2026 European Le Mans Series Prologue: Delétraz Leads Opening Session in Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain – Louis Delétraz of AO by TF clocked the fastest time in the opening session of the 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) Prologue, held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The record 47-car field took to the track together for the first time, with Delétraz setting a blistering 1:29.120 in the #99 ORECA 07 – Gibson, a mark that remained unbeaten throughout the four-hour session.

Pietro Fittipaldi, driving the #10 Vector Sport ORECA, finished second overall and as the best LMP2 competitor, posting a 1:29.349, just 0.229 seconds off Delétraz’s leading pace. Esteban Masson in the #29 Forestier Racing by Panis ORECA secured third, followed closely by Malthe Jakobsen (#20 Algarve Pro Racing) and Alex Quinn (#27 Nielsen Racing).

The top ten was rounded out by entries from IDEC Sport, TDS Racing, Proton Competition, Inter Europol Competition, and AF Corse, demonstrating strong competition among LMP2 and LMP2 Pro/Am teams.

In LMP3, Wyatt Brichacek led the way for DKR Engineering, recording a 1:38.476 in the new Ligier JS P325 – Toyota. Just 0.049 seconds separated the top three, with Lenny Ried (#31 Racing Spirit of Leman) and Matteo Quintarelli (#8 Team Virage) finishing close behind.

In the LMGT3 category, High Class Racing’s #54 Porsche 911 GT3 R saw Laurin Heinrich claim the top spot with a time of 1:41.400, despite the car contributing to two of the seven red flags during the session. Defending champion TF Sport’s #33 Corvette was second, 0.710 seconds slower, while United Autosports’ McLaren captured the third spot.

The session was marked by multiple disruptions, including incidents involving High Class Racing and the #75 Proton Competition Porsche. Despite challenges, DKR Engineering completed the most laps, totaling 101, while Racing Spirit of Leman topped the lap count in LMP3 with 72.

Track activity will continue this afternoon, with an additional five hours of running scheduled, promising further competition and insights as teams prepare for the upcoming season.

Summary of Results:

• LMP2 Top 5:

  1. 99 AO by TF – Louis Delétraz: 1:29.120

  2. 10 Vector Sport – Pietro Fittipaldi: 1:29.349

  3. 29 Forestier Racing – Esteban Masson

  4. 20 Algarve Pro Racing – Malthe Jakobsen

  5. 27 Nielsen Racing – Alex Quinn

• LMP3 Top 5:

  1. 4 DKR Engineering – Wyatt Brichacek: 1:38.476

  2. 31 Racing Spirit of Leman – Lenny Ried

  3. 8 Team Virage – Matteo Quintarelli

• LMGT3 Top 5:

  1. 54 High Class Racing – Laurin Heinrich: 1:41.400

  2. 33 TF Sport – Charlie Eastwood

  3. 23 United Autosports – Wayne Boyd

Notable Issues:

• Multiple red flags, including incidents from High Class Racing and Proton Competition.
• DKR Engineering’s #3 ORECA led in lap count with 101 laps completed, demonstrating a strong performance despite setbacks.

The Prologue sets an exciting stage for the forthcoming ELMS season, showcasing competitive spirit and driver skill on European circuits. Further updates will follow as track action unfolds.