APEX RACEWIRE Newsroom
Asian Le Mans Series Pulls Maximum 47-Car Grid for European Winter Campaign
A sold-out 47-car grid spanning three classes will contest the 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series across six races hosted entirely in Europe.
By Michael de Vries - 2026-10-01T13:00:00.000Z - 3 min read
The upcoming 2026/27 Asian Le Mans Series entry list has reached its absolute capacity with 47 full-season entries confirmed across three distinct categories. Organisers announced that the unique winter campaign will feature six four-hour races staged exclusively in Europe. The maximum capacity of the participating circuits dictated the hard cap on entries, limiting the field to the spaces available at Circuit Paul Ricard, the Circuito de Jerez, and the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
A major headline for the upcoming season is the debut of the Hypercar class, which features a pair of Ferrari 499P entries. Cetilar Racing steps up to the top tier with father and son Roberto and Nicola Lacorte sharing driving duties alongside 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Antonio Fuoco in the number 47 car. They are joined by a second Ferrari fielded under AF Corse colors, driven by Luis Perez Companc alongside Le Mans winners Yifei Ye and Nicklas Nielsen.
The LMP2 category maintains formidable strength with a 16-strong field that equals the record-breaking turnout from the previous season. Defending champions Crowdstrike Racing by APR return to protect their crown with Drivers' Champion George Kurtz leading the effort. Algarve Pro Racing will field two additional entries, while past title winners including Nielsen Racing and DKR Engineering also secure their places on the grid.
In the GT3 division, 29 cars representing eight different manufacturers form an exceptionally diverse sub-category. The massive manufacturer presence features machinery from Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche. Seasoned squads such as Manthey return with a pair of Porsche entries, while various international outfits bolster the multi-brand grid with GT3 Evolutions.
Automobile Club de l'Ouest President Pierre Fillon praised the robust entry list as a clear sign of confidence in endurance racing's core values. He noted that the introduction of Hypercars alongside established LMP2 and GT3 grids creates an ideal foundation for the upcoming winter championship. Fillon also highlighted the series' continued role as a trusted pathway toward the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Series CEO Frédéric Lequien acknowledged that ongoing security issues in the Middle East necessitated the unique temporary pivot to European circuits for this season. Despite the geographic shift, Lequien expressed satisfaction at seeing numerous teams and drivers from Asia make the journey to compete. He added that organisers actually received far more applications than the 47-car maximum could accommodate, forcing them to turn away interested competitors.
SRO Motorsports Group Founder and CEO Stéphane Ratel echoed those sentiments, pointing out that the championship has successfully reinforced its standing as the premier winter destination for sportscar racing. Ratel observed that the sold-out status of the grid validates the decision to temporarily relocate the calendar away from the Middle East amid regional uncertainty. The action kicks off next month with the opening rounds at Le Castellet.