After securing their first ELMS win at Silverstone, the no62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG has a three-point lead over reigning champions TF Sport, with 73-points and 70-points respectively. Victory in Portugal for either team would guarantee them the 2026 title and the coveted invitation to the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Only Abdulla Ali Al-Khelaifi and Julian Hanses from the no62 car are in the running for the driver’s title as their teammate Ralf Aron only joined the team in Silverstone. Alec Udell, Blake McDonald and Charlie Eastwood are all fighting for the driver’s title in the no33 Corvette.
With so much at stake, will Julien Hanses change the way he approaches the final race of the season? “Honestly, we won't change much,” he said. “Our approach has worked all season, so there's no reason to reinvent it now. Preparation has always been the key for us, and we put a huge amount of work in before every event. With five race weekends behind us, we now have a really clear picture of where we still have potential. We've focused on exactly those areas so we can arrive in Portimão with the complete package.
“Of course, fighting for the title against five other teams adds some pressure, but that's the kind of pressure you want. We'll stay focused on our own job and try to deliver a clean, strong race.”
Charlie Eastwood is the current ELMS LMGT3 Driver’s Champion. What was his thoughts on the challenge ahead to claim back-to-back titles for himself and TF Sport? “We are in a great position heading into Portimão,” he said. “We have been carrying a lot of success ballast in the last two events and for the first time the Mercedes-AMG will have 15kg more than us. With that in mind we have a great chance to go for the win as the Corvette really suits the Portimão track but also, we need to keep an eye on the Porsches, as they are not far behind on points. As always in the ELMS, it’s super tight going into the final event.”
The two Proton Competition Porsches are third and fourth in the standings with the no77 car on 62-points and the no75 Porsche on 61-points, just 11 and 12 points respectively behind the Team Qatar Mercedes-AMG going into the final race.
With a total of 26-points still to be won at Portimao, there are two other contenders that have a mathematical chance of lifting the trophy. They are the 4 Hours of Le Castellet winning no57 Kessel Racing Ferrari, on 52-points and the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps winning no86 GR Racing Ferrari, on 50-points.
The 4.653km track is also unofficially known as the ‘Portimão Rollercoaster’ due the huge elevation changes. So, what do our two leading contenders think of the circuit that will host the season finale?
“I love Portimão,” said Charlie Eastwood. “I live only 40 minutes away so it’s somewhat a home race for me with lots of friends & family coming to watch the race. The Corvette is brilliant in high-speed flowing tracks like Portimão so it’s a great place to try win the championship for us!”
“I don't have much experience at Portimão yet, but that was also the case at Imola and Silverstone, so it's a challenge I'm used to this season,” Julien Hanses admitted. “The track is a great mix of high-speed and low-speed sections, and I really enjoy that. The last sector is my favourite: you have those tight, technical slow corners, and then you have to carry as much speed as possible through the fast final corner onto the straight. It's very rewarding when you get it right.
“In general, the Mercedes-AMG is very strong in medium- and high-speed corners thanks to its long wheelbase, and it also performs well on long straights. So, I think we should be in good shape, and I'm really looking forward to it.”
With six cars still in contention, there are plenty of different scenarios that could have the officials reaching for the calculators on Saturday afternoon.
One interesting scenario is that if the no77 Proton Competition Porsche wins from pole position, which would make it six different winners from the six races, the no33 TF Sport Corvette finishes second and the no62 Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG finishes third, all three teams would have 88-points. On count back the no33 Corvette would retain the title due to the fact they would have one win and two second place finishes, compared to one win and one second place finish for the other two.
The closest ever championship finish happened in 2020 when the LMGTE title was decided on countback after Proton Competition and Kessel Racing both finished with 99-points. Each team also had two wins, two second place and one fourth-place finish, with the title being decided in favour of Proton Competition because they had won the first race in Le Castellet.
Whatever happens on Saturday 10 October, the battle for the LMGT3 title is going to be one to watch!
CLICK HERE for the 2026 ELMS LMGT3 Championship standings after Round 5, the Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone.
Tickets are still available for the 4 Hours of Portimão. CLICK HERE for more information.
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