At ACO, history is as important as the future, which is why we are delighted to announce that Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich will be joining us as a consultant this year. The former racing director of Audi, who led his team to 13 victories will be sharing his wealth of sporting, marketing and technical experience with the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA WEC.

Peugeot has learned a LOT after this mixed bag 2025 season. The 9X8 is improving, the team is restructuring and the goal is crystal clear: to place the French carmaker firmly at the top of the FIA ​​WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans next year.

Though this season&#39;s results failed to meet&nbsp;the Peugot TotalEnergies team&#39;s expectations, things are looking up. The French&nbsp;constructeur is gearing up for the 2026 FIA World Endurance&nbsp;Championship (FIA WEC) by&nbsp;pushing&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-peugeot-9x8-under-the-microscope-has-the-lion-sharpened-its-claws-59722" target="_blank">9X8</a>&nbsp;to become a real contender in&nbsp;2026.

<h2>Joker on Deck</h2>

After positive performances at the end of the 2024 season, including a podium at the&nbsp;Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, Peugeot headed into&nbsp;2025 looking to convert the momentum into more concrete&nbsp;results. Former&nbsp;Stellantis Motorsport Senior Vice-President Jean-Marc Finot:&nbsp;Now, we need to find a little more performance.&nbsp;The marque&nbsp;had already approved the use of a suspension-focused Joker as early as the Qatar 1812 km, a crucial decision toward improving&nbsp;the competitiveness of the 9X8.

For its&nbsp;2025 campaign, Peugeot fielded two&nbsp;9X8s: the&nbsp;#93&nbsp;entrusted to&nbsp;Paul di Resta, Mikkel Jensen and&nbsp;Jean-&Eacute;ric Vergne, and the&nbsp;#94 to&nbsp;Lo&iuml;c Duval, Malthe Jakobsen and&nbsp;Stoffel Vandoorne. The off-season was productive thanks to two testing sessions and efforts to improve reliability.

<h2>LetDown at the&nbsp;24 Hours Despite Daring Strategy</h2>

Peugeot seemed on an upward trajectory arriving&nbsp;at the 93rd&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans. The preparation was solid and&nbsp;the dynamic positive with a renewed sense of confidence.&nbsp;Everything pointed to&nbsp;a successful outcome, but the race had other plans. Peugeot TotalEnergies opted for a two-pronged strategy: take advantage of in-race&nbsp;opportunities and maximise stints, even doing&nbsp;triple&nbsp;stints on the same set of tyres. With&nbsp;13 laps per stint (one more than the competition), the objective was to gain a pit stop over the course of the race, though it meant sacrificing a few tenths of a second per lap. It was a gutsy plan that was working right up until circumstance&nbsp;jeopardised everything.

On the heels of a long stretch in&nbsp;the top 10, the&nbsp;#94&nbsp;was undermined by a spin-out after&nbsp;contact with another car. Despite the determination of&nbsp;Duval, Jakobsen and&nbsp;Vandoorne, it finished 12th, trailing the winning&nbsp;Ferrari by three laps. The&nbsp;#93 saw its race upended in the first hours. leaving the&nbsp;track to avoid an out of control GT3 in the Porsche Corners, then undergoing&nbsp;repairs&nbsp;to both the front and rear of the car, followed by a steering problem later in the evening. The setbacks cost the #93&nbsp;about 10&nbsp;minutes. Yet, di Resta, Jensen, and Vergne persevered&nbsp;and&nbsp;went on to secure&nbsp;a well-deserved 17th place finish.

Former Peugeot Sport Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie: Peugeot TotalEnergies turned in an impressive performance, with very few mistakes unlike some of our competitors who were frequently penalised.&nbsp;To achieve a respectable result here, we needed to be flawless. The engineers, mechanics and&nbsp;drivers came close to perfection.&nbsp;Bravo to everyone.&nbsp;The most important thing is to maintain this level of commitment; it will pay off in the end.

