001 had already undergone thorought testing. Genesis Magma Racing put the highly-reputed world-class <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/genesis-magma-racing-how-to-develop-a-hypercar-without-leaving-the-office-59602">simulators by Dynisma Ltd</a> to good use. The aim was to generate feedback on the car and its environment that was as lifelike as possible.

At Le Mans, experience cannot be bought. It has to be built: in simulations, tests, by covering ground, and by trial and error. Its short development time means the GMR-001-Hypercar has a steep learning curve.

Cyril Abiteboul sums up the situation: &ldquo;We had good feedback from the start. The car has a good pedigree. It&rsquo;s sound and well-balanced. There are no unwelcome surprises at the wheel, and it responds well to new settings. It&rsquo;s remarkably well built. Oreca&rsquo;s experience really shows. We&rsquo;ve done a lot of work on the engine. It&rsquo;s powerful, with plenty of torque.&quot;

Paul-Loup Chatin, driver of the #19 Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar, adds: &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve got a superb, precise car. It&#39;s trustworthy. It delivers the goods. Such a car helps you deploy sharp driving skills. The potential we saw in the tests was confirmed in the first two rounds. There&rsquo;s still a long way to go, but the foundations are excellent.&rdquo;

<h2>Climbing a mountain step by step</h2>

Genesis Magma Racing have been competing in the Hypercar for real since the beginning of this season, sampling the intensity and gruelling demands that rapidly sort the wheat from the chaff.

After the team chalked up the first points on the FIA WEC scoreboard at the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Gabriele Tarquini, Sporting director of Genesis Magma Racing, said: Step by step, we&rsquo;ll climb the mountain. 
The 24 Hours of Le Mans can seem like that: a long, demanding, magnificent ascension. Driver of the #19, Daniel Juncadella feels the same: &quot;I think we make progress at each race.&quot; 
Paul-Loup Chatin: &quot;We&rsquo;re trying to be mistake-free and to seize every opportunity to prove why we&rsquo;re here. For example, at Imola, Mathys Jaubert fended off Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari 499P for at least 20 laps. That&rsquo;s pretty satisfying in your first season.&quot;

As the 94th 24 Hours of Le Mans looms, the goal remains to see both cars cross the finish line. Early in the season, Justin Taylor stated: &ldquo;Our main goal this season is to finish the races. Without a hitch. Penalty-free. Then we can begin making progress in the Hypercar class, step by step, featuring in Hyperpole, finishing in the same lap as the winner, and displaying the sort of pace that gets you in the top 5.&rdquo;

Every manufacturer comes to Le Mans with ambitions. Few describe the learning process so openly. That is perhaps the essence of the Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar programme: a machine born to perform with a team clear-headed enough to realise that the 24 Hours of Le Mans requires you to listen carefully before you reply.

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans: the low-down on the Genesis Magma Racing Hypercar

Test Day is a rehearsal for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams use the track time to glean precious information and fine-tune settings before the race. Racing aficionados enjoy interpreting the day’s statistics. We have picked out six that illustrate the aspects to master for success in endurance.

<h2>86 &ndash; Last the course</h2>

The number of laps completed by the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 &ndash; BMW M Team WRT, the most diligent crew on track this Sunday. That&rsquo;s 1171 kilometres worth of intensive training. The Belgian team likes to take advantage of every minute on track. The same car did the most laps last year too: 74. A sign of consistency and a perfectly executed action plan. Setting aside Cadillac and Ferrari (228 and 195 laps respectively), which have three cars, BMW spent the most time on track yesterday, completing a total of 167 laps, compared to 152 for Aston Martin, 152 for Peugeot, 147 for <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/2026-24-hours-of-le-mans-the-low-down-on-the-genesis-magma-racing-hypercar-60714">Genesis</a> and Toyota and 131 for Alpine.

<h2>3 &ndash; Set the pace</h2>

In LMP2, Job van Uitert&rsquo;s top time would have earned him third place in last year&rsquo;s Hyperpole. The Dutchman clocked 03:35.344 in the IDEC Sport #28 Oreca 07. The crew of the #28 reflect the essence of LMP2, the class where anything can happen. Van Uitert has speed, Valerio Rinicella, his 19 year-old teammate, has the fieriness of youth, and, with nine starts under his belt, Paul Lafargue has experience. Race veterans mix with rookies, wisdom meets whizz kids. Many drivers in this class are out to shine to attract an offer of a seat in the Hypercar class. The level of driving skill is higher every year, as Van Uitert&rsquo;s performance shows. TDS Racing&rsquo;s Mathias Beche, last year&rsquo;s pole sitter, was less than two-tenths behind him.

