Goodyear returns to Circuit Paul Ricard this weekend for round two of the European Le Mans Series season, where 37 cars across the LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am and LMGT3 categories will take on the high-speed French circuit on Goodyear Racing Eagle tires. The race will be run on the track configuration including the chicane complex halfway along the Mistral Straight, which was reintroduced last year for the first time since 2017 and adds a heavy braking zone to the lap.
Circuit Paul Ricard presents a technically demanding challenge for drivers. Its long, high-speed layout, dominated by the Mistral Straight, subjects tires to sustained loads throughout the lap. The track’s abrasive surface, elevation changes and often unpredictable winds further combine to challenge driver consistency and tire management across a stint.
LMGT3 teams will run the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium compound for the first time this season, following the use of the Eagle Hard specification at the season-opening 4 Hours of Barcelona. Goodyear expects this change to present teams with a key decision: whether to double-stint tires, or prioritise outright performance with more frequent changes.
« We’ve seen teams double-stint at Paul Ricard in previous years, even when regulations didn’t require it, » said Stephen Bickley, Goodyear Endurance Programme Manager. « While teams can change tires at every stop, the Eagle Medium’s flexibility opens the door to a wide range of strategies. Some may push the limits of their tires, particularly if conditions allow stints to be extended, while others may focus on maximising single-stint performance. »
In LMP2, teams will compete on Goodyear Racing’s latest Eagle Medium slick specification. This tire was first introduced at last season’s 4 Hours of Le Castellet and will remain as the standard LMP2 specification for the entirety of the 2026 ELMS season. The same specification will also be used by all LMP2 entrants at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
« Our newest Eagle Medium slick specification is now well understood by LMP2 teams, » Bickley added. « With a full season of data behind them, teams have a strong understanding of its performance and will be focused on extracting even more over a stint. The tire is designed to suit a wide range of driving styles and experience levels, and our trackside engineers will once again work closely with drivers in the pit lane to maximise performance. »
In addition to the slick tires used in dry conditions, teams will also have access to a Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tire for each class. These wet-weather tires feature a tread pattern designed to disperse surface water and provide grip in wet conditions.
Across the Atlantic, Goodyear Racing Eagle tires are also in action this weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Texas Motor Speedway, and in the NHRA Southern Nationals at South Georgia Motorsports Park.
European Le Mans Series
Race: 4 Hours of Le Castellet
Track: Circuit Paul Ricard (5.84 km: 6 left turns, 9 right turns)
Location: Le Castellet, France
Date/Time: Sunday May 3, 12:00 CEST
TV/Radio: ELMS website, ELMS YouTube channel, FIAWEC+
LMP2 & LMP2 Pro/Am
Tire: Goodyear Racing Eagle
Tire Specification: Eagle Medium
Previous usage: Used at all ELMS races since Le Castellet 2025
Tire Measurements: (width mm / diameter mm / rim size in): 300/680/R18 front, 310/710/R18 rear
Total Dry Weather Tires: 26 (4 carryover free practice / 8 new free practice / 14 qualifying and race)
Total Wet Weather Tires: No limit
LMGT3
Tire: Goodyear Racing Eagle
Tire Specification: Eagle Medium
Previous usage: First use this season; used in ELMS at all races in 2024 and 2025
Tire Measurements: (width mm / diameter mm / rim size in): 300/680/R18 front, 310/710/R18 rear
Total Dry Weather Tires: No limit (4 carryover free practice / no limit otherwise)
Total Wet Weather Tires: No limit
Jake Kilshaw,