So near yet so far from both a race win and championship hopes for two Aston Martin crews at Le Mans Cup yesterday

So near yet so far from both a race win and championship hopes for two Aston Martin crews at Le Mans Cup yesterday



Yesterday’s penultimate round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series from Silverstone certainly threw some metaphorical spanners within the works during that two-hour race that saw one Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 powered team potentially lose the class win whilst making for a very nervy final round of the championship as far as their title hopes go.

Friday saw two Free Practice and one bronze driver test ran within remarkably warm and dry track conditions (once the residual of Thursday’s overnight rain had burned away) leaving for some very pleasant conditions both on and off track for the combined LMP3 and GT3 grid entry of forty-four cars.


 

The #11 Code Racing Development entry had, however, seen a further driver crew change since the last round at Spa Francorchamps with Belgian racer Stephane Lemeret joining young Brit George King behind the wheel as he (King) continues his transition from small prototypes into the GT3 category.

The #91 Blackthorn AMR car of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning was also back and in one piece after their technical issues in Belgian alongside the then GT3 Championship leading #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car of Philipp Sager and Valentin Hasse-Clot. After a points blip in Belgium, with a decent points haul at Silverstone having the possibility of securing them the title one race early – other finishes dependent.


 

Going into Qualifying, pace had been good across the three Aston Martin’s so far but it would again be the #11 Code Racing Development AMR of Lemeret who would secure class pole position with the #91 Blackthorn car of Bovet an encouraging third but with Sager again struggling with the Silverstone layout in seventh.

With the Am drivers taking the start, the opening hour was at least warm and dry as (as usual) the dominant LMP3 based entry went about tripping over each other and restricting the early laps of racing with multiple yellow flag/Full Course Yellow incidents. Whilst Lemeret looked comfortable out front, Bovet was having an entertaining battle with those behind to maintain his third spot, but Sager’s race was already going badly as, having dropped to eighth on track – he got an early ten second time penalty at their stop for not following Race Control instructions at the start.


 

First half hour done and it was the first Safety Car period for both debris on track and for another LMP3 car stopped on track – something that negated Lemeret’s then 3.5 second lead in class. Once the race got going again, Sager was fortunate not to be collected by the LMP3 car that he had just pushed wide coming out of Becketts and onto the Hanger Straight next time around.

With a very restrictive ruleset on drivers minimum and maximum drive times, the natural slot for the compulsory stop was just before the hour where most (not all) had stopped for both new driver and (then) new slicks at the first availability. The #11 car held out for as long as they could before eventually pitting from P8 overall with King going out again on slicks. Then came the rain!!


 

At first at just around parts of the circuit before it became a deluge around all of it as those who had gone out again on slicks were forced to pit again for wets with the #11 car of King having an (unseen) off track experience to drop them down to fourth as a consequence. Ten minutes later – the rain was gone and the track was drying quickly again forcing most to return to pit lane for a third time for slicks again.

Pushing hard too quickly on those slicks saw another LMP3 go off into the gravel – something that elongated second Safety Car period leaving just a twenty-five-minute dash to the flag. For the #11 crew, their race winning hopes had been washed away in that rain as King could do no more than maintain their then P4 position to the end whilst Tom Canning was suffering similarly within his #91 Blackthorn car for a P7 finish in class.


 

For the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman drivers’ championship chasing crew – Silverstone became something of a nemesis for them again as they eventually finished two laps down in nineth. That saw their earlier points domination in class slashed to just five points going into that final round of the season from Portimao in a months’ time.

 

 

Sunday, September 13, 2026 | Read more...
Four Aston Martins amongst nearly one hundred cars as the ELMS and LMC rolls into Silverstone next weekend

Four Aston Martins amongst nearly one hundred cars as the ELMS and LMC rolls into Silverstone next weekend



With nearly one hundred multi-classed cars competing within two ACO rules series next weekend gives the destination of Silverstone as a mighty fine choice if you’re looking for something worthwhile to watch at not so bad a price.

The European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup Series are just part of next weekend’s racing line up as the two European series battle out their penultimate rounds of the season with forty-seven LMP2, LMP3 and LMGT3’s featuring within the ELMS event and further LMP3 and GT3 based cars within the LMC event.


 

Last time out within both series at Spa Francorchamps just three weeks ago we saw driver changes enforced up several of the four Aston Martin Racing powered team entries as both diary clashes and changes in personal circumstances too effect – as well as the effects of current motor racing pressures.