<h2>Encouraging Late Season</h2>

After the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans, Peugeot righted the ship with third place for the&nbsp;#94 at&nbsp;Lone Star Le Mans in&nbsp;Austin and&nbsp;second place for the&nbsp;#93 at the&nbsp;6 Hours of&nbsp;Fuji, the best result in the&nbsp;9X8&#39;s history. The French marque ended the season in&nbsp;seventh place in the FIA Endurance Hypercar Constructors Championship just ahead of&nbsp;Aston Martin. Finot:&nbsp;The potential is definitely there, and we can&rsquo;t wait to show it in 2026.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;2026 season could be a real turning point for the team. The retirement of&nbsp;Jean-Marc Finot has kicked off a new era. On&nbsp;31 January, Jansonnie will take his place at the helm of&nbsp;Stellantis Motorsport. The appointment was a logical choice&nbsp;given his&nbsp;intimate knowledge of&nbsp;the DNA and potential of the 9X8 programme.

Two driver changes are shaping preparations for next year.&nbsp;After a year serving as a reserve driver, Th&eacute;o Pourchaire has been given a seat in the&nbsp;#94 alongside&nbsp;Duval and&nbsp;Jakobsen, and 2023-2024 Formula E runner-up&nbsp;Nick Cassidy will add to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/team-peugeot-totalenergies-full-season-and-development-drivers-confirmed-for-2026-60135" target="_blank">French squad&#39;s</a>&nbsp;pure speed.

With this internal restructuring&nbsp;and strengthened line-up,&nbsp;Peugeot&nbsp;clearly aims to rise to&nbsp;a new level by&nbsp;clinching its first win in the&nbsp;FIA WEC, like Alpine and&nbsp;Cadillac did in&nbsp;2025, and add a fourth victory at the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans to its track record after those secured in&nbsp;1992, 1993 and&nbsp;2009. Will&nbsp;2026 finally be the year of the Lion?

Peugeot: is 2026 the year the dream comes true?

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), organizer of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, today announced a series of transformative developments aimed at elevating the fan experience at one of the world’s most iconic motorsport events in partnership with Goodyear.

These enhancements are designed to enrich the atmosphere and accessibility of the 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend and reflect the ACO&rsquo;s ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence following several record-breaking editions of the race.

In partnership with Goodyear, a brand synonymous with racing, the ACO will introduce a refreshed presence at the circuit for the iconic brand starting in 2026. This follows Goodyear&rsquo;s announcement of a strengthened Global Racing organization and a renewed focus on endurance racing as a core platform for technology development.

These updates include:

<ul>
	<li>The inauguration of a Goodyear-branded bridge, built on the structure of the current Dunlop Bridge</li>
	<li>A full upgrade of the Goodyear Racing Club, located at the end of the first straight</li>
	<li>Renovation of the Goodyear Grandstand, adjacent to the ACO museum, as well as the Indianapolis Curve</li>
</ul>

To honor the legacy of the Dunlop Bridge, the ACO and Goodyear will donate a heritage collection of Dunlop Bridge memorabilia to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum, preserving its historic significance for future generations.

These changes reflect the ACO&rsquo;s stewardship of the Le Mans circuit and its assets, ensuring that every enhancement aligns with its vision for the future of endurance racing.

St&eacute;phane Andriolo, Head of Clients and Events, Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest, commented: &quot;Le Mans is more than a race &ndash; it&rsquo;s a global celebration of motorsport heritage and innovation. With these new developments, we are reaffirming our commitment to delivering an unforgettable experience for fans and participants alike. The partnership with Goodyear allows us to honor the past while embracing the future of endurance racing.&quot;

<h2>Goodyear&rsquo;s enduring legacy and future-focused strategy</h2>

Goodyear&rsquo;s involvement in Le Mans is a cornerstone of its broader racing strategy, which aims to fuel innovation, amplify brand impact, and drive strategic growth across the company. With a legacy spanning over a century, Goodyear has achieved 14 overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 368 Formula One Grand Prix wins, and has over 70 years of success in NASCAR.

In 2023, Goodyear introduced the first in-tire, pre-cure, real-time tire intelligence capability at Le Mans in partnership with NASCAR&rsquo;s Garage 56 entry, showcasing its commitment to pioneering technologies in racing.

