Quanloop EST1 Racing has signed Cypriot driver Eftihios “Tio” Ellinas to a three-year agreement, beginning with a full 2026 race programme in Porsche one-make competition.
The deal brings Ellinas back into a multi-series schedule with an Estonian-licensed team operating from its base in Barcelona, as part of a structured plan that starts in 2026 and is intended to build towards further steps on the Porsche ladder.
Ellinas, born in Larnaca on 27 January 1992, returns to the cockpit with a CV that spans the modern single-seater pathway and some of the most competitive one-make Porsche grids in Europe.
A full programme from the start
The opening phase of Ellinas’ new contract is a busy one. In 2026 he is set to contest three championships in parallel in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992):
- Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe
- Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux
- Porsche Carrera Cup France
The programme includes the team’s full schedule of tests and events across the year, with initial running already completed during an early outing in Barcelona in December 2025.
Proven Porsche record: Carrera Cup champion, Supercup front-runner
Ellinas arrives with a record that already includes top-level Porsche results.
In 2018, he won the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain (Pro) title. That season included one win, two pole positions, 13 podium finishes, and three fastest laps on the way to the championship.
A year later, in 2019, he finished sixth overall in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, the international series that supports Formula 1 at selected events. His season included two podium finishes and a fastest lap, delivering a championship position that underlined his ability to fight at the sharp end in a grid typically regarded as one of the hardest in one-make racing.
Background in single-seaters: wins in GP3 and World Series by Renault
Before establishing himself in Porsche competition, Ellinas built his reputation through the single-seater ranks.
In 2013, he finished fourth overall in the GP3 Series, taking two wins, one pole position, and three podiums. The same year also included participation in the FIA Formula 1 Young Driver Test at Silverstone, where he completed running as part of the official post-season programme.
In 2015, Ellinas competed in the World Series by Renault, finishing fourth overall with two wins, two pole positions, three podium finishes, and two fastest laps.
His earlier record also includes the MRF Challenge Middle East title in 2013, where he took three wins, three poles, and 10 podiums across the season.
Ellinas also made appearances in GP2 in 2014, with his best results including seventh on debut and a top-10 finish in Monaco.
What the team expects
Team Principal Raimo Kulli said Ellinas’ signing fits the team’s medium-term plan as it expands its programme across multiple championships.
Raimo Kulli, Team Principal, said:
“Tio brings proven results in Porsche racing and a strong background from the single-seater ladder. The plan is clear: get straight into a full programme and build from there.”
Ellinas:
“A full programme is exactly what I want”
For Ellinas, the emphasis is on returning to a structured, high-mileage season and putting immediate focus on performance.
Tio Ellinas said:
“I’m looking forward to getting back into a full programme. Racing across multiple championships is a serious workload, but it’s exactly what I want at this stage. I’m also proud to represent Cyprus internationally again.”
Next steps
Ellinas’ 2026 schedule is designed as the first chapter of a longer-term project under his three-year agreement, with the team already mapping out the progression it wants to make in the seasons ahead.
Further announcements on the wider 2026 race operation will follow separately.