Within the ELMS, the #59 Racing Spirit of Lemans AMR Vantage LMGT3 had seen both Clement Mateu step away from the remainder of his envisaged 2026 racing programme with co-driver, Valentin Hasse-Clot also suffering from a diary clash with his ever-increasing IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship commitments leaving just Marius Fossard holding the fort.


 

In stepped both Anthony McIntosh and Parker Thompson to co drive the #59 car with Fossard in Belgian but having claimed class pole position, an unseen error/incident towards the end of McIntosh’s stint that saw the car nose-dived into the tire wall. Whilst the car was recovered to the circuit (relatively undamaged) the time and laps lost during that recover meant that their race was all but done as they eventually finished last in class and a lap down.

This time around for Silverstone, both Hasse-Clot and Fossard are back in the saddle and will be partnered by fellow Frenchman Francois Herieu – another bronze graded driver already well versed with the pressures of ACO rules racing within the FIA World Endurance Championship.


 

Then, within the Le Mans Cup Series we welcome back the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage GT3 of Philipp Sager and Valentin Hasse-Clot alongside the #11 Code Racing Development AMR of Pascal Huteau and Viny Beltramelli as well as the #91 Ecurie Ecosse by Blackthorn AMR of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning.

Again, Hasse-Clot was absent from this race in Spa as his place was taken by Fossard who, alongside Sager protected their championship lead by coming home fourth in class whilst the two debuting drivers within the #11 Code Racing developments entry claimed a much-deserved P3 podium finish at the first time of asking. The #91 crews run of bad luck within the series sadly continued as an apparent brake issue/fire forced Canning to stop on track whilst then running in a podium contending position for yet another DNF upon the timing and scoring screen.


 

Hopefully, all that incident and accident is now firmly behind then as the ELMS entry look forward to another four-hour race on Sunday with the LMC grid starting their penultimate two-hour race on Saturday.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

Friday, September 04, 2026 | Read more...
Code Racing Development secure their first Le Mans Cup podium finish after a totally chaotic visit to Spa Francorchamps

Code Racing Development secure their first Le Mans Cup podium finish after a totally chaotic visit to Spa Francorchamps

 


The fourth round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series has just concluded around the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium where the capacity LMP3 and GT3 based grid again provided another two hours of excitement – albeit of not all of it was entirely welcome and beneficial for those involved.

With torrential rain having blighted the circuit in the build-up to todays race, early rainfall again affected this morning’s qualifying process for the ten GT3 runners that again included the three from the Aston Martin Racing stable.


 

The #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning was the only one of the three not to have driver changes imposed upon them due to necessity as the GT3 Championship leading #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car had seen Pro driver Valentin Hasse-Clot otherwise detained this weekend in IMSA (with his place taken by ELMS team-mate Marius Fossard) alongside full season racer Philipp Sager. The Code Racing Development AMR had also seen a new crew of Pascal Huteau and Viny Beltramelli take charge within their #11 car for what is the third (?) driver change this season so far.

Qualifying was extremely wet for the GT3 field as they went out on track for the first time and their tentative nature to the situation went without surprise as it was again the gentleman drivers behind the wheel. A last lap lunge from Sager saw him lift himself up to P5 at the end with Huteau just being outdone by Bovet at the end as they picked up a P7 and P8 start for this afternoons race respectively.


 

With at least the track having dried out in time for the start of the race, the actual tone of the race was to be quickly set after the #51 Ferrari spun off heavily along the barrier at Les Combes, bring out the Safety Car for its first of too many interventions within the next two hours. Indeed, both the #11 and #91 Aston Martins were fortunate not to pick up damage from that spinning Ferrari as it came back across the track – forcing the #91 onto the grass and broadside relative to the direction of the circuit.

A 10–12-minute clean operation quietened the race before finally a wrath of LMP3 incidents for (usually) cars off track brought the Porsche Safety Car out again or a Full Course Yellow for a further three occasions before the end of the first hour with the #11 car running highest of the three Aston’s in 3rd, the #10 in 5th and the #91 in 8th in class.


 

With driver changes down across the classes at or about the hour mark, further race time was lost to further LMP3 related issues on track leaving little over half an hour left to go but the excitement was not over yet. A very over ambitious move by an LMP3 car (driven by a former F1 driver) with the #10 RSLM Aston Martin saw the #10 extremely fortunate to survive in a raceable state as the LMP3 first passed for track position being immediately over braking into a spin in front of it. Only pre-emptive anticipation from Fossard kept his car in the race and in the fourth place in class it was then running in behind the #11 Code Racing Development entry.