The year 2025 marks two major milestones for Goodyear: the 60th anniversary of its first win at Le Mans and the 45th anniversary of the Eagle tire brand. These celebrations coincide with a renewed commitment to racing and the beginning of a new chapter at Le Mans.

Xavier Fraipont, vice president, Global Racing for Goodyear, added: &quot;Le Mans is the highlight of the endurance racing calendar and a cornerstone of Goodyear&rsquo;s racing legacy. As we celebrate 45 years of the Eagle brand and 60 years since our first Le Mans win, we&rsquo;re proud to deepen our partnership with the ACO. The enhanced brand presence at the circuit reflects our future-focused strategy and our passion for innovation in racing.&quot;

ACO and Goodyear Announce Strategic Enhancements to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Experience

Competing in the LMGT3 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship including the 24 Hours of Le Mans since 2024, the Ford Mustang GT3 has been upgraded for the coming campaign. The aim is clear – improved performance, greater consistency and smoother drivability.

The Ford Mustang GT3 has entered a new phase of its development. Ford has been working in the background for the last two years to optimise a car that has already showed winning credentials on the world stage. The engineers have honed key areas to produce a more competitive package, offering greater stability and versatility.

Ford has opted for an evolution rather than a total revamp. The Mustang GT3 remains loyal to over 60 years of racing history by retaining its identity while leveraging the lessons learned from race programmes all over the world. The US manufacturer&rsquo;s aims were to produce an increasingly competitive car for all categories of driver and on all types of track, from the twists and turns of Laguna Seca to the long straights of the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans.

<h2>Increased downforce</h2>

The first major area of development was the Mustang GT3&rsquo;s aerodynamics. The objective was to increase downforce and improve efficiency through several visible changes, including the addition of double dive planes. These appendages significantly increase front-end downforce while making the car less sensitive to ride-height variations.

The front splitter and rear diffuser have also been revised to reinforce the overall stability of the platform: a key point in ensuring more consistent performance across different tracks and stimulating driver confidence on long stints.

The aero package is the result of countless hours in the wind tunnel and on various tracks around the world, from Portim&atilde;o and Laguna Seca to Watkins Glen.

<h2>A more stable, more drivable platform</h2>

To derive maximum benefit from these aerodynamic improvements, Ford Racing has naturally revised the Mustang GT3&rsquo;s front and rear kinematics. Engineers have worked on key characteristics such as anti-dive and camber gain to improve the car&rsquo;s dynamic behaviour.

The adjustments are also designed to help the team to get the most out of the various tyre compounds used, while reinforcing overall chassis stability. Vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics have thus been developed in unison to ensure consistent overall performance.

<h2>Improved brake durability and efficiency</h2>

The final component of the evolution is braking. Developed in partnership with Ford&rsquo;s historic supplier Brembo, the Mustang GT3 adopts a solution offering even greater performance and durability. Reliability is a crucial element of endurance racing, especially in the 24-hour races at Le Mans, Daytona, Spa-Francorchamps and the N&uuml;rburgring.

Testing has shown gains in braking efficiency and peak deceleration which will be especially precious in the sprint formats in DTM and the GT World Challenge. The improved brake package is a decisive move to remain competitive in every race configuration.

The Evolution of Mustang GT3 | Ford Racing

L'évolution de la Ford Mustang GT3

<h2>A sharper Mustang GT3</h2>

The recent tests at Sebring and Daytona capped off a rigorous development programme for the Mustang GT3 evolution and confirmed the progress made in pure performance, consistency and drivability. After a learning year in 2024 and an upward trajectory marked by 14 global victories in 2025, the Mustang GT3 heads into 2026 with unbridled ambition.

Two cars are entered in the FIA World Endurance Championship by Proton Competition. For the Ford Mustang GT3&rsquo;s first 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2024, the German outfit&rsquo;s #88 entry finished third in class, a fraction ahead of its sister car. With the evolution, an LMGT3 victory is surely the aim for 2026.

Ford Mustang GT3 – a major evolution introduced for 2026

The European Le Mans Series will feature the largest ever grid of 47 cars, with 11 LMP2, 12 LMP2 Pro/Am, 10 LMP3 and 14 LMGT3 cars ready to do battle on six of Europe’s most challenging circuits.

