Racing for Motorsport98, the young French driver took the chequered flag in second place at the end of the two-hour race in Portimão. The result put them one point behind the no66 Rinaldi Racing Ligier of Steve Parrow in the championship standings.
However, a post-race penalty for the race winning no34 Inter Europol Competition Ligier dropped them down the order and promoted the no98 Motorsport98 Ligier to the top step of the podium. This gave Henrion and De Doncker the LMP3 Pro/Am title by three points.
Gillian Henrion is no stranger to the top step of the podium having won the Ligier European Series title in 2022, the Michelin Le Mans Cup LMP3 title in 2023 and narrowly missed the ELMS LMP3 title in 2024. Winning the LMP3 Pro/Am title last year has given the 23-year-old driver from Nancy three major European titles in four seasons, and he will be looking to add another in 2026.
We caught up with Gillian Henrion as he prepares for the first race of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Q. Looking back on the 2026 season on a whole, what were the highlights for you and was there anything that didn’t go right but you learned from that helped you later in the season?
Gillian Henrion: “There were a few moments which were really good. The two wins in Spa-Francorchamps and the last one in Portimão, which crowned us as champions, were extremely good.
“I really enjoyed just doing what I like, which is driving, having such a great team and great family was, for me, the highlight of the year. I had a good time with them and to conclude with the title was the perfect finish.
“What I learned is more like I need to believe it until the end. When the race in Portimão finished, we were second and we lost the championship by one point. So even if the race was finished, you still need to believe it, to trust it and to fully push until the end.”
Q. What are your thoughts on the circuit here in Barcelona. Do you have a favourite corner or sequence of corners?
GH: “The track in Barcelona is amazing, it is always a pleasure to go there. It is also a Formula One track, which is really nice to drive.
“The part I really like is the first three turns, from T1 to T3. I also really like now the new part on the track in the last two turns, which is faster compared to the old track and really, really good to drive. We are hoping to do something good in this race this year.”
Q. Last year’s race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was the only time you finished outside of the points all season. Talk us through what happened last season?
GH: “Last season the first race wasn't so great for us. Eric took the start and one of the Pro cars spun in T3, which caused Eric to break and someone just behind him hit him, making him spin. It took time to get back on track and then we had to pit to repair the car, which lost us one or two laps.
“The car was good, we set the fastest LMP3 Pro/Am lap, which was good, but unfortunately, we finished outside the top 10 and scored no points. However, it was great to know we had the pace, which did have for the rest of the season.”
Q. Looking at the LMP3 Pro/Am grid, how do you feel about the challenge ahead this season?
GH: “I can't wait, to be honest, for sure, the two Rinaldis will be fast. The one with Filipe and Stefan will be really quick. So, I think they are the principal challenger for us. There are some strong drivers and strong teams, so it will be hard fight. I hope, if we are champion, it will be before the last race, because it was a bit stressful. But it is going to be hard fight on track.”
Q. Last year was the first season with the third generation LMP3 car. As someone who has raced the previous generation, how do you rate the new Toyota powered car?
GH: “For me, I didn't feel a lot of difference between the two cars when I drove the JS P325 for the first time, the car was pretty the same. However, it is easier for the gentleman driver, which is good.”
Q. We also have to talk about Le Mans, with a new format for the 2026 Road To Le Mans. What are your thoughts on the 3-hour race on the full circuit?
GH: “To have a three-hour race compared to the one-hour races during the week will be totally different. For sure, we'll have some different strategies, a bit like the ELMS for the Le Mans Cup, it is totally new to have such a great race. It will be a pleasure to have such a good race on the weekend of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”
MLMC Live Streaming on FIAWEC+ App
The endurance ladder starts here. Watch the Michelin Le Mans Cup live for free on FIAWEC+, with official race coverage, replays and highlights from one of Europe’s most competitive LMP3, LMP3 Pro/Am and GT3 championships. Watch the Michelin Le Mans Cup live for free on https://plus.fiawec.com/en/michelin-le-mans-cup
