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gt2/gt3/gt4 series

japan cup

gt$ european series

gt3 revival series

Field of 70 GT3 cars divided into five classes, with 10 manufacturers represented

Brand-new Qualifying and Superpole format to be introduced at 2026 edition

Packed 10-day motorsport festival includes music from Dimitri Vegas and many other activities

Tuesday May 19th- A quartet of full-season driver pairings are clustered within just 74 points at the top of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. That margin is the closest among the top four in any of IMSA’s four classes through the first four race weekends of 2026.

The 78th CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (24-28 June) promises to be exceptional. Presented today (Tuesday 19 May) during the first day of the official Prologue, this year’s entry list includes 70 GT3 cars and promises an incredible sporting contest between the biggest names in global sportscar racing.

In addition to a general presentation of the event, the press conference also allowed organiser SRO Motorsports Group to unveil a new format for Qualifying and Superpole. With just 36 days to go before the Parade reaches Spa city centre, the countdown is well underway.

Quality and quantity guaranteed

The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is unquestionably the biggest GT race in the world. This is underlined each year by the strength of the entry list, and 2026 is no exception.

Indeed, the field achieves an impressive balance of entries across all five classes, each of which is distinguished by its driver line-up. There will be 18 cars in Pro, nine in the Gold Cup, 16 in the Silver Cup, 19 in the Bronze Cup, and eight in Pro-Am.

These entries are spread across 10 prestigious manufacturers. Porsche will be the best-represented brand with 16 cars, followed by Mercedes-AMG with 11. BMW, Ferrari, and McLaren will each field eight cars, while the other contenders for victory are Aston Martin (7 cars), Audi (6), Corvette (2), Ford (2), and Lamborghini (2).

The big news this season comes from defending winner Lamborghini, which will field its new Temerario GT3 in a 24-hour race for the very first time. Also of significance, Ferrari, Ford and Porsche will bring upgraded cars to chase victory.

The current entry list includes more than 250 drivers representing 43 nationalities and five continents. Among them are no fewer than 15 former winners. Last year's triumphant trio of Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler all return, though they are now spread across three different cars.

Other big names include two-time winner Jules Gounon, who will represent Verstappen Racing, as well as Valentino Rossi, Arthur Leclerc, Raffaele Marciello, Nicki Thiim, and the four winners of last weekend’s Nürburgring 24 Hours: Maxime Martin, Luca Stolz, Maro Engel, and Fabian Schiller.

Five teams and more than 20 drivers to fly the Belgian flag

Though the event is fully international, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa also retains a strong connection to its Belgian roots. Among the teams entered, fans will recognise Comtoyou Racing, winner of the centenary edition in 2024; Team WRT, which triumphed in 2011 and 2014; and Boutsen VDS, which begins a new chapter this year with Porsche.

In addition to this trio – all of whom compete full-time in GT World Challenge powered by AWS – two other Belgian squads will also be on the starting grid. Haas Racing Team will contest the 24 Hours for the third consecutive year and will field three Belgian drivers in its Audi. Based just a few kilometres from the circuit, the Mühlner Motorsport team returns to the event for the first time since 2011 and has Vanina Ickx on its crew.

In total, 21 drivers will represent Belgium this year. Among them are several international stars. Maxime Martin conquered the 24 Hours in 2016 and has already won the Bathurst 12 Hour and the Nürburgring 24 Hours this year. Porsche driver Alessio Picariello (2nd in 2025) and BMW representative Charles Weerts (2nd in 2021 and 3rd in 2024) will aim to climb the top step, while young talents Gilles Magnus, Ugo de Wilde, Matisse Lismont, Amaury Cordeel, Gilles Stadsbader, Jef Machiels, Lorens Lecertua, Baptiste Moulin, and Benjamin Paque should also receive plenty of support.

Among the biggest crowd favourites of all is Sarah Bovy. A former class winner at her home race, she will lead an all-Belgian quartet entered by Comtoyou Racing. One thing is certain: local heroes will be out in force at the 2026 edition.