The LMP2 category is filled with the very best team and driver talent from around the world.

2025 LMP2 Champions Panis Racing will team up with Forestier Racing for the 2026 season and will be known as Forestier Racing by Panis.

2025 Vice Champions, and 24 Hours of Le Mans class winners Jakub Smiechowski, Tom Dillmann and Nick Yelloly return with Inter Europol Competition, with the Polish team fielding a second car in the class once again.

IDEC Sport will once again run a two-car squad in LMP2 with one car in partnership with Genesis Magma Racing, while 2023 champions Algarve Pro Racing will field a single Oreca-Gibson in the top class.

Reigning LMP3 champions Theodor Jensen and Adrien Closmenil move up to LMP2 with the team they won the title in 2025 in dominant style, CLX Motorsport.

Proton Competition will field a single LMP2 entry with Jonas Ried, while United Autosports, Vector Sport and Nielsen Racing will also all run a single car to complete the 11 strong LMP2 field.

<h2>LMP2 Pro/Am: 12 Cars for 2026</h2>

LMP2 Pro/Am grid will grow from 8 to 12 cars in 2026, with reigning champions AO by TF fielding an unchanged driver line up of PJ Hyett, Dane Cameron and Louis Del&eacute;traz, with the Swiss driver going for his fifth ELMS title.

2024 Champions AF Corse also return with multiple title holder Fran&ccedil;ois Perrodo also returning once again to try and regain his crown.

Algarve Pro Racing will also run a single car in the LMP2 Pro/Am category with former champion and Peugeot Hypercar driver Malthe Jakobsen making a welcome return to the ELMS.

British team Vector Sport are running a second Oreca 07, with the no7 LMP2 Pro/Am entry featuring Pietro Fittipaldi.

Double Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 Champion Jean Glorieux will make his ELMS LMP2 Pro/Am debut with DKR Engineering, while class front runners, and former LMP2 Champions, TDS Racing will also run a single entry in the category.

Reigning LMP2 Pro/Am Vice Champions Nielsen Racing will race with Alex Quinn in 2026. United Autosports will enter a single car in the class, with an unchanged driver line up from 2025 of Mario Sato, Oliver Jarvis and Daniel Schneider.

UAE flagged team Rossa Racing by Virage joins the ELMS grid, with former LMP2 Pro/Am and LMP3 champion John Falb being joined by Manuel Espirito Santo and Rik Koen in the no19 Oreca-Gibson.

Reigning LMP2 Champion Charles Milesi joins Felipe Fraga and Georgios Kolovos at CLX Motorsport, while qualifying specialist Giorgio Roda will race the no30 Duqueine Team Oreca-Gibson. Father-Son duo Horst Felbermayr and Horst Felix Felbermayr will race the no88 Proton Competition entry and rounds off the 12-strong grid in LMP2 Pro/Am.

<h2>LMP3: Showcase for Emerging Driver Talent</h2>

The LMP3 grid will feature 10 cars for the 2026 season and is packed with young drivers looking to make their mark in highest levels of endurance racing. The field features nine Ligier JS P325-Toyotas and one Duqueine D09, run by reigning Michelin Le Mans Cup champions R-ace GP.

Reigning champions CLX Motorsport will defend their title once again, the Swiss team entering a single car for Brazilians Alexander Jacoby and Bruno Ribeiro.

Former class champions DKR Engineering will run a Ligier JS P325 for the first time in 2026 after switching from Ginetta in 2025. Romain Favre and Antti Rammo will race for the Luxembourg flagged team.

Former champions Eurointernational will enter a single car with race winner Matthew Richard Bell racing with Belgium&rsquo;s Douwe Dedecker. Long time supporters of the LMP3 category Ultimate return with Matthieu Lahaye being named as the lead driver once again.

Rinaldi racing, Team Virage, Racing Spirit of L&eacute;man and M Racing will each run a single car to complete the 10-car grid that will be seen in Barcelona in April.

<h2>LMGT3: Six Manufacturers Represented on 14-Car Grid</h2>

2025 LMGT3 Champions TF Sport will also return to defend their hard-won title with a single Corvette Z06 LMGT3.R for Blake McDonald and Matthew Bell.