Further heartache would, however, come back to haunt the #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn entry with Canning at the wheel as (only a few minutes later) the #91 was seen to have stopped at the top of the circuit with black smoke pouring from the front quarter of the car with a suspected brake fire. Another Safety Car required for both that and the LMP3 car involved with the #10 RSLM incident.


 

A final fifteen-minute dash to the flag saw the Code Racing Development secure (on track at least) only their second race finish to the season so far as they completed the class podium in third and with the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car just hanging on to their fourth place finish at the end for what should still be (albeit now) a reduced Championship lead as the series moves onto Silverstone in just three weeks’ time.

To put this race into perspective – it was two hours long but only thirty-six laps were completed by the GT3 leaders with all results still subject to ratification by the series and Race Control.


 

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

Saturday, August 22, 2026 | Read more...
Three Aston Martins back to the Le Mans Cup next weekend but with some changes afoot

Three Aston Martins back to the Le Mans Cup next weekend but with some changes afoot

 


All being well next weekend, it should be back to a full three Aston Martin Racing powered contingent for the fourth round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series from the Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

As surmised with our previous European Le Mans Series preview also at the circuit next weekend, the only change affecting these three AMR Vantage GT3 entries will be within the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman team as Valentin Hasse-Clot will be stateside and racing within the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship.


 

That means that his fellow ELMS co-driver, Marius Fossard will indeed be taking his countryman’s place within the #10 car which he will now share alongside GT3 Championship leading Am driver Philipp Sager. After winning the class this years extended Road to Le Mans race back in June, the Sager/Hasse-Clot combination now lead the ten strong by twenty-seven points going into this round, but any points scored in Belgium by the #10 car will obviously now be at the detriment of Hasse-Clot.


 

They in turn will again be joined by the #11 Code Racing Development AMR of Sebastian Moreno but with a co-driver yet to be confirmed after two have already completed racing duties with the French outfit so far – an outfit that has shown real pace in qualifying but have so far been unable to secure the points finish at the end. Their P5 finish at Le Mans in June has been their best result to date despite taking two pole positions at both Barcelona and Paul Ricard earlier in the year.

We also welcome back the #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR Vantage GT3 of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning after Bovet found himself unable through apparent injury to participate at Le Mans which in turn saw both Giacomo Petrobelli and Romain Leroux take their places in the event. History shows that this year’s Road to Le Mans race was not a happy event for the team with both cars retiring after just a handful of laps for the opening driver.


 

The team and usual crew have, however, been testing at Spa Francorchamps over recent days in preparation to this race next weekend but it appears we may also be enjoying yet another livery design for that car too!!

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

 

Thursday, August 13, 2026 | Read more...
Racing Spirit of Leman celebrate another late night  Le Mans Cup podium celebration

Racing Spirit of Leman celebrate another late night Le Mans Cup podium celebration

 

 


The second round to the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series has just come to an end from the south of France with one of the three Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 crews getting favour through another chaotic two-hour race to secure a podium finish for their efforts.

With the #11 Code Racing Development of Sebastian Moreno taking his second pole start within the GT3 class of the season, the race was quickly back under the control of the Safety Car after an LMP3 car spin off on the opening lap at the Mistral Straight chicane to claim another competitor in the carnage.

Losing close to twenty minutes with the clean-up operation, it was back to green with all three bronze classed drivers within the #11, the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman (Philipp Sager) and #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn (Claude Bovet) Aston Martins.

 

 

With the #11 car holding the class lead on the restart, there were early gains for Sager as he moved up to sixth from his P8 starting position whilst Bovet was being held in ninth but Sager would suffer defuser damage after contact from the #88 Ferrari just a few laps later.

A late charge in his hour’s stint saw Bovet elevate his #91 up to seventh before the mandatory pit stops loomed with his fastest lap of his race so far as Moreno became the first of the GT3 class to pit from the lead of the class at the halfway point of the race with a near faultless display.

 


That left his co-driver Ethan Ischer to put in his first racing laps within the series as temperatures slowly started to cool outside, but he would maintain the teams class lead with the #10 RSL of now Hasse-Clot still in fifth but with Tom Canning getting his first racing laps in this season within the #91 car in eighth.

