Goodyear begins a new European Le Mans Series season this weekend with the 4 Hours of Barcelona, continuing as the exclusive tire supplier to the LMP2, LMP2 Pro/Am and LMGT3 categories. A total of 37 cars will run on Goodyear Racing Eagle tires as the championship gets underway at one of the most demanding circuits of the year for tire performance and strategy.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is regarded as one of the toughest tracks for tire management in ELMS competition. Teams often choose to double-stint tires, carefully weighing the time saved during pit stops against the potential performance drop during extended runs. Goodyear expects that balance to be a key strategic factor once again during the four-hour race.
For the season opener, LMGT3 teams will run the Goodyear Racing Eagle Hard compound, selected to cope with the nature of this challenging circuit. The tire was previously used in FIA World Endurance Championship competition at São Paulo, Circuit of The Americas and Bahrain last season, where it demonstrated strong durability on similarly demanding track surfaces. This season, Barcelona is the only event across both the ELMS and FIA WEC calendars where this compound is allocated.
In LMP2, teams will compete on Goodyear Racing’s latest Eagle 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. It will also be used by all LMP2 contenders at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.
“Barcelona is demanding on tires, with long, high speed corners and a layout that typically places enormous load on the front-left,” said Stephen Bickley, Goodyear Endurance Program Manager. “That high stress is exactly why we’ve chosen the Eagle Hard compound for LMGT3 this weekend: it can withstand the aggressive wear and degradation, giving teams the confidence to plan their strategies and decide whether double-stinting will deliver the best race 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.
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 Bristol Motor Speedway, Tennessee, and at the NHRA Winternationals at Ponoma Dragstrip, California.