The Corvette is one of six manufacturers represented on the grid in 2026, with six Ferrari 296 EVO LMGT3s, three Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3s, two Mercedes-AMG LMGT3s, one McLaren 720S LMGT3 Evo and one Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3.

Iron Lynx will run a pair of Mercedes-AMGs with the no62 car running the Qatari colours of the QMMF and driven by Abdulla Ali Al-Khelaifi.

Multiple ELMS Champions Proton Competition will run a pair of 911s, with the no91 Porsche being driven by 2024 MLMC GT3 Champion Matthew Kurzejewski. The third Porsche will race under the High Class Racing banner, with Iceland&rsquo;s Audunn Gudmundsson being named as the first driver.

United Autosports will run a single McLaren 720S with an unchanged driver line up from the 2025 season of Wayne Boyd, Garnet Patterson and Michael Birch. Cl&eacute;ment Mateu and Valentin Hasse Clot will be joined by Marius Fossard in the Racing Spirit of L&eacute;man Aston Martin Vantage.

Reigning LMGT3 Vice Champion Custodio Toledo returns with Richard Mille AF Corse in the no50 Ferrari 296 EVO. ELMS Race winner Duncan Cameron also returns with the no55 Spirit of Race 296 EVO LMGT3.

AF Corse and GR Racing will run a single Ferrari for two long standing competitors in the ELMS, Charles-Henri Samani in the no51 296 EVO LMGT3 and Michael Wainwright in the no86 Ferrari.

Kessel Racing will enter a pair of Ferrari 296s, with Japan&rsquo;s Takeshi Kimura in the no57 entry and Andrew Gilbert in the no74 296 EVO.

<a href="https://storage.googleapis.com/doc-prod/RBkfPvHxFWWwg2NIUosSlPHC.pdf" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>&nbsp;to view the provisional entry list for the 2026 European Le Mans Series.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l&rsquo;Ouest:&nbsp;&ldquo;The 2026 European Le Mans Series entry list underlines the championship&rsquo;s outstanding vitality and its central role within the endurance racing pyramid. A record grid of 47 cars, strong representation across all categories and a compelling mix of established teams and new contenders once again highlight the ELMS as a benchmark platform for performance, competition and driver development. This level of commitment from teams and manufacturers is a clear sign of the championship&rsquo;s appeal, and we look forward to another highly competitive and exciting season, starting in Barcelona.&rdquo;

Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Lequien, CEO of Le Mans Endurance Management:&nbsp;&quot;The 2026 European Le Mans Series will see the largest ever entry, with a huge grid of 47 cars. We are extremely pleased to see this important championship reach new heights and attract the best teams and drivers from around the world.

&ldquo;LMP2 stands out, with a total of 23 cars across the two categories, with 11 cars for LMP2 and 12 in LMP2 Pro/Am. With six brands once again in LMGT3 and the Toyota powered LMP3 cars providing the perfect platform for emerging driver talent, it is no wonder that teams and drivers want to compete in the ELMS.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;d like to extend a warm welcome to both the teams and drivers who are returning to the ELMS and to those who will make their series debut in Barcelona. We can&rsquo;t wait for 2026 and the first race in April.&rdquo;

The six-round 2026 European Le Mans Series will start at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday 12th&nbsp;April, with visits to Le Castellet, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone before concluding in Portim&atilde;o in October.

A milestone 47-car grid for the 2026 ELMS season

Now retired from Audi, Dr. Ullrich is honoured to be working with the ACO : &quot;I enjoyed working with the ACO as team manager. Today&rsquo;s collaboration adds another dimension to the healthy relationship we have built up over the years. I&rsquo;m proud to take on this role and look forward to giving back to a discipline which gave me so much as a competitor.&quot;

24H LE MANS

Wolfgang Ullrich, the man with 13 successes, joins the Automobile Club de l'Ouest

Related News

Peugeot: is 2026 the year the dream comes true?

ACO and Goodyear Announce Strategic Enhancements to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Experience

Ford Mustang GT3 – a major evolution introduced for 2026

A milestone 47-car grid for the 2026 ELMS season

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