Targeting the title at ELMS season finale
The European Le Mans Series season finale promises plenty of excitement for Proton Competition, with two of Christian and Michael Ried squad’s four cars still in contention for championship glory as the 2026 season reaches its climax at the 4 Hours of Portimão (8 to 10 October).
Arguably the team’s most in-form entry is the #77 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Martin Berry, Huub van Eijndhoven and Harry King. Sitting third in the LMGT3 standings, the trio have secured three consecutive podium finishes and know that another strong result in Portugal could put them in an excellent position to fight for the teams’ title. Van Eijndhoven, who has competed in the car throughout the season, also sits third in the drivers’ standings.
“We have excellent momentum after the three podiums and we are in the mix in the fight for the championship,” said van Eijndhoven. “This is definitely our goal for the weekend. We have some ground to make up, so not everything is in our control. What we can do is focus on the things that we can control – executing a perfect race, scoring maximum points and finishing on the podium.”
Also harbouring championship hopes are Matt Kurzejewski, Richard Lietz and Tom Sargent in the #75 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The trio head to Portugal fourth in the table, just one point behind their teammates in the #77 car. Having already claimed a victory this season, they will be aiming to maximise their championship chances and end the campaign with another strong result in the Algarve.
Proton Competition’s two LMP2 crews will also be looking to end the season on a high with a strong performance in the final round. Recent form at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve offers reason for optimism, with Proton Competition having secured six podiums at the last four ELMS races at the track.
Sharing the #9 Oreca 07 and once again challenging for honours in the overall LMP2 classification will be Jonas Ried, Mike Rockenfeller and Sebastian Priaulx. In LMP2 Pro-Am, Horst Felbermayr Jr., Horst Felix Felbermayr and René Binder will take the wheel of the #88 Oreca 07, with Binder returning to the circuit where he won his class in 2024.
The season finale will once again take place on a Saturday, as the 4 Hours of Portimão brings the 2026 European Le Mans Series campaign to a close. Fans can follow all the action live and free of charge on the FIA WEC+ streaming platform.
Schedule
Thursday 8 October
11:00 – 12:30 Practice 1
(12:00 – 13:30 CEST)
Friday 9 October
10:15 – 11:45 Practice 2
(11:15 – 12:45 CEST)
15:15 – 16:45 Qualifying
(16:15 – 17:45 CEST)
Saturday 10 October
14:30 – 18:30 Race
(15:30 – 19:30 CEST)
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Copyright: Proton Competition (Paola Depalmas)