Just after his pit change, however, Ischer would suffer a rear wheel suspension issue half-way around the lap and that would effectively destroy their race. Making it back to pit lane, the rear right tyre was still very much inflated making a quick fix impossible and that was them done for the day again.

 

 

As for the other two Astons, it was still a chase to the final podium places as Hasse-Clot was still P4, but Canning was now not too far behind in P6 with just over thirty minutes still to go. That incentive took the Frenchman just half that time to pick up third in class but anymore was simply too much to ask – even for the AMR factory driver.

 


As the light finally began to fade, the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car of both Sager and Hasse-Clot claimed third in class whilst the #91 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn crew of Bovet and Canning sealed their first finish of the season so far with their P6 finish.

Next stop for the series will be during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June with their new single race format.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday, May 02, 2026 | Read more...
Code Racing Development take pole again in Le Mans Cup qualifying

Code Racing Development take pole again in Le Mans Cup qualifying

 


The Code Racing Development Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 of Sebastian Moreno has again showed his qualifying pace at least as he qualified the #11 car that he now shares with Ethan Ischer onto another pole position within the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series.

This time competing at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France, the Columbian bronze driver did what he did at the opening round from Barcelona just few weeks ago to go nearly three quarters of a second quicker than anyone else within their ten strong GT3 class to claim his second pole position of the season. His teammate, Ischer also secured a fastest class lap of the event during an earlier Free Practice session


 

The #10 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage GT3 of Philipp Sager (shared with Valentin Hasse-Clot) sadly could not replicate his qualifying pace of Barcelona as they eventually qualified P8 in class with the #91 Ecurie Ecosse by Blackthorn AMR of Claude Bovet (and Tom Canning) had better fortune this time to make it through to the grid of this afternoons race in nineth after an earlier spin for Bovet.

They sadly had a heavy off in Spain that prevented them from racing in Spain, as did the #11 Code of Racing Development AMR during the opening laps of that race which eventually allowed the #10 RSLM car to come through to claim a season opening race win. It’s just now time for the teams to join together all those dots for the race.


 

The second two-hour round of the Le Mans Cup season is waved off at 18:20hrs local this evening.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Saturday, May 02, 2026 | Read more...
Four AMR Vantage GT3 crews power their way to Le Castellet for Rounds 2 of the ELMS and LMC Series

Four AMR Vantage GT3 crews power their way to Le Castellet for Rounds 2 of the ELMS and LMC Series

 

 


In another early Spring hectic schedule of motor racing this weekend, it’s all systems go again within both the European Le Mans Series and supporting Michelin Le Mans Cup Series as both head to Le Castellet in the south of France for their second rounds to their respective 2026 seasons.

Nearly three weeks since the start to both campaigns saw three Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 powered team look to take the start within the Le Mans Cup Series (although not all quite made that unfortunately) with one Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 powered crew within the headlining ELMS Series.


 

This time around, it’s all the same again as the Code Racing Development, Racing Spirit of Leman and Ecurie Ecosse by Blackthorn AMR teams look to continue or improve upon their performances of last time out in Spain amongst the combined LMP3 and GT3 powered grid of forty-four cars.


 

The #10 Racing Spirit of Leman car of Philipp Sager and Valentin Hasse-clot managed to convert their P6 starting position into a class win whilst the #11 Code Racing Development crew of Sebastian Moreno and Nico Hantke failed to finish after taking early contact in the race that saw their car hobble back to pit lane before ultimately retiring.


 

It was, however, worse for the #91 Ecurie Ecosse crew of Claud Bovet and Tom Canning as the team boss (Bovet) suffered a heavy off in his car during the Bronze Driver test – something that the team could not repair in time for the race the next day.

Whilst the #10 RSLM crew will be the ones to watch again from the start, the #10 Code Racing Development AMR crew should many flashes of speed and determination before their run in Spain was thwarted through no fault of their own.

 

 

For the sister #59 Racing Spirit of Leman AMR entry within the ELMS, their crew of Clement Mateu, Marius Fossard and Valentin Hasse-Clot will be hoping that some of their Le Mans Cup luck will rub off onto their ELMS efforts after they had to endure a painful opening round in Spain.

Starting from the second row of that grid, contact with another car saw them penalised before a driving error of their own saw the silver #59 car spin off into a gravel trap – losing both time and laps in the process of both which resulted in a disappointing P10 in class finish at the end.