Good to know

Knockout Superpole

On the sporting side, a new Qualifying procedure will be introduced this year. Three groups will be formed during Thursday evening’s regular Qualifying session to minimise the impact of traffic. Each will have 10 minutes on track, with Bronze and Pro-Am drivers, Silver and Gold drivers, and finally Pro drivers, running in that order. The average time of the drivers in each group will determine the initial line-up

At 15:25 on Friday afternoon, the 32 fastest cars from Qualifying will participate in a knockout Superpole session. After 10 minutes, the 16 slowest will be eliminated, and the remaining drivers will compete in a seven-minute session. The top eight will then have another seven-minute session to determine the final four, who will battle it out with a single flying lap to determine this year’s pole-sitter.

An automotive festival

The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is much more than a race: it's a ten-day automotive festival. Following a sensational 2025 edition that attracted 128,000 spectators, SRO Motorsports Group has further enhanced its offering to provide fans with an exceptional experience.

The programme will begin with SRO Speedweek, held one week before the 24 Hours. Free for the public, this race weekend will host the FFSA French Championships (GT, Formula 4, and Touring Car), the British GT Championship, the GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli, the Porsche Carrera Cup France, and the Mitjet France Trophy.

After testing on Tuesday, the first major event will be the traditional parade on Wednesday 25 June. At 18:00, the cars entered in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, along with competitors from the support series and several exceptional vehicles, will travel from the circuit to Spa city centre via the national highway, which will be lined with spectators for over 10 km. The drivers will then take part in an autograph session and pose for selfies with fans amid a truly unique atmosphere.

In addition to the 24 Hours competitors, the support series will take to the track from Thursday, including the GT4 European Series, GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli, Lamborghini Super Trofeo, and McLaren Trophy Europe. All told, this will bring nearly 200 more GT cars to the circuit.

Dimitri Vegas headlines international music event.

As ever, music will be a central element of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, with live performances planned for Thursday and Friday. Then, on Saturday evening, while the GT3 cars climb Raidillon, the traditional electro night will keep the crowd dancing into the small hours. While a few surprises are still in store, it has already been announced that Belgium’s international superstar Dimitri Vegas will headline the event.

Well before the concert, the Fan Village at the foot of Raidillon will have already come alive on Thursday with a funfair, a Ferris wheel, a Kids Zone, all kinds of shops, simulators, and numerous bars and restaurants.

A unique experience

With an expanding range of ticket options – including exclusive experiences such as helicopter flights, VIP access and Grid Walks – the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is an event not to be missed.

The party continues in the paddock and the campsites. There's no chance of being bored for a second with so many activities, including exhibitions of new models and supercars, meet-and-greets with drivers during autograph sessions, the traditional Parade, Pit Walk and Grid Walk, plus a wide variety of bars and restaurants.

The atmosphere is truly unique. Enthusiasts mingle with families and groups of friends, children have fun in the Kids Zone, while adults enjoy the funfair or the Ferris wheel. Add to that an aerial display, drift demonstrations, and a fireworks show, and excitement is guaranteed.

To keep fans entertained during the month leading up to the event, the full programme of activities will be revealed in the coming weeks. So, are you ready to experience the world's biggest GT race from the inside?

ENTRY-LIST

Grid grows significantly for second round of new retro series

First-time entries include Nissan GTR and McLaren MP4-12C

Races set for Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May at Spa Classic, organised by Peter Auto

The GT3 Revival Series returns to action this weekend (23/24 May) to stage the second event of its debut season, which takes place as part of Spa Classic.

As the venue for the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the Ardennes circuit is synonymous with GT3 racing. By 2011 it had become the premier class at the twice-around-the clock contest, helping to establish Spa as the world’s biggest GT race. Indeed, many of the cars featured in the GT3 Revival Series forged their reputation at the 24 Hours.

Now, they will join a sensational line-up of machinery at Spa Classic. Created in 2011 by Peter Auto, the event has grown to become one of Europe’s leading historic meetings, with around 500 drivers and 370 cars expected at this year’s edition. The 2026 programme includes a fantastic array of vintage sports prototypes, touring cars and sportscars spanning more than half a century.

Here’s what to look out for when the GT3 Revival Series hits the track at Spa-Francorchamps.

