Brutal Fish by Campos set to end 2026 on a high in Portimão
The 2026 Michelin Le Mans Cup season, which got underway in Barcelona in early April, will also come to an end on the Iberian Peninsula this Saturday, although the championship now heads to neighbouring Portugal. The Algarve International Circuit will provide the final chapter to a highly successful debut season for Brutal Fish by Campos in endurance racing. No fewer than 44 cars have been entered for Portimão, including 34 LMP3 machines.
The two Ligier JS P325-Toyotas driven by August Raber – Arthur Rogeon and Lucas Fluxá – Matúš Ryba have been front-runners throughout the season and the goal will be to carry that competitiveness into the final race. The Franco-Swedish pairing currently sits second in the drivers’ standings with their #12 LMP3, while their teammates are immediately behind them in third.
Luck was certainly not on Raber and Rogeon’s side at the start of the season, as they were forced to retire from the opening two races in Barcelona and Le Castellet after incidents while fighting for podium positions. They bounced back in the best possible setting at the Road to Le Mans at the Circuit des 24 Heures, where they first secured pole position before dominating the race from start to finish. Following the summer break, the Brutal Fish by Campos duo claimed a valuable second-place finish at another iconic venue, Spa-Francorchamps. At Silverstone, an untimely rain shower during the pit-stop window affected their strategy, although they still managed to finish fifth. Raber and Rogeon head to Portimão second in the standings with 67 points.
As mentioned, Fluxá and Ryba are third with 62 points and, like their teammates, have three podium finishes to their name. Consistency and strong pace have been the hallmarks of the Spanish-Slovakian pairing, who have finished inside the top four in four of the five races held so far. In Barcelona, Fluxá and Ryba narrowly missed out on the podium with a fourth-place finish. Their first podium came at Circuit Paul Ricard, where they brought their #19 Ligier home in third. They repeated that result at the Road to Le Mans before suffering their only scoreless finish of the season in the Belgian Ardennes, where they were forced out of the race midway through. At Silverstone, after also being affected by the unpredictable weather conditions, they salvaged a fourth-place finish worth 12 points that could prove crucial in the final championship standings.
Since its inauguration in 2008, the Algarve International Circuit has become one of the most highly regarded venues among drivers and fans alike. Measuring 4.684 kilometres, the circuit shares some characteristics with Spa thanks to its spectacular elevation changes. The Primeira, the downhill braking zone at the end of the main straight, is one of the circuit’s key overtaking opportunities, although it is extremely easy to miss the braking point and run wide. Torre VIP, a left-hand hairpin, and Turn 13 are also decisive braking zones. After Sagres, the blind, long-radius right-hander known as the GALP corner represents another major challenge for the drivers. Weather conditions can often be unpredictable in Portimão, but this weekend is expected to bring mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine throughout both days.
Following two free practice sessions scheduled for Thursday, qualifying will take place on Friday from 13:45. The two-hour race will get underway on Saturday at 10:30. All times are in Spanish time. The race will be streamed live on the official Michelin Le Mans Cup YouTube channel.
Adrián Campos (Team Principal of Campos Racing): “We are really looking forward to heading to Portimão and bringing our first Michelin Le Mans Cup season to a strong conclusion. Both of our cars are currently second and third in the standings and we have a great opportunity to finish the season with a strong result. We want to fight for the podium and the victory all the way to the chequered flag and, above all, demonstrate once again the level we have shown throughout the season. It has been a very positive debut year for Brutal Fish by Campos and we have all learned a great deal, so our goal is to give this hard work the ending it deserves. We will give everything we have in Portimão to finish the year as high up the order as possible.”