 

This weekend sees another forty-seven-car entry across the LMP2, LMP3 and LMGT3 classes with the #59 car being one of fourteen cars in class.

The Le Mans Cup Series will run their two-hour race later on Saturday whilst the European Le Mans Series will run their second four-hour race from midday on Sunday.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | Read more...
The extremities of motor sport as the Aston Martin win and lose out in Le Mans Cup Series opener

The extremities of motor sport as the Aston Martin win and lose out in Le Mans Cup Series opener

 

 


The opening round to the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup Series turned out to be one of extremes for the three Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 powered crews earlier today as another combined grid of forty-four LMP3 and GT3 cars took to the Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.

Just days after the official prologue test at the circuit, the weekend’s work from the British based Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn car of Claude Bovet and Tom Canning would come to a crashing halt after the team owner suffered a heavy impact with the barriers during his earlier bronze driver test.


 

That would see the #91 crew sadly unable compete during today’s earlier Qualifying nor the opening two-hour race despite the team finding pace within their group set from their earlier Prologue performances.

That left both the #11 Code Racing Development AMR of Sebastian Moreno and Nico Hantke as well as the now #10 Racing Spirit of Leman powered duo of last year’s Code Racing Development pairing of Philipp Sager and Valentin Hasse-Clot.

 

 

With the ‘lesser’ driver taking to the track for Qualifying, it would be Moreno within the #11 who would claim the season’s first GT3 Pole Position with a best lap time of 1.3 seconds faster than his nearest class rival as well as being faster than four LMP3 crews. Sager would suffer from losing two lap times due to track limits and would have to make do with a P6 starting position in class.

The race itself would start under somewhat chaotic conditions as a Safety Car was called before the end of lap one after three or four LMP3’s came together in the opening sequence of corners and once that was cleared, the restart quickly lead into another situation that would take out the #10 car through no fault of its own.

 

Whilst consolidating its position at the head of the class having seen the Safety Car just removed, a silly lunge down the inside of the #11 car by the #51 Ferrari would see the Aston Martin spin and end up in the gravel with its aggressor. Whilst the Ferrari was at least able to continue, the most the #11 car was able to do was to limp back to pit lane where it sadly played no further part in the proceedings with unquantified damage.

After all of that, AMR were left with just the #10 car of Sager and Hasse-Clot where the bronze driver ran a calculated stint to enter pit lane at the end of his minimum drive time second in class leaving the second hour to the factory driver.

 

Immediately fast, the Frenchman was soon on the tail of the class leading #17 Ferrari and despite being forced off track momentarily during one overtake attempt had to bide his time before his next which was more successful at the ninety-minute mark.

Doubt would be thrown into the mix as whilst the #17 crew would have an additional ten seconds added to their race time for a FCY procedure fault, the same would soon be applied to the #10 car for the same reason (speeding under FCY by Sager) meaning that Hasse-Clot needed to gap whoever would be P2 in class by more than that at the end to win.

 

Eventually, that was what he was able to do as Hasse-Clot took the GT3 chequered flag to claim their first win of the season as the series now moves onto round two from Paul Ricard, France in just three weeks’ time.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | Read more...
Next week sees three Prologue tests underway ahead of the following weekend season starts

Next week sees three Prologue tests underway ahead of the following weekend season starts

 

 

 


We are now just one week away from the 2026 racing season going absolutely bonkers which will see our own Aston Martin Racing powered race coverage step up from just the one European based series this weekend to up to eight series operating around the globe specifically around the Vantage GT3 and GT4 platforms next weekend.

In between then and now, we will also have three of those eight series run their respective Prologue tests as the ACO based European Le Mans Series and Le Mans Cup Series prepare for their opening round to the year from Barcelona and the SRO ran GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup kicks off at the Le Castellet circuit in southern France.


 

Whilst we thought that we were already aware of the AMR powered entry lists within all three series, further publications today have seen names come and go within existing entries plus an all new F1 inspired entry being confirmed within the other.

Starting with that one, today saw the Belgian based Comtoyou Racing further expand their already chaotic race schedule within the GT World Challenge Series with another AMR Vantage GT3 entry for Aston Martin F1 driver Lance Stroll and former F1 racer Roberto Merhi (alongside third man Mari Boya).

We understood from this week’s British GT Championship Media Day that the team has recently collected their sixth Vantage GT3 platform from the Prodrive factory with this specific car being something of a last-minute rush to build in participation with the Comtoyou team.


