Forestier Racing by Panis Victorious in 4 Hours of Barcelona
Barcelona, Spain – Forestier Racing by Panis made an impressive start to the 2026 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season, clinching victory in the 4 Hours of Barcelona with the #29 ORECA 07 – Gibson. Drivers Louis Rousset, Oliver Gray, and Esteban Masson navigated a challenging race that saw three time penalties and multiple safety car periods but ultimately emerged triumphant.
Masson, who began the final stint in fourth position, executed a remarkable drive on fresher Goodyear tires. With 11 minutes remaining, he overtook Ben Hanley’s #22 United Autosports and Jack Doohan’s #24 Nielsen Racing in a single maneuver, swiftly closing in on Reshad De Gérus’ #34 Inter Europol Competition entry. With just nine minutes left, Masson passed De Gérus at Turn 4 and extended the lead to 13.398 seconds by the finish line.
De Gérus and teammate Bijoy Garg secured second place, while Hanley’s #22 entry rounded out the podium. Nielsen Racing faced misfortune; Doohan’s car suffered a suspension failure, dropping from fourth to seventh in the closing moments.
In the LMP2 Pro/Am category, the #20 Algarve Pro Racing ORECA, driven by Michael Jensen, Enzo Trulli, and Malthe Jakobsen, claimed victory after a fierce duel with the #30 Duqueine Team. A strategically shorter pit stop allowed Jakobsen to surge ahead. Subsequently, a post-race penalty for the #30 saw them relegated to third, with AF Corse’s #83 promoted to second.
Rinaldi Racing achieved victory in the LMP3 class with their #5 Ligier JS P325 – Toyota, driven by José Fernandes Cautela, Alvise Rodella, and Mikkel Gaarde Pedersen. Gaarde Pedersen crossed the line 11.881 seconds ahead of the #85 R-ace GP Duqueine D09, which had led the early stages, with the #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier completing the top three.
In LMGT3, the #75 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) triumphed, driven by Matt Kurzejewski, Richard Lietz, and Thomas Sargent. The pole-sitting #62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG had dominated the class until a late safety car bunched the field. Sargent’s decisive move past Adam Christodoulou with 33 minutes remaining secured the win by 3.004 seconds, despite a late charge from Garnet Patterson in the #23 United Autosports McLaren. The #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari secured third, while the Mercedes-AMG fell to fourth.
Next up, the 2026 season continues at Circuit Paul Ricard with the 4 Hours of Le Castellet on May 3rd.
End of Report
