2026 Le Mans Cup Opener: Dominance from R-ace GP and Chaotic Battle for Podium
R-ace GP’s #85 Duqueine D09 secured a commanding victory at the opening round of the 2026 Le Mans Cup, held at the Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya. The duo of Danial Frost and Enzo Peugeot, starting from the pole, exhibited flawless performance, finishing eight seconds ahead of their nearest competitor.
“It was a clear air start, which allowed us to protect our lead and push forward confidently,” commented Frost. “Pole and the race win is a very strong start for us.”
The anticipated 1-2 finish for R-ace GP was threatened by Colin Queen of 23Events Racing, who charged from outside the podium positions to claim second place, demonstrating impressive pace in the closing laps. R-ace GP’s #86 Duqueine rounded out the podium for a double finish, while Brutal Fish Camps Racing’s #19 Ligier and the #29 Forestier Racing Ligier completed the top five.
The race experienced numerous incidents, particularly in the early stages, leading to multiple safety car deployments. Notably, AF Corse’s Alessandro Cozzi faced a challenging outing; penalties resulted from contact with both the Code Racing Development Aston Martin and the Biogas Ferrari, putting him out of contention.
In the LMP3 Pro/Am category, Bretton Racing’s #63 Ligier claimed victory after a promising start was marred for the pole-sitting Inter Europol JS P325, which ultimately fell to fifth. Rinaldi Racing’s #66 Ligier and Racing Spirit of Leman’s #24 finished second and third, respectively.
In the GT3 class, Racing Spirit of Leman’s #10 Aston Martin triumphed, aided by strong performances from Philipp Sager and Valentin Haase Clot. The race concluded in chaotic fashion, with a post-race penalty affecting Dinamic GT’s Porsche, relegating it to second after contact with Kessel Racing’s #17 Ferrari led to a late crash.
Kessel’s misfortune allowed SMC Motorsport’s #77 McLaren to improve to third, followed by the #88 AF Corse Ferrari and a heavily penalized #51 Ferrari that salvaged a fifth-place finish.
The championship continues at Circuit Paul Ricard on May 2nd, promising further competitive action as teams seek to establish their place in the early standings.