<h2>19 &ndash; Edge ahead</h2>

In LMGT3, 19 cars (over 3/4 of the field) recorded times within tenths of each other. More than in the Hypercar class (13), and the most since the class changed in 2024. The Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #54 in the hands of Francesco Castellacci was fastest, by nine-thousandths of a second. Proof that every little detail will make a difference, hence the need for groundwork on Test Day.

<h2>3:26.293 &ndash; Work hard</h2>

The top time of the day was recorded by <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/advantage-aston-martin-in-second-free-practice-session-at-le-mans-test-day-60710" target="_blank">Tom Gamble in the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie</a>.

It is remarkable for several reasons. First, it is very close to the benchmark set last year on Test Day by Toyota (3:26.246). Second, Aston Martin&rsquo;s best time last year was three seconds per lap slower! In the space of a year, the British manufacturer has made phenomenal progress, confirmed by another interesting statistic: Tom Gamble&rsquo;s Test Day time is better than the Valkyrie #007&rsquo;s 2025 qualifying time!

The Heart of Racing has worked hard. The prototype&rsquo;s production car appearance and the sound of its fierce naturally-aspirated V12 already turned heads. Now its performance is attracting attention too. Not least from its opponents.

<h2>4 &ndash; Be consistent</h2>

Four of the ten fastest laps Test Day were achieved at the wheel of the Alpine A424. The class record. Ferdinand Habsburg (03:26.938 &ndash; fifth best time of the day), Charles Milesi (03:26.990 &ndash; sixth), and Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix da Costa (03:27.130 &ndash; tenth) in the #35 were particularly fast. In the #36, <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/alpine-endurance-team-hires-victor-martins-60211">Victor Martins</a> was fastest (03:27.017).

The Alpine&rsquo;s was impressive in consistency &ndash; an all-important factor in endurance. This is a team sport and compromise is required to ensure all three drivers can express their full potential in the cockpit, despite radically different styles. This aspect looks to be perfectly understood in the Alpine camp.

<h2>345.1 &ndash; Push boundaries</h2>

That&rsquo;s the top speed, in kilometres per hour, attained on Sunday, by Ferdinand Habsburg and Victor Martins in the Alpine A424 #35 and #36. It&rsquo;s faster than last year (344.5). Exiting <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/explore-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-circuit-turn-by-turn-60679">Tertre Rouge</a>, the right-hand bend that leads to the iconic Mulsanne Straight, drivers are often already nearing 245 kph. Then peripheral vision blurs as they accelerate, all the way up to seventh gear. When they passed the Auberge des Hunaudi&egrave;res, the Alpine A424s were travelling at about 100 metres per second. Outrageous speed. Yet, the human at the wheel must brake at the same point as on previous laps, with a margin of 50 centimetres.

From a technical point of view, top speed depends on various factors, such as air temperature, aspiration, torque and the set-up chosen by the team. A car with less downforce will be faster on straights, but will have less grip on corners. So a Hypercar that&rsquo;s quick in the Porsche Curves, for example, will have a slight disadvantage on the Mulsanne Straight.

<h2>It&rsquo;s going to be a close one!</h2>

Test Day confirmed a trend observed since 2023: gaps are tiny, sometimes non-existent, in all three classes. Driver engagement before the race is always difficult to determine. However, the clock doesn&rsquo;t hide anything, and it indicates that there is very little to choose between teams entered for the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans.

&gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/results/2026" target="_blank">Full Test Day Results</a>&lt;&lt;&lt;

24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day: 6 numbers for 2026

Aston Martin were back at the top of the timesheets at Le Mans. The sweet-sounding, crowd favourite with Harry Tincknell at the wheel set the fastest time at Circuit de la Sarthe in 2026… so far…

<h2>Headlines</h2>

The second Free Practice session of the day, a second chance for teams to gather another round of data to help fine tune set-ups ahead of their race simulations, scenarios and qualifying procedures later in the week.

