The European Le Mans Series returns to Silverstone on 13 September with a host of British drivers chasing glory – and offering fans a tantalising preview of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s return to the Northamptonshire circuit next year.
Silverstone is set for a spectacular endurance racing double-header across consecutive seasons, with the European Le Mans Series providing the curtain-raiser on 13 September before the FIA World Endurance Championship makes its eagerly anticipated return to the circuit in April 2027.
The Goodyear 4 Hours of Silverstone is the penultimate round of this year’s ELMS and brings a huge, star-studded 47-car grid across LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am, LMP3 and LMGT3 to the home of British motorsport.
There will be particular interest in the impressive British contingent – no fewer than 20 drivers (many graduates of the talent amplifying Motorsport UK Academy) and five teams – with several home-grown stars firmly in contention for championship honours.
Leading the charge are Oliver Gray and Ben Hanley, whose respective Forestier Racing by Panis and United Autosports crews sit joint top of the LMP2 standings after four rounds tied on 70 points.
Gray and his team-mates Esteban Masson and Louis Rousset are classified as championship leaders on countback, having won in both Spain and Italy. Hanley and team-mates Grégoire Saucy and Griffin Peebles have one previous victory, at Le Castellet.
Jamie Chadwick, winner last year, is another major British draw. The IDEC Sport driver has enjoyed an exceptionally consistent campaign, with her #18 Oreca finishing fourth in each of the opening three races before breaking that sequence with a superb third place at Spa last time out.
That result moved Chadwick, Valerio Rinicella and Laurents Hörr into third in the championship on 52 points.
Ed Pearson is also making his mark in LMP2 with Nielsen Racing, while fellow Britons Nick Yelloly, Jake Hughes, Sebastian Priaulx and Ian Aguilera add further depth to a strong British presence in the premier prototype field.
Yelloly, the reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2 champion, in particular will be hoping home advantage can take him to the top step of the podium after finishing second at Silverstone 12 months ago.
The LMGT3 category is equally rich in British interest. United Autosports’ McLaren features Michael Birch and Wayne Boyd, while Lorcan Hanafin races for GR Racing in its Ferrari 296 LMGT3 Evo. Harry King is another name to watch, sharing Proton Competition’s Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3.
For Silverstone spectators, the race is about more than just the 2026 ELMS title battle. With the World Endurance Championship returning to the circuit next year, this weekend offers a timely reminder of the extraordinary spectacle that top-level endurance racing can deliver – and a tantalising taste of what is to come.
The ELMS may not feature the headline Hypercar category, but with championship contenders, British stars and some of the world’s most evocative endurance machinery lining up at Silverstone, its four-hour showdown promises to be a headline performance in its own right.
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