Asian Le Mans Series 2026/27 circuits: Paul Ricard, Jerez and Portimão
The series swaps Sepang, Dubai and Abu Dhabi for three European tracks, with two four-hour races at each and a Le Mans invitation for the LMP2 and GT3 champions
The Asian Le Mans Series will race its 2026/27 season at Paul Ricard, Jerez and Portimão, three European circuits that replace last winter’s rounds at Sepang, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Each weekend has two four-hour races, and the season opens at Le Castellet on 13 to 15 November.
The full calendar and all 47 entries are in our season overview: Asian Le Mans Series 2026/27: 47 cars, two Hypercars and a winter in Europe.
The Middle East conflict sent the series to southern Europe
The organisers announced the move in August. Pierre Fillon, president of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said in the official announcement that “2026 has proven to be exceptional, with external constraints that are completely out of our control”.
Series CEO Frédéric Lequien explained that Asian options had been explored, but few circuits were available, costs were high and the dates had to avoid the Daytona 24 Hours and the Bathurst 12 Hour. Stéphane Ratel, founder and CEO of SRO Motorsports Group, started his comment with “While moving the Asian Le Mans Series to Europe is not ideal,” and said he hopes the series returns to Asia for the 2027/28 season.
| Rounds | Dates | Circuit | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 & 2 | 13-15 November 2026 | Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet (France) | 5.821 km |
| 3 & 4 | 15-17 January 2027 | Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto (Spain) | 4.428 km |
| 5 & 6 | 19-21 February 2027 | Algarve International Circuit, Portimão (Portugal) | 4.653 km |
Lengths: Paul Ricard as used by the European Le Mans Series in May 2026; Jerez and Portimão Grand Prix layouts.
Paul Ricard: painted run-off and a chicane on the Mistral
Le Castellet is home ground for many of the LMP2 teams. The European Le Mans Series has raced there every year since 2013, and its 4 Hours of Le Castellet in May was the 15th ELMS race at the track.
There are no traditional gravel traps. Instead, wide run-off areas are lined with high-grip painted stripes. Since 2025 the cars also use the chicane halfway down the Mistral Straight again, for the first time since 2017.
United Autosports has won at Le Castellet four times, more than any other team, and brings two LMP2 cars to this series. Nick Yelloly, entered in the #43 Inter Europol Oreca, holds the LMP2 qualifying record there: 1m48.741s, set in May 2025.
Jerez: a Formula 1 title decider and a January date
Jerez opened in December 1985 and hosted the Spanish Grand Prix from 1986 to 1990, then the European Grand Prix in 1994 and 1997. The 1997 race is the one where Michael Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve collided as they fought for the world title.
Sportscars came early too: the World Sportscar Championship ran 800 km races there from 1986 to 1988, and the BPR Global GT Series held a four-hour race in 1995. The track was renamed after motorcycle champion Ángel Nieto in 2018 and has hosted the Spanish MotoGP round since 1987.
The 4.428 km layout includes the chicane named after Ayrton Senna, added in 1994. After the Christmas break, the teams return here for two four-hour races on 15 to 17 January.
Portimão: the rollercoaster finale
The Algarve circuit opened in 2008 and is known for its constant rises and falls. It has hosted Formula 1 in 2020 and 2021, the World Endurance Championship in 2021 and 2023, and the European Le Mans Series since 2017, including this year’s ELMS finale.
The GT World Challenge Europe season ended there only last weekend, with Max Verstappen recovering from 24th to ninth (race report, results).
On 19 to 21 February the titles are decided. The LMP2 and GT3 champions receive an automatic invitation to the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans (how Le Mans invitations work). Last season’s GT title went to Kessel Racing with Dustin Blattner, Chris Lulham and Dennis Marschall.
Our read: two of the three tracks favour the ELMS regulars
Paul Ricard and Portimão are fixed stops on the European Le Mans Series calendar, so teams such as United Autosports, Inter Europol, Proton and AF Corse arrive with years of data. For teams from Malaysia, Japan and the Gulf, which normally race this series closer to home, both tracks are new territory.
Jerez could be the leveller. It is not on the European Le Mans Series calendar, so the LMP2 regulars lose part of their head start there, and everyone faces a four-hour race in Andalusia in mid-January.
The season starts at Le Castellet on 13 to 15 November
Rounds 1 and 2 run at Paul Ricard in just over three weeks. The new Asian Le Mans Cup for LMP3 and GT3 cars also races at every event, with two two-hour races per weekend. RNT will publish start times in local time, CET and US Eastern in race week.
Sources: Asian Le Mans Series press releases of 3 August and 1 October 2026; European Le Mans Series facts and figures for Le Castellet (April 2026) and Portimão (October 2025); Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto, 31 August 2026.
Which of the three circuits will give us the best four-hour race this winter: Paul Ricard, Jerez or Portimão? Tell us in the comments.
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