European Le Mans Series 2026 | Ahead of the Portimão finale

Five rounds contested, three podium finishes, one pole position and one final destination on the horizon. After Barcelona, Le Castellet, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps and Silverstone, IDEC SPORT Racing is preparing for the final round of the 2026 European Le Mans Series season at Portimão. Before heading to Portugal, we look back at five races that have underlined the potential of both LMP2 cars, even when the final result has not always fully reflected the performance shown on track.

Barcelona: the #18 starts the season on the doorstep of the podium

The season gets underway in Barcelona with a race immediately disrupted by several incidents and a lengthy neutralisation. In that context, the #18 of Jamie Chadwick, Laurents Hörr and Valerio Rinicella delivers a solid performance to finish fourth, scoring valuable points from the outset.

For the #28, an off-track excursion followed by contact compromises the race for Paul Lafargue, Paul-Loup Chatin and Job Van Uitert, who finish tenth. The opening round nevertheless provides an early indication: the potential is there, but in such a closely fought championship, the smallest mistake comes at a high price.

Le Castellet: a first podium and both cars inside the top five

On home soil, IDEC SPORT Racing converts its potential into a result. The #28 gradually establishes itself inside the top five and, thanks to an effective strategy and strong stints, takes third place – the team’s first podium of the season.

The collective performance is equally significant for the #18. Penalised after qualifying and forced to start from the back of its class, the car fights its way through the field to finish fourth. IDEC SPORT is the only team to place both of its cars inside the top five.

Imola: the #18 once again in the fight for the podium

The third round at Imola confirms the competitiveness of the #18. Valerio Rinicella makes an excellent start in front of his home crowd before handing over to Jamie Chadwick and then Laurents Hörr. Despite the neutralisations and heavy traffic, the crew remains in contention for a podium throughout the race and takes the chequered flag in fourth place.

It is a more difficult weekend for the #28. An error early in the race quickly leaves the car two laps behind the leaders, making any recovery particularly challenging. Paul Lafargue, Paul-Loup Chatin and Job Van Uitert continue to push to the finish, however, gathering valuable lessons for the rounds ahead.

Spa: pole position and a first podium for the #18

At Spa-Francorchamps, the #18 delivers one of its most complete weekends of the season. Fastest in Free Practice 1, the car then takes pole position thanks to Valerio Rinicella and starts the 4 Hours of Spa from the front of the field.

The race is turned on its head by five Safety Car periods during the opening hour and a half. Jamie Chadwick, Laurents Hörr and Valerio Rinicella initially cross the line in fourth place before being promoted to third following a post-race penalty for Vector Sport. The #18 therefore secures its first ELMS podium.

Starting eleventh, the #28 finishes tenth after a race in which repeated neutralisations continually reshuffle the strategic picture.

Silverstone: the best result of the season

At Silverstone, rain turns the penultimate round into a race of constant adaptation. Starting seventh, the #28 steadily moves up the order and remains in touch with the leaders. As conditions evolve, the drivers, engineers and mechanics make the right calls at the right time.

Paul Lafargue, Paul-Loup Chatin and Job Van Uitert eventually take the chequered flag in second place. It is IDEC SPORT’s third podium of the season and the team’s best ELMS result of 2026.

For the #18, the scenario proves more difficult: contact at the start, a puncture and then a mistake in the rain disrupt what had promised to be a strong weekend. The crew finishes eleventh.

A season of performance, not always rewarded

After five rounds, the story is less one of linear progression than of a constant: both IDEC SPORT cars have regularly had the pace to run at the front.

The #28 has converted that competitiveness into two podium finishes, at Le Castellet and Silverstone. The #18, fourth in each of the first three rounds, finally turned its pace into a result at Spa with pole position and its first podium of the season.

Between incidents, penalties, neutralisations and races in which fine margins have shaped the outcome, the 2026 season has also highlighted the demands of endurance racing: performance alone is not enough. It has to be executed, converted into results and every opportunity seized.

A finale with everything still to play for

Barcelona, Le Castellet, Imola, Spa-Francorchamps, Silverstone: five circuits and five very different scenarios. With one round remaining, IDEC SPORT Racing has three podium finishes and one pole position to its name, shared across its two crews.

Beyond the results already achieved, however, Portimão still carries a significant championship stake.

With 52 points, the #18 of Jamie Chadwick, Laurents Hörr and Valerio Rinicella currently sits fourth in the LMP2 standings, just two points behind third-placed Algarve Pro Racing on 54. The battle is equally tight behind, with the #34 Inter Europol Competition on 51 points.

Fresh from its second-place finish at Silverstone, the #28 of Paul Lafargue, Paul-Loup Chatin and Job Van Uitert is seventh on 35 points, narrowly ahead of Vector Sport in eighth on 34 and Nielsen Racing in ninth on 33.

Everything remains to play for in the final round. After five events that have confirmed the ability of both IDEC SPORT Racing LMP2 cars to compete at the sharp end of the field, Portimão offers one final opportunity to convert that performance into results and end the 2026 season on a high.

See you in Portimão.