Record 48 Cars on Provisional Full-Season Entry List

The Asian Le Mans Series has presented a record 48-car provisional full season entry for the 2025-26 season, headlined by a significant increase in the number of LMP2 entries.

Released on Thursday, the field consists of 16 cars in the LMP2 class, joined by ten entries in LMP3 and 22 in the GT category.

The LMP2 grid has seen the largest growth compared to the previous season, when it attracted ten full season entries.

As previously announced, United Autosports returns to the series with a two-car effort, with Ben Hanley and Gregoire Saucy as the full season confirmed drivers.

Notably, while reigning champions Algarve Pro Racing also previously confirmed a two-car effort, the Stewart Cox-led squad will field three cars as two cars under its own banner will be joined by the No. 4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca 07 Gibson for George Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen and Louis Deletraz.

Proton Competition has also added a second Oreca compared to its presence from last year.

Stefan Aust and Jonas Ried will team up with Felipe Fernández Laser aboard the No. 22 car, while Horst Felix Felbermayr Sr. and Jr. are set to share driving duties in the No. 99 machine.

The all-Japanese PONOS Racing effort is joined by single-car entries from the likes of Nielsen Racing, DKR Engineering, Inter Europol Competition, ARC Bratislava, High Class Racing and Vector Sport RLR.

Cetilar Racing, which has primarily competed in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD class, will return to LMP2 competition for the first time in several years run by AF Corse, while the Romain Dumas-led RD Limited squad returns with an unchanged driver lineup of Fred Poordad, James Allen and Tristan Vautier.

The ten-car LMP3 field is dominated by Ligier entries, with only French squad R-Ace GP fielding a Duqueine D09 Toyota.

Reigning champions Bretton Racing return with a single Ligier JS P325 Toyota, while the likes of Inter Europol Competition, CLX Motorsport, High Class, Inter Europol Competition and Team Virage are also represented.

Notably, the latter will field the No. 1 car for Indian actor Ajith Kumar, who stepped into sports car racing this year and has raced in the Michelin 24H Series and GT4 European Series powered by Rafa Racing Club.

Kumar is set to be part of an all-Indian driver lineup. Former Formula 1 driver and SUPER GT racer Narain Karthikeyan is named as his first co-driver, while Aditya Patel was previously announced through a post on the team’s Instagram page but does not appear on the entry list.

The championship’s GT ranks have shrunk slightly, with the 22-car field smaller than the 27 cars that appeared on last year’s provisional entry list – a number that eventually grew to 30 for the final leg of the calendar in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

However, the grid still features a number of notable additions, which includes the series debut of Belgian powerhouse squad Team WRT.

The Vincent Vosse-led team will field a pair of BMW M4 GT3 EVOs, with American Bronze-rated driver Anthony McIntosh aboard the No. 96 car while Fabian Duffieux and Mathieu Detry are set to pilot the No. 28 machine entered under the UNX Racing by WRT banner.

Defending champions Manthey return with the No. 10 Porsche 911 GT3 R piloted by Antares Au, Loek Hartog and Klaus Bachler as well as the No. 92 car for Richard Lietz, while Phantom Global Racing, Proton Competition and Origine Motorsport also all represent the Stuttgart marque.

No fewer than four Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs appear on the entry list, including two entered by TF Sport that have Blake McDonald and Salih Yoluc named as the first drivers.

Malaysian squad JMR also field two cars, with the full lineup of Yasser Shahin, Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Corvette factory driver Alexander Sims confirmed aboard the No. 66 car. Prince Jefri Ibrahim, meanwhile, shares the sister No. 99 Corvette with Jordan Love and Ben Green.

The Ecurie Ecosse name is set to return to sports car racing with Blackthorn, with the team entering its No. 56 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo under the ‘Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn’ banner to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Scottish privateer’s 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans victory.

Giacomo Petrobelli, Kobe Pauwels and Jonny Adam are set for driving duties, while Earl Bamber Motorsport also fields a single Aston Martin with Anderson Tonato, Jamie Day and Marco Sorensen as drivers.

A pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos feature on the entry courtesy of German squad GetSpeed Performance, while no fewer than six Ferrari 296 GT3s feature thanks to the likes of AF Corse, Amerasian Fragrance by AF Racing and Kessel Racing.

The GT field is rounded out by a single McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, entered by United Autosports.

“It is very encouraging to see the Asian Le Mans Series continue to grow with a record breaking 48 car grid,” said ACO President Pierre Fillon.

“It is also encouraging to see more Le Mans Prototypes being entered, including Ponos Racing, the first all Japanese team in LMP2, and an impressive ten strong LMP3 field with the new generation cars being seen in Asia for the first time.

“The series beings with the first double header in Sepang in just three months’ time.

“Then it’s off to the UAE at the end of January for Rounds 3 and 4 in Dubai before concluding with a double header at Yas Marina a week later.

“It’s going to be an exciting season, and we are all looking forward to the first event in Malaysia in December.”