It’s now that sad time of year when we see many race series and championships come to their natural conclusion with both the ACO rules European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup Series no different as they both travel down to Portugal for their final races of the year.
Round six of their 2026 seasons sees a forty-four car, multi-class grid travel down to the Autodromo Do Algarve near Portimao for their final four-hour race alongside the LMP3/GT3 powered grid of the Le Mans Cup Series who will see off their final two hour race with their forty-seven strong grid.
As far as Aston Martin Racing powered teams are concerned, the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage LMGT3 has again been the sole full season representative for the British marque within the series this season but even that hasn’t come easy for the team with multiple driver changes forced upon them.
Starting the year with a driver crew line up of Clement Mateu, Valentin Hasse-Clot and Marius Fossard – all went ‘well’ as far as racing was concerned whilst the results may not have been preferable until the third round of the season from Imola.
After that, Mateu stepped away from the team and series citing family reasons (always a very valid point) but hoping to be back as and when situations changed and for the next round of the season from Spa Francorchamps, his and Hasse-Clot's (who was committed to IMSA that weekend) places within the team-were taken up by both Anthony McIntosh and Parker Thompson but as just a one-off entry.
Next time and last time out at Silverstone, the crew was back to Fossard and Hasse-Clot but this time with fellow countryman François Heriau joining the #59 car for what turned out to be another ‘difficult’ round to the season.
However, that has all gone full circle now as Mateu has confirmed his immediate return to the car and team in time for this seasonal finale from Portimao that features both a maximum grid entry size within a series that still has all of its available class championship titles up for grabs. The #59 crew of whatever combination is already massively out of championship contention this season so this race will be all about pride and just what come into play for them all next season.
Track action begins on Thursday with the first of two Free Practice and bronze driver sessions over that day and the next before class qualifying on Friday before the final race is waved off at 14:30hrs local on Saturday.
Group photo credit - Team
