November 3, 2025 | News

Prototype Winter Series to run new-for-2026 Michelin tyres

The 2026 Prototype Winter Series will become the first European racing series to run Michelin’s brand-new Pilot Sport Cup LMP3 tyre, when the racing action kicks off at Portimão in January.

Michelin has developed the new Pilot Sport Cup range, featuring specific front and rear builds, which will be adopted across the ACO’s LMP3 platforms for 2026. The new tyre architecture offers greater stability while cornering, and improved car balance. It is also more predictable at the limit, offers greater consistency, and is more durable than its predecessors.

GEDLICH Racing’s third season of the Prototype Winter Series, starting at Portimão from 15-18 January, will mark the first opportunity for teams to drive on the 2026-spec Michelin in racing conditions. Alongside the introduction of the third-generation LMP3 car to PTWS, the use of Michelin’s new-and-improved tyre ensures data and learning of the utmost relevance to teams preparing for the 2026 summer season.

Robin Selbach, Managing Director at GEDLICH Racing, commented: “We are thankful to our partners at the ACO and Michelin for allowing us to offer the most relevant conditions possible for our 2026 Prototype Winter Series competitors. Our third season will be an exciting step forward for the series, with the introduction of the V6-powered third-generation LMP3 cars from Ligier, Duqueine, Adess and Ginetta, as well as the Pilot Sport Cup tyre.”

The 2026 Prototype Winter Series will once again take place over four events, with two 50-minute races per weekend, preceded by over four hours of track time across testing, free practice and qualifying. Portugal’s Portimão and Estoril will host the PTWS competitors in January, before the season concludes with a Spanish double-header at Aragon and Barcelona.

Beyond the Winter Series racing weekends, teams will also be able to utilise the new Pilot Sport Cup tyre at GEDLICH’s opening events of the winter Race Test programme, held at Barcelona (8-9 December) and Portimão (15-16, 17-18 December).

Teams and drivers for the upcoming Prototype Winter Series will be announced in the upcoming weeks and months, as excitement builds for the 2026 championship battle.

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