At 15:30 local time - the clock began to countdown and a magnificent sight of 62 Hypercars, LMP2 and LMGT3 cars rolled down the pitlane and out onto the 13.626km circuit in the Sunday afternoon sun. 
 
Aston Martin were back at the top of the timesheets at Le Mans. The sweet-sounding crowd favourite with Harry Tincknell set the fastest time (3:26.293)&nbsp;at Circuit de la Sarthe in 2026&hellip; so far&hellip; Toyota, Cadillac and Alpine were all in hot pursuit, as defending champions Ferrari struggled to show their hand on the opening day.

<h2>HYPERCAR</h2>

The morning milestone of 3.27.011 was instantly lowered from the word go, as the Alpine Endurance Team in the opening handful of laps went under the 3.27 mark with the first 3.26 of the week - Charles Milesi picking up from his strong morning showing with a 3:26.990 in the #35 A424. The #12 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac, still sore after being pipped at the post in the morning, backed up its earlier pace, edging the order to the tune of 3:26.853 at the end of the first hour.&nbsp;

A brief Full Course Yellow at the start of the second hour was launched to clear some on track debris, but shortly after, the #007 Aston Martin Valkyrie deployed operation &#39;licence to thrill&#39; by giving the British fans a moment to cheer as Harry Tincknell went fastest with a 3:26.293 in the V12 machine.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After the disaster in the first session - the #8 Toyota TR010 Hybrid which made contact with two slower cars to bring out the red flag - bounced back this afternoon as Kiwi Brendon Hartley showed his hand to also join the 3.26 club. While the&nbsp;#12 Hertz Team JOTA Cadillac and #35 Alpine were the only other cars to go under 3.27.&nbsp;

The brand-new for 2026 Genesis GMR-001-Hypercar continued to find its feet at Circuit de la Sarthe, with the South Korean manufacturer&nbsp;finding&nbsp;almost a second in performance in one session alone - with the #15 car just ahead of the #17.

<h2>LMP2</h2>

Nielsen Racing with Edward Perason at the controls came out of the traps quickest in LMP2 with AF Corse right in the wheel-tracks. AF Corse turned the screw at the end of the first hour to leapfrog themselves back to the top for most of the session. However, it was the #28 IDEC Sport&nbsp;car produced the late, late show with a time&nbsp;that went fastest at the fall of the flag &nbsp;- 3:35.344&nbsp;the final marker ahead of #14 TDS Racing and&nbsp;#183 AF Corse in a breakaway front three. 
 
ELMS frontrunners Forestier Racing by Panis showed a turn of speed to nestle themselves in fourth ahead of&nbsp;Doriane Pin&#39;s Duqueine Team in fifth.

A brief Full Course Yellow at the start of the second hour was launched when the #44 Proton Competition car visited the gravel - thankfully there was no damage to the Felbermayr-liveried machine and it was able to resume, shaking out the gravel on the apron on the way up to the Goodyear Bridge.

<h2>LMGT3</h2>

Sean Gelael pushed his BMW M4 LMGT3 Evo run by Team WRT to the front in the early stages but the #91 Manthey DK Engineering Porsche would get into its stride and blast into the 3.56 window with a 3:36.655 early doors - dragging the #33 Corvette run by TF Sport with it - just two tenths behind. Leaving it later than last time, the Vista AF Corse team were on a roll with the #54 machine topping the session for the Maranello marque.&nbsp;#91 Manthey DK Engineering Porsche ran them hard... very hard - just a hundredth between them as the #33 TF Sport Corvette made it three manufacturers in the top three.

And finally, in Free Practice 2, all 62 cars went underneath the magic four-minute marker for the first time as every team gathered their confidence and pace behind the wheel on the opening day here at Le Mans.

<h2>Talking Points&hellip;</h2>

All eyes are on the defending champions the #83 AF Corse team. The bright yellow machine helped carry AF Corse to the honour of first privateer team to win the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in 19 years last year. 2025 Le Mans winner Phil Hanson spoke ahead of the Test Day, underlining the importance of the race, and whether things are any different coming into the 2026 edition now as a race winner.