 

This takes their racing commitment at next weekend’s series opening to four cars as the new #18 car will compete within the Pro class alongside their already established #007 car and that of their other silver and bronze class entries.

That obviously expands the total AMR powered entry to seven cars with two entries from the German based Walkenhorst Motorsport team in both Pro and silver classes plus the single car from the Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR which will race in the bronze class.

Then just along the south coast of Europe, both the ACO rules European Le Mans Series and Le Mans Cup Series will also be running their pre-season Prologue test ahead of their opening rounds to the year from the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona.


 

Within the headlining ELMS Series, the Aston Martin Racing powered entry from the Racing Spirit of Leman team remains the same as previously announced with Clement Mateu, Marius Fossard and Valentin Haase-Clot racing their #59 car within a fourteen-car strong LMGT3 class.

The remaining driver variations/additions and omissions have come from the ten strong GT3 class of the series within the three AMR powered entries.

Tom Canning’s progression back into ACO rules racing alongside Claude Bovet remains the same within the latter’s own Blackthorn AMR team and their #91 entry but we have unfortunately lost that of Tom Wood and his original Racing Spirit of Leman drive lost.


 

Whilst that young Brit moves across to the Eurie Ecosse Blackthorn team for selected rounds (including Paul Ricard next week) within the GTWCE Endurance Cup, his position has now been confirmed for the returning pair of Phillip Sager and Valentin Hasse-Clot (who raced last year togther with Code Racing Development) whilst within the actual #10 Code Racing Development car being driven by both Antoine Leclerc and Pascal Huteau.

Huteau will also be racing within the Fanta Racing R-Motorsport V12 Vantage GT3 in the GT3 Revival Series that debuts at Paul Ricard next weekend.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Thursday, April 02, 2026 | Read more...
Four Astons for the Le Mans Cup Road to Le Mans in 2026

Four Astons for the Le Mans Cup Road to Le Mans in 2026

 


The Michelin Le Mans Cup Series today confirmed their provisional entry list ahead of this year’s visit to the Circuit de La Sarthe and its now annual, Road to Le Mans race format.

Whilst this list ran through the expected capacity grid from with the LMP3, LMP3 Pro-Am and GT3 classes, today’s news did highlight a fourth Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 entry over and above the three that have already been confirmed for the full season.


 

That new entry comes from the Blackthorn AMR team who already have one car running the full season for team owner Claude Bovet alongside former AMR Drivers Academy winner Tom Canning within their #91 entry.

The RTLM only entry will be for both Charles Bateman and the present AMR Drivers Academy winner Kobe Pauwels who has already ran a full Asian Le Mans Series season with the team this year whilst Bateman prepares for a full season within the GT Open Series with the team.

 

 

They will compete alongside the Racing Spirit of Leman and Code Racing Development AMR’s that still only have both Tom Wood and Antoine Leclerc being listed as lead drivers within each respectively.

2026 will see the usual two sixty-minute races replaced with a single three-hour race to help wet the appetite of the circuit crowd and viewers ahead of the main Le Mans 24 Hour event.

Before then, the Le Mans Cup Prologue test from Barcelona is now just two weeks away.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media

 

 

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | Read more...
Blackthorn AMR declare their Le Mans Cup Series driver line up

Blackthorn AMR declare their Le Mans Cup Series driver line up

 

A race car on a track

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Blackthorn filled in their missing blanks today ahead of their return to the Michelin Le Mans Cup Series this year with their #91 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3.

Team owner and lead driver, Claude Bovet was confirmed by the team and the series when the provisional entry list to this season’s campaign was confirmed back in January.

 

A person with headphones around his neck

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Today’s news sees the team confirm that Tom Canning will be stepping up to the European series for the first time having spent the last few seasons competing in GT4 after a brief racing period through 2020-21 in GT3 with TF Sport across three series.

Fellow AMR Vantage GT3 runners, Racing Spirit of Leman are apparently (according to Endurance Info) concluding their final test and appreciation sessions with various drivers to see who will be partnering Tom Wood within their #10 car entry. We also await confirmation of who will be joining Antoine Leclerc within the declared #11 Code Racing Development AMR Vantage GT3.

A person in a white race suit

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These three Aston Martins help to make up the ten strong GT3 class this season.

Photo credits – Team / AMR

  

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 | Read more...