Road To Le Mans 2026, new race format

A new format for the support race to the 24h of Le Mans marks a significant change in the 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup championship.

The race that precedes the classic and unparalleled 24 Hours, Road To Le Mans will undergo a significant format change in 2026, opening the competition to GT3 and LMP3 cars. The Michelin Le Mans Cup will maintain a six-round calendar, as this year, starting on April 11 at the Barcelona circuit and continuing on May 2 at Le Castellet.

The highlight event, Road To Le Mans 2026, will take place on June 12 and will see a real revolution: the support race for the 24 Hours will become a 3-hour endurance race, doubling the previous 1-hour format. This new format will put GT3 and LMP3 cars to the test, while offering greater spectacle and more intense challenges for teams and spectators alike.

Media Coverage of Road To Le Mans / 24 Hours of Le Mans

The numbers of this extraordinary event speak for themselves: year after year, on-site attendance keeps growing, reaching around 416,000 spectators during the entire 2025 race weekend. A large portion of the crowd also comes for the supporting races, including the Road To Le Mans.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans not only draws a huge live audience but also enjoys extensive global media coverage. In 2023, the race was broadcast in 196 countries, reaching 113 million TV viewers—a significant increase compared to the previous year. These figures highlight the continuous growth of interest in the event, which remains a must-watch for motorsport fans worldwide.

Frédéric Lequien, Le Mans Endurance Management (LMEM) CEO

“The Michelin Le Mans Cup remains a very important step on the endurance racing ladder that leads to the ELMS, FIA World Endurance Championship and, ultimately, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 2026 calendar mirrors the six locations of 2025, allowing LMEM to strengthen events and grow fan support.
The move to a single 3-hour Road To Le Mans race in support of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is an important step in the development of the series, which gives the teams and drivers more track time at the ‘crown jewel’ event on the MLMC calendar. We look forward to welcoming everyone to another exciting Michelin Le Mans Cup season.”

More info to come on https://www.lemanscup.com/