TF Sport finished the 2025 European Le Mans LMGT3 season with a dominant victory at the 4 Hours of Portimão and earned both the Driver and Team championship titles on Forgeline SS1R-GT wheels!
TF Sport capped off a thrilling 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season with a dramatic and decisive win at the 4 Hours of Portimão in Portugal, securing the LMGT3 class championship in spectacular fashion. Piloting the No. 82 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R (affectionately dubbed the “Chromevette”) drivers Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade, and Hiroshi Koizumi delivered a flawless performance under immense pressure to claim both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles.
Starting from pole position, Koizumi initially lost the lead but fought back valiantly, reclaiming the top spot by the end of the opening hour. From there, the TF Sport Corvette held firm at the front of the LMGT3 field. A bold strategy from the No. 50 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari (pitting early) allowed the Ferrari to briefly claim the lead, but the gamble didn’t pay off. A late splash for fuel eventually dropped the Ferrari down the race order, resulting in a season points shuffle and opening the door for the TF Sport team to claim the championship.
Eastwood then held off a late charge from the No. 23 United Autosports McLaren to seal both the win and the championship title, while the Iron Dames Porsche rounded out the LMGT3 podium.
The championship-winning trio represents three continents—Asia (Koizumi), Africa (Andrade), and Europe (Eastwood)—underscoring the international appeal and talent in the ELMS paddock. Their teamwork, consistency, and resilience across the six-round season, including earlier victories at Imola, proved decisive in one of the most competitive LMGT3 seasons to date.
This championship also represents a milestone moment for both TF Sport and Corvette Racing. It is the first-ever ELMS title for an American manufacturer, and a powerful statement for the Z06 GT3.R in customer hands. The Chromevette’s success earns TF Sport an automatic invitation to the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they’ll join Corvette’s WEC factory entries on the LMGT3 grid.
This marks the second major championship title for the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R platform in just two weeks. Prior to TF Sport’s triumph in Portugal, Pratt Miller Motorsports clinched the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro titles at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, making it a banner debut season for Corvette’s global GT3 program.
Based upon the Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 and sharing the road car’s aluminum chassis, the Corvette GT3.R is powered by a version of the Z06’s 5.5L DOHC LT6 V8 engine mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission. It rides on a motorsports-specific double-wishbone suspension system and a 6-piston front / 4-piston rear AP Racing braking system with unique cooling and quick-change capabilities.
While the spotlight shines on the drivers and the team, it’s also a proud moment for Forgeline, as the Corvette Z06 GT3.R rides on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheels. Pratt Miller worked with the team at Forgeline Motorsports for several years to develop an application-specific version of our center-locking one-piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheel, engineered to deliver optimized performance metrics (mass, deflection, strength, and durability) specifically for the new Corvette GT3.R. And every Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R competes on 18×12.5 / 18×13 Forgeline one-piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheels finished in Gloss Black.
Congrats to Charlie, Rui, Hiroshi, the entire TF Sport team, and Team Chevy—and thank you for trusting Forgeline to help deliver your championship performance!
TF Sport capped off a thrilling 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season with a dramatic and decisive win at the 4 Hours of Portimão in Portugal, securing the LMGT3 class championship in spectacular fashion. Piloting the No. 82 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R (affectionately dubbed the “Chromevette”) drivers Charlie Eastwood, Rui Andrade, and Hiroshi Koizumi delivered a flawless performance under immense pressure to claim both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles.
Starting from pole position, Koizumi initially lost the lead but fought back valiantly, reclaiming the top spot by the end of the opening hour. From there, the TF Sport Corvette held firm at the front of the LMGT3 field. A bold strategy from the No. 50 Richard Mille AF Corse Ferrari (pitting early) allowed the Ferrari to briefly claim the lead, but the gamble didn’t pay off. A late splash for fuel eventually dropped the Ferrari down the race order, resulting in a season points shuffle and opening the door for the TF Sport team to claim the championship.
Eastwood then held off a late charge from the No. 23 United Autosports McLaren to seal both the win and the championship title, while the Iron Dames Porsche rounded out the LMGT3 podium.
The championship-winning trio represents three continents—Asia (Koizumi), Africa (Andrade), and Europe (Eastwood)—underscoring the international appeal and talent in the ELMS paddock. Their teamwork, consistency, and resilience across the six-round season, including earlier victories at Imola, proved decisive in one of the most competitive LMGT3 seasons to date.
This championship also represents a milestone moment for both TF Sport and Corvette Racing. It is the first-ever ELMS title for an American manufacturer, and a powerful statement for the Z06 GT3.R in customer hands. The Chromevette’s success earns TF Sport an automatic invitation to the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they’ll join Corvette’s WEC factory entries on the LMGT3 grid.
This marks the second major championship title for the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R platform in just two weeks. Prior to TF Sport’s triumph in Portugal, Pratt Miller Motorsports clinched the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro titles at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, making it a banner debut season for Corvette’s global GT3 program.
Based upon the Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 and sharing the road car’s aluminum chassis, the Corvette GT3.R is powered by a version of the Z06’s 5.5L DOHC LT6 V8 engine mated to a 6-speed sequential transmission. It rides on a motorsports-specific double-wishbone suspension system and a 6-piston front / 4-piston rear AP Racing braking system with unique cooling and quick-change capabilities.
While the spotlight shines on the drivers and the team, it’s also a proud moment for Forgeline, as the Corvette Z06 GT3.R rides on Forgeline one piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheels. Pratt Miller worked with the team at Forgeline Motorsports for several years to develop an application-specific version of our center-locking one-piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheel, engineered to deliver optimized performance metrics (mass, deflection, strength, and durability) specifically for the new Corvette GT3.R. And every Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06 GT3.R competes on 18×12.5 / 18×13 Forgeline one-piece forged monoblock SS1R-GT wheels finished in Gloss Black.
Congrats to Charlie, Rui, Hiroshi, the entire TF Sport team, and Team Chevy—and thank you for trusting Forgeline to help deliver your championship performance!