The Asian Le Mans Series has revealed a record 48-car provisional full-season entry for 2025-26, led by a marked rise in the number of LMP2 entrants.
Issued on Thursday, the roster features 16 cars in LMP2, alongside ten in LMP3 and 22 in the GT category.
The LMP2 contingent has grown the most compared with last season, when it drew ten full-season entries.
As previously disclosed, United Autosports is back in the series with a two-car programme, confirming Ben Hanley and Grégoire Saucy as full-season drivers.
Notably, while reigning champions Algarve Pro Racing had earlier confirmed a two-car effort, the Stewart Cox-run organisation will enter three cars as two of its own entries are joined by the No. 4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca 07 Gibson for George Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen and Louis Delétraz.
Proton Competition has also expanded, adding a second Oreca compared with its presence last year.
Stefan Aust and Jonas Ried will pair with Felipe Fernández Laser in the No. 22 entry, while Horst Felix Felbermayr Sr. and Jr. are slated to share the driving responsibilities in the No. 99 car.
The all-Japanese PONOS Racing entry is accompanied by single-car efforts 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 campaigned in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD category, will return to LMP2 competition for the first time in several years under AF Corse, while the Romain Dumas-led RD Limited team comes back with an unchanged driver lineup of Fred Poordad, James Allen and Tristan Vautier.
The ten-car LMP3 contingent is dominated by Ligier machinery, with only French squad R-Ace GP running a Duqueine D09 Toyota.
Reigning champions Bretton Racing are back with a single Ligier JS P325 Toyota, while the likes of Inter Europol Competition, CLX Motorsport, High Class, Inter Europol Competition and Team Virage also feature.
Significantly, the latter will run the No. 1 car for Indian actor Ajith Kumar, who stepped into sports car racing this year and has competed in the Michelin 24H Series and GT4 European Series powered by Rafa Racing Club.
Kumar will be part of an all-Indian driving line-up. Former Formula 1 driver and SUPER GT racer Narain Karthikeyan is named as his first co-driver, while Aditya Patel was previously announced via a post on the team’s Instagram page but does not appear on the entry list.
The championship’s GT ranks have contracted slightly, with the 22-car roster smaller than the 27 cars on last year’s provisional entry list – a figure that eventually rose to 30 for the finale in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
However, the grid still includes a number of notable additions, including the series debut of Belgian powerhouse Team WRT.
The Vincent Vosse-led squad will run a pair of BMW M4 GT3 EVOs, with American Bronze-rated driver Anthony McIntosh in the No. 96 car while Fabian Duffieux and Mathieu Detry are set to pilot the No. 28 entry under the UNX Racing by WRT banner.
Defending champions Manthey return with the No. 10 Porsche 911 GT3 R driven 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 campaign Stuttgart machinery.
No fewer than four Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs appear on the list, including a duo entered by TF Sport that name Blake McDonald and Salih Yoluç as their initial drivers.
Malaysian team JMR also runs two cars, with the full crew of Yasser Shahin, Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Corvette factory driver Alexander Sims confirmed in the No. 66 car. Prince Jefri Ibrahim, meanwhile, shares the sister No. 99 Corvette with Jordan Love and Ben Green.
The Ecurie Ecosse banner is set to return to sports car racing with Blackthorn, the squad entering its No. 56 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo under the ‘Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn’ name to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Scottish privateer’s 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans triumph.
Giacomo Petrobelli, Kobe Pauwels and Jonny Adam are lined up to drive, while Earl Bamber Motorsport also puts forward a single Aston Martin with Anderson Tonato, Jamie Day and Marco Sørensen on board.
A pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos are entered by German squad GetSpeed Performance, while as many as six Ferrari 296 GT3s feature thanks to teams such as AF Corse, Amerasian Fragrance by AF Racing and Kessel Racing.
The GT field is completed 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 begins 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.”
Davey Euwema is Sportscar365’s European Editor. Based in The Netherlands, Euwema covers the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, among other series.
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