IRON LYNX READY FOR TWO-CAR 2026 ELMS EFFORT

All eyes are on Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as teams and drivers of the European Le Mans Series are set for a scintillating start at the venue just outside the Catalan capital. Coming away from a solid Prologue, the team is set for its first official outing of the year with the 4 Hours of Barcelona.

Joining the team for their grand entrance in the world of international Endurance racing, Team Qatar by Iron Lynx will be fielding the #62 Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 for Abdulla Al-Khelaifi, Julian Hanses, and Adam Christodoulou. While the Qatari and the German are set for their ELMS debut, the Brit, a single-seater champion, will return to it after competing there at the beginning of his sports car career.

Driving the #63, Zimbabwean Ameerh Naran is set for a step up in his racing career, as he will compete on the highest stage of endurance racing and in a multi-driver discipline for the first time. Joining him are Angolan Rui Andrade and Brazilian Sérgio Sette Câmara.

The 4.66-kilometer venue features medium and fast, high-load corners, making it one of the most demanding for tyre degradation. For the 2026 edition, the LMGT3 teams will use the Goodyear Eagle Hard tyres but wear is still expected to be a key factor. As it’s the first race of the year, finding the right chemistry between teammates will also be a central aspect, with pit stops, driver changes, and strategy coming into play. In addition, the weather might pose an unexpected threat, with rain in the forecast for Race Day.

With Practice starting on Friday and the 4 Hours of Barcelona scheduled for Sunday at noon, the ELMS pack is set for another highly tense season. Starting from the upcoming race, the series will be streamed live and for free on ACO’s new media platform, FIA WEC+.

We are looking forward to jumping back into action in one of the most competitive settings in the series. There is a lot to prepare for this weekend, and we are certainly putting 100 percent into that as we begin our second season with the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 cars. We have several new drivers in our lineup, so we need to put extra care into making everything as smooth as possible. There will be some extra variables that we must take into account, and that can provide some surprises, but on our end, we must be sure we have maximized everything and prepared for them.

Andrea Piccini – Team Principal & CEO