&ldquo;In the approach, nothing is different, you prepare like any race, but when you come back, it&#39;s special and it brings back all the special memories - they all come flooding back. Le Mans is the highlight of the year regardless of what happened 12 months ago, and it&#39;s a race I always look forward to. It&rsquo;s a privilege to represent a brand such as Ferrari - with the history it has. The Tifosi travel the globe, and no matter where you are in the world, the pressure is there, but the support is always incredible to go with it, and you really feel that here at Le Mans - and that is special as a driver.&rdquo;

Top 5 Classification :

1. Aston Martin Valkyrie #007 Aston Martin THOR Team &ndash; Harry Tincknell / Tom Gamble / Ross Gun - 3:26.293 
2. Toyota GR010 Hybrid #8 Toyota Gazoo Racing &ndash; S&eacute;bastien Buemi / Brendon Hartley / Ryo Hirakawa - 3:26.401 
3. Cadillac V-Series.R #12 Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA &ndash; Louis Del&eacute;traz / Will Stevens / Norman Nato - 3:26.853 
4. Alpine A424 #35 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix Da Costa / Charles Milesi / Ferdinand Habsburg - 3:26.938 
5. Alpine A424 #36 Alpine Endurance Team &ndash; Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Makowiecki / Jules Gounon / Victor Martins - 3:27.017 
 
Fastest times in the LMP2 and LMGT3 categories:

<ul>
	<li>LMP2: Oreca 07-Gibson #28 IDEC Sport &ndash; Paul Lafargue / Valerio Rinicella / Job Van Uitert - 3:35.344</li>
	<li>LMGT3: Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo #54 Vista AF Corse &ndash; Thomas Flohr / Francesco Castellacci / Davide Rigon - 3:56.646&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&gt;&gt;&gt;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/results/2026" target="_blank">Find the complete results</a> &lt;&lt;&lt;

 
The 62 cars that make up the 24 Hours of Le Mans grid will next hit the track on Wednesday 10th June with Free Practice 1 in the afternoon and Free Practice 2 in the evening - providing drivers the chance to acclimatise to driving these high-performance cars at night. A spectacle we cannot wait for! Join us then for all the action.

Advantage Aston Martin in second Free Practice session at Le Mans Test Day

4 Heures d'Estoril 2016

Though as a general rule&nbsp;fields tend to taper off as a season unfolds, that&#39;s certainly not the case this year in the&nbsp;ELMS which continues to be packed. This&nbsp;includes&nbsp;the&nbsp;LM P3 class even though some titles are&nbsp;already in the bag for&nbsp;United Autosports and the trio Alex Brundle, Mike Guasch and&nbsp;Christian England.

In the other two classes, fans and&nbsp;spectators await the final outcome&nbsp;even though JMW Motorsport&#39;s&nbsp;Ferrari - driven by&nbsp;Andrea Bertolini (winner in the LM GTE Am class at the 2015&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans), Rob Smith and&nbsp;Rory Butcher - has the&nbsp;advantage with a&nbsp;20-point&nbsp;lead in&nbsp;LM GTE.

In LM P2, the head class, Thiriet by TDS Racing&nbsp;has the momentum to triumph&nbsp;again&nbsp;like in&nbsp;2012 thanks to&nbsp;Mathias Beche, &quot;lent&quot; by&nbsp;Rebellion Racing and&nbsp;Pierre Thiriet since&nbsp;their teammate&nbsp;Ryo Hirakawa could not compete for the title after having missed a race.

The start of the 4 Hours of&nbsp;Estoril, which will become the&nbsp;4 Hours of Portimao next year, will be given on Sunday, October&nbsp;23rd at 1:30 p.m. in the U.K.

<a href="http://europeanlemansseries.com/web/assets/PDF/2016/01-Entry-List/ELMS-entry-list-ESTORIL.pdf">Entry List</a>

Photo: After the&nbsp;4 Hours of&nbsp;Spa-Francorchamps, the 4 Hours of Estoril will conclude the&nbsp;2016 season.

ELMS - A full field for a Portuguese finale in style

Related News

Check out the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans Spotter Guide

2026 24 Hours of Le Mans: the low-down on the Genesis Magma Racing Hypercar

24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day: 6 numbers for 2026

Advantage Aston Martin in second Free Practice session at Le Mans Test Day

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