Léna Bühler secures podium on Michelin Le Mans Cup season opener in Barcelona
- RACERS
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Returning for her second season in LMP3 after a highly promising debut year, Léna Bühler began her 2026 campaign in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with a strong overall podium finish at Barcelona, in an impressive performance alongside new teammate Zack Scoular in the #86 R-Ace GP Duqueine.
Léna Bühler began her 2026 campaign in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with a strong overall podium finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in an impressive performance alongside new teammate Zack Scoular in the #86 R-Ace GP Duqueine.
Returning for her second season in LMP3 after a highly promising debut year, Bühler once again demonstrated her pace and consistency, playing a key role in a race-long battle at the front that ultimately resulted in a well-earned third-place finish.
The #86 pairing showed competitive pace from the outset of the weekend, with Bühler and Scoular consistently among the frontrunners. They secured third place in the opening practice session with a 1:38.059, which held as their fastest time over the second session.
In qualifying, it was Scoular who took the wheel and briefly held provisional pole as lap times dropped. However, the sister #85 R-Ace GP entry driven by Enzo Peugeot ultimately secured pole position with a 1:36.357 lap, placing the #86 car second on the grid and completing a front-row lockout for the French team.
At the start of the race, held in twilight conditions, Bühler took over driving duties and made a clean getaway from the front row, immediately settling into second place behind the sister car. The opening lap was quickly neutralised by a safety car following contact between LMP3 entries behind the leaders.
Multiple interruptions would define the first half of the race, with repeated incidents in both LMP3 and GT3 classes triggering several safety car periods. Despite the stop-start nature of the race, Bühler remained sharp and consistent throughout her stint.
On each restart, she executed cleanly and maintained pressure on the leading #85 car, while also defending from challenges behind, most notably from Lucas Fluxa. The leading trio gradually pulled clear of the rest of the field, with Bühler running competitive lap times in the 1:39 range to build a margin over her pursuers.
As the race progressed toward the pit window, Bühler continued to deliver a controlled and consistent performance, holding second place and setting one of the fastest laps of the race at that stage. She eventually pitted on lap 25, handing the car over to Scoular after a highly effective opening stint.
Following the pit stops, the #86 car rejoined just behind the sister #85 entry, with both R-Ace GP cars quickly re-establishing themselves at the front. A brief reshuffle saw Matus Ryba move ahead, but both Peugeot and Scoular soon reclaimed their positions.
Once back in clean air, Scoular set about chasing the race-leading #85 car. The two R-Ace GP entries began to pull away from the field, with Scoular closing to within a second at one stage before Peugeot stabilised and eventually extended the gap with consistent pace.
As the sun began to set, Scoular maintained a comfortable margin over the chasing pack, managing traffic effectively while holding second position. However, in the closing minutes, Colin Queen in the #50 23Events Racing Ligier emerged as the fastest driver on track and rapidly closed the gap.
With just three minutes remaining, Queen capitalised on traffic ahead of Scoular to move into second place, leaving the #86 crew to settle for third.
At the chequered flag, Peugeot secured victory in the #85 R-Ace GP Duqueine, followed by Queen and Scoular, with Bühler and her teammate completing the podium after a race in which they had been firmly in contention throughout.
The result marks a strong start to the season for Bühler, who had previously shown great speed at the same circuit in 2025 but was denied a podium after an opening-lap incident not of her own making. This time, she was able to fully showcase her race pace and consistency, particularly during a highly competitive first stint that laid the foundation for the podium finish.
With valuable championship points secured, Bühler and Scoular now carry strong momentum into the next round at Circuit Paul Ricard on 2 May, a venue where the Swiss driver also demonstrated competitive pace last season.
