Thirty Seven Cars for Season Finale in Portugal

The final grid of the 2016 European Le Mans Series features 107 drivers from 21 different countries from Europe, Asia, North and South America, and the 37 cars are run by 29 teams representing 12 nations from around the world.

LMP2: The fight will rage on

The LMP2 line up features 10 cars and 30 drivers and the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles are still to be decided with just one 4 Hour race of the 2016 season remaining. There are three teams and seven drivers still with a chance of securing the championship title.  The leading contenders are the no46 Thiriet by TDS Racing Oreca, with Mathias Beche and Pierre Thiriet on 92 points, 14 points in front of the no38 G-Drive Racing Gibson of Simon Dolan, Harry Tincknell and Giedo van der Garde.  Beche and Thiriet’s teammate Ryo Hirakawa missed the race in Le Castellet in August and so isn’t in the running for the drivers’ championship but the Japanese driver will be looking to help the team and his teammates to become champions in Estoril.

With 26 points still available, the no32 SMP Racing BR01 is still mathematically in the running for the teams’ title, with drivers Andreas Wirth and Stefano Coletti 24 points behind the leaders.

Spa race winners Nicolas Lapierre, Ben Hanley and Henrik Hedman might not be in contention for the title in the no21 Dragonspeed Oreca, but the American team secured their debut win at Spa-Francorchamps last month and will be eager to the same again here in Portugal.  Expect the 2015 LMP2 Champions Greaves Motorsport to be in the mix for a podium finish to end their difficult year on a high note and also expect the no33 Eurasia Motorsport Oreca, which finished second in Austria, to also be a contender for a podium position in the season finale.

LMP3: The battle for the vice-champion position

With 19 cars and 53 drivers the LMP3 grid is once again the largest of the three classes. The two LMP3 titles were decided in Belgium last month with the no2 United Autosports Ligier of Alex Brundle, Mike Guasch and Christian England becoming the 2016 LMP3 European Champions and securing an automatic LMP2 invitation for the team at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 4 Hours of Estoril will be to see who can finish the 2016 season as Vice Champions.

The battle for the LMP3 Vice Champions position is a fight between the no9 Graff Ligier, the winners from Le Castellet and Spa-Francorchamps, and the no19 Duqueine Engineering Ligier.  The two French teams are split by 18 points, with the Graff trio of Enzo Guibbert, Paul Petit and Eric Trouillet looking to make it a hat-trick of wins at the Autodomo do Estoril.

Three LMP3 teams have enjoyed a podium finish and a pole position during the 2016 season and will undoubtedly be vying for another strong performance to finish their season on a high note.

The all British no6 360 Racing Ligier-Nissan of Terence Woodward, Ross Kaiser and James Swift have enjoyed a single podium finish in 2016 in Austria and a pole position in the season opener at Silverstone. Likewise the no16 Panis Barthez Competition Ligier of Simon Gachet, Valentin Moineault and Eric Debard have enjoyed a podium finish in Italy and a pole in Austria.  While their teammates have already secured the LMP3 titles, the no3 United Autosports crew of Mark Patterson, Matt Bell and Wayne Boyd have enjoyed a pole position start in Italy and a second placed finish at Silverstone.   

LMGTE: Who will be the 2016 champion?

The 8 car, 24 drivers strong LMGTE grid might be the smallest of the three ELMS classes but it has provided some of the best racing action seen at any sportscar race this season. The battle for the LMGTE drivers’ and teams’ titles still have to be decided and it is the triple race winners Andrea Bertolini, Rob Smith and Rory Butcher in the no66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari leading by 20 points ahead of the no99 Aston Martin Racing crew of Andrew Howard, Alex MacDowall and Darren Turner.

The 20 point advantage enjoyed by the British means that the no66 Ferrari just needs to finish the race in 7^th place to secure the 2016 team and drivers titles but there is also something at stake for the team that finishes as vice champion.  The LMGTE class has two invitations to the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans.  JMW have already claimed one of those invitation as they cannot finish lower than second place after the 4 Hours of Estoril, so it is who will be invited to join them on the grid next June, and there are no less than five teams in with a mathematical chance of securing the coveted prize.

While the no99 Aston Martin Racing Vantage is on 73 points, they are 12 point ahead of the no56 AT Racing Ferrari of Belarussian Father and Son duo Alexander Talkanitsa senior and junior, along with their rapid Italian teammate Alessandro Pier Guidi. They have secured three podium finishes and one pole position in the first five races but know they need to take their first victory of the season if they are to overhaul the Aston Martin in the points standings. The no77 Proton Competition Porsche is three points behind the AT Racing Ferrari and in turn they are 9 points ahead of the no88 Proton Competition Porsche and the no55 AF Corse Ferrari, with both teams on 49 points.

The 4 Hours of Estoril will be full of excitement as the 2016 European Champions are revealed when the chequered flag is waved at 17h30 on Sunday 23 October.

CLICK HERE for the entry list for the 4 Hours of Estoril, Round 6 of the 2016 European Le Mans Series.