Michelin has extended their contract with ACO, so the official name of the Michelin Le Mans Cup will remain for three more years.
The collaboration started in 2016, when the series was formed with GT3 cars only. LMP3 cars were added one year later, and the GT3 mention in the title disappeared.
There is an entry for the 24 hours of Le Mans to fight for, for the GT3 category champion. The LMP3 category is more of a stepping stone towards the LMP3 category in the European Le Mans Series, as we have seen with DKR Engineering.
Despite the chance of winning a Le Mans entry, there has only been limited success in the GT3 category, with only very few entries each year. There have only been three full season teams this year, while others have come and gone for one or more races. But LMP3 is a big hit, with 26 cars running this weekend, with the majority having done the full season.
The deal with Michelin will also provide tires for the ELMS LMP3 category, just like what they have done since the very first season. The new deal will run until the end of 2024.
The 2021 finale of the Michelin Le Mans Cup and the European Le Mans Series is run this weekend at Autodromo do Algarve in Portugal.