Teams in Holding Pattern for 2026-27 Asian LMS Calendar

Photo: Asian Le Mans Series

Asian Le Mans Series teams are currently in a holding pattern for the confirmation of the 2026-27 calendar, amid the ongoing uncertainties and geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

The upcoming season, which was earmarked to start off in November in the United Arab Emirates following the FIA World Endurance Championship season-ending 8 Hours of Bahrain, and conclude in Sepang in mid-January, has not yet been officially confirmed or announced by organizers.

While some teams are pushing ahead with plans, on the basis of the proposed calendar, which was communicated to teams prior to the start of the U.S./Israel conflict with Iran, others are waiting for further clarity to see what develops.

“The main consideration is what the calendar looks like and the what the budget then looks like because of the calendar and what the desire is from the drivers,” United Autosports CEO Richard Dean told Sportscar365. “That’s not an easy thing to predict at the moment.

“I just hope somebody makes a decision quickly rather than just ‘Let’s wait and see.’

“Put something in front of us, and we can make a decision, and everybody knows what the grid looks like and everybody can plan for it.

“I realize it’s a mess at the moment and I wouldn’t want that job of doing it. For me, it feels like it might take a little while to settle down in that region for us to be racing.”

Fellow LMP2 entrant Christian Ried, of Proton Competition, is in a similar situation to United Autosports in having to take a wait-and-see approach.

“I hope there’s a season but with all the things happening right now I think it’s difficult for anyone to predict what will happen and if we do it, or if we do it [all] in Asia or the UAE,” he told Sportscar365.

“It is what it is. Things can change so we’ll see what happens.”

When asked if he would prefer for the championship to shift entirely back to Southeast Asia, as it was prior to the COVID-impacted years when the Middle Eastern races were utilized, Ried said it depends “on the situation” in the Middle East.

“If it’s not safe, I will not send people, 100 percent,” he said. “But if there’s a chance to go, I’m happy to go.

“Everybody has to be a little bit flexible right now.”

Ried said his team is prepared to offer a variety of options to customers, ranging from Hypercar with its Porsche 963, to LMP2 and GT efforts but would need to know by September or early October at the very latest in order to coordinate freight and logistics for an Asian season.

Dean, meanwhile, revealed they only received final pieces of its equipment back from the UAE several weeks ago, following the the 2025-26 season finale in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 8.

“It’s already taken us a long time to get our kit back from Abu Dhabi,” he said. “Some stuff we flew and some stuff got stuck there.

“If we’re scheduled to be announcing some dates for a series that could start in November, then shipping to that part of the world starts in September. Then contracts need to be in place by July time.”

BBM Sport owner Bob Berridge, who previously revealed plans to run at least one wingless Peugeot 9X8 in the new Hypercar class, told Sportscar365 that it’s “all up in the air” at the moment and declined to provide further details.

However, Stewart Cox, whose Algarve Pro Racing squad is eyeing a potential Porsche 963 Hypercar effort in addition to returning with two LMP2 entries, said he’s planning things as if there will not be any changes to the calendar.

“I think the schedule is out there,” he told Sportscar365. “People are going to be putting deals together. It’s not my job to say what it is, but I’ve got a rough idea of where it’s going to be and when.”

ACO President Pierre Fillon and LMEM boss Frederic Lequien declined an interview request by Sportscar365 during the recent Barcelona European Le Mans Series round on this matter, which is understood to be due to the fluidity of the situation that is largely out of their control.

However, in a statement provided, they said that “all options” are being kept open at this stage as promoters LMEM and SRO Motorsports Group monitor the situation but stressed that it’s “too early” to speak about a Plan B.

Last season’s Asian LMS calendar, which started in mid-December in Sepang, was announced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, although that came without any conflict in the Middle East region.

Source: Sports Car 365