Le Mans Masters starts today: two champions defend their titles as new challengers arrive in Portimão
João Gil Neves returns to LMP2 after a season in which nobody could beat him. Belchior Neto stays in LMGT3, where he has won both titles contested so far. Around the champions, the grid has reshuffled: there are new driver combinations, teams with a stronger presence and rivals arriving in Portimão with unfinished business.
Season 3 of Le Mans Masters starts today, 14 September, at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The tradition of opening in Portugal continues, as does the challenge of surviving 90 minutes in which speed, strategy and traffic management must all work together.
At the time of publication, the public entry list comprises 29 entries: 13 in LMP2 and 16 in LMGT3. Hypercars remain part of the competition, but there are no entries in the class yet. Diogo Li, the Season 2 class champion, is not on this list.
Attention therefore turns first to two questions: who can end João Gil’s winning streak, and who is ready to prevent Belchior from claiming a third consecutive title?
LMP2: João Gil holds his ground as the challengers close in
Last season, João Gil Neves won all six rounds. He ended the campaign with an overall victory at Sebring, placing the Oreca ahead of the Hypercars and completing the first perfect season in Le Mans Masters history.
The United Simracing driver remains in LMP2. His rivals know the benchmark from day one; for the champion, the task of proving his superiority begins again, with past results offering no guarantees.
Ricardo Lopes has plenty of reasons to seek a change at the top. The Grow Racing Team driver finished Season 2 as runner-up, recorded five podiums and was fastest in class in qualifying at Sebring. He has already beaten João over one lap. Now he aims to turn that pace into victory over a full race.
The presence of Rúben Brites, racing for Morabia ST, adds another point of interest. The adaptability he has shown across different cars and competitions makes him one to watch from Portimão onwards. With the entire field using the WEC-spec Oreca 07, preparation and the execution of each stint could matter more than any differences between the cars.
United pairs Carlos Esteves with the champion, while Sardines on Carbon entrusts Marco Ferreira with representing the team in the category. Miguel Silvério, of LK Motorsport, also joins this grid after reaching the Hypercar podium in the first season.
The field is completed by Paulo Duarte Ribeiro for Track Limits Motorsport, Bruno Neves of Team Full Race, Gonçalo Ferraz of PT Racerz, José Mendes of Lusitania and Fernando Barbosa of Sunstar Racing. Zaidulovers fields two Orecas, driven by Afonso Herdeiro and Miguel Trigueiros.
Thirteen drivers begin with the same opportunity. João Gil holds the title; the first victory of Season 3 is still up for grabs.
LMGT3: Belchior targets a third crown
The LMGT3 championship enters its third edition with just one name on its list of champions.
Belchior Neto returns in the United Simracing Porsche 911 GT3 R. In Season 2, he won four races and withstood pressure from João Coelho all the way to the finale. At Sebring, he had to recover from the back of the grid to secure the result that delivered his second title.
That ability to score even in a difficult race will be tested again. The class brings together sixteen entries and six manufacturers, with car choices promising enough differences in handling to make every battle interesting.
Sardines on Carbon fields André Lopes in the Aston Martin Vantage. He was part of the team’s title-winning campaign last season and returns with the responsibility of putting the reigning team champion in contention among the GTs.
Silvino Rodrigues, racing for Playteam, has chosen the Porsche. He arrives after taking two podiums at the VTCC finale in Monza, a recent sign of competitiveness ahead of a challenge that will require him to sustain that performance for 90 minutes.
Also driving Porsches are Ivo Leite for Tracklimits Motorsport and Rodrigo Teixeira for Team Full Speed. António T. Ferreira represents ALF Motorsport in a McLaren, while Pedro Sá of curvas82 brings a Lamborghini to the grid.
The largest groups of drivers are spread across three teams. Team Full Race enters Ruy Moreira and Rudi Alexandre Monteiro Neto in Porsches, alongside Rúben Barbosa in a BMW. Lusitania combines the McLarens of Diogo Neves and Daniel Pereira with the Porsche of Henrique Dias.
PT Racerz spreads its choices across three manufacturers: Joaquim Cabral in the BMW, João Ferreira in the Porsche and Hélder Pereira in the Ferrari.
Belchior knows the road to the title. Portimão will begin to reveal who has the pace and consistency to make him travel it under pressure.
Teams: United retains its champions, Sardines brings a different line-up
Sardines on Carbon won Season 2 with 791 points to United Simracing’s 732. The gap was built through the ability to score in all three classes, even against a rival fielding the LMP2 and LMGT3 champions.
The current entry list presents a different picture.
Sardines lines up with Marco Ferreira in LMP2 and André Lopes in LMGT3. United retains João Gil Neves and Belchior Neto, adding Carlos Esteves in LMP2. Keeping both champions gives the team a strong foundation for another challenge for the teams’ title.
But the opening round brings other teams with a presence in both categories.
Team Full Race, Lusitania and PT Racerz each field four drivers, split between one LMP2 and three LMGT3 entries. They have the largest line-ups on the current list and will have several chances to secure a strong GT result, while Bruno Neves, José Mendes and Gonçalo Ferraz respectively lead their prototype efforts.
The regulations provide for each team to score through its highest-placed driver in each class. More cars offer more options, but that presence must be converted into results. A solid GT race can protect a team’s position when its prototype hits trouble; a strong LMP2 stint can recover ground lost on the other side of the grid.
The first comparison between these line-ups begins today. Only after the chequered flag will it become clear who has brought a team to Portimão capable of scoring on both fronts.
Ninety minutes to find the rhythm again
Portimão once again opens the championship with elevation changes, blind approaches and corners where a compromised line can affect the entire sequence that follows. When the LMP2 cars begin catching the GTs, those difficulties will become a shared challenge.
Drivers doing the lapping will need to pick their moment without disrupting their own rhythm. For those being lapped, maintaining a predictable line will be essential to protect their race. Early decisions on cold tyres also deserve attention: the regulations specify eight tyres per round and no tyre blankets.
A ten-minute private qualifying session will set the grid, followed by the formation lap and a rolling start for 90 minutes of racing.
After the Algarve, the championship heads to Barcelona, Laguna Seca, Fuji and Silverstone. The finale, scheduled for 23 November, will once again be chosen by drivers who meet the participation criteria.
That story begins today. João Gil aims to extend his unbeaten run, Belchior starts his pursuit of a third title and Sardines puts the reigning team champion’s name back on track.
Portimão hosts the opener. The drivers and teams will take care of the rest.