Saga continues with third collector’s edition poster for 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa,Verstappen Racing’s Mercedes-AMG takes on changing weather at Spa-Francorchamps and The world's greatest GT race to thrill spectators from 24 to 28 Jun

The enduring legend of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit has been forged by its layout, its surroundings, a history spanning more than a century, and of course its weather. Located in the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, its climactic conditions are more variable than other circuits. This reputation is perfectly captured on the third collector's edition poster for the upcoming CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, which will take place from 24 to 28 June.

Once again, artist Guillaume Lopez has encapsulated the intensity of the world's greatest GT race, placing us at the epicentre of the action. On a track saturated by rain, the Verstappen Racing team's Mercedes-AMG is shown in full attack mode, defying the conditions while awaiting the return of the sun, which is heralded by a brightening horizon. With its instantly recognisable colours – and just a few weeks after Max Verstappen's own participation in the Nürburgring 24 Hours – this Mercedes-AMG is sure to be a fan favourite at Spa-Francorchamps.

In addition to being the world's biggest GT race, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is a truly unique event which offers fans of all ages an unforgettable experience – one that goes far beyond the realm of motorsport. The atmosphere is more akin to a festival, with all kinds of entertainment and the guarantee of an exceptional outing for the whole family. Wednesday's parade – when the cars competing in the 24 Hours and the support series take the main road into Spa city centre – is a must-see, attracting more than 10,000 spectators each year. This is the first opportunity for fans to connect with the combatants, but there are many more to come, including a paddock open to everyone (with the appropriate ticket), pit walks, autograph sessions, a track walk, and more.

Music lovers are also in for a treat, with Dimitri Vegas headlining the Saturday night concert. Those who appreciate exceptional cars will be spoiled for choice with supercar displays, while children and adults alike can enjoy themselves in the Fan Zone, which features a funfair, a Ferris wheel, a kids' area, merchandise stands, simulators, bars, and restaurants. This 24-hour race is an event best experienced throughout the week, and the public knows it: last year, a grand total of 128,000 spectators made the trip.

If you want a taste of what the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa has to offer, the annual Prologue will be free to attend on 19 and 20 May. For two days, the teams participating in the Belgian endurance classic will be hard at work on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, preparing for the twice-around-the-clock race. The entry list for the 2026 edition will also be revealed during the Prologue.

Those who haven't yet secured their 24 Hours ticket can purchase one during the Prologue at a sales point located behind the F1 Paddock garages, at the foot of the Pit Building. Remember that the full range of tickets is also available on Ticketmaster. So, are you ready to experience the magic of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa?

PREVIEW: MAX ATTACK! EYES OF THE WORLD ON ADAC RAVENOL 24H NÜRBURGRING

IGTC leaders Engel, Martin and Grenier split between Winward and PROsport

Verstappen headlines event’s record SP9 entry

The 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge ramps up a notch next weekend at the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring where 26 of the 41 SP9 (GT3) entries are eligible to score IGTC points.

SRO’s globe-trotting GT3 series makes its third appearance at the Nordschleife after first visiting in 2024. This season’s edition follows Mercedes-AMG’s victory at the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour in February, and also represents the first of two twice-around-the-clock GT3 races in a little over one month. The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa follows at the end of June.

Make no mistake: this is the most hotly anticipated GT3 race in recent history – and possibly ever – thanks to the buzz surrounding Max Verstappen’s participation. That alone does not fully explain the record number of SP9 entries, nor the most cars overall (161) since 2014. But there is no doubt the four-time FIA Formula 1 World Champion’s presence has increased interest significantly.

The Green Hell’s showpiece event poses a very different test to anything else, anywhere. 23 classes, significant speed discrepancies between categories, no Safety Cars, 300,000 spectators and a circuit as legendary as it is long makes 24h Nürburgring a spectacle like no other in world motorsport.

No wonder Max is so keen to be a part of it.

Five of Intercontinental’s six manufacturers are represented this year. Porsches account for half of the 26 eligible points scorers, championship leaders Mercedes-AMG boast six, BMW and Ford both have three, and Ferrari just the one. There’s also a single IGTC Independent Cup entrant, Kerong Li, whose High Class Racing squad sensationally finished second overall at Bathurst.

There are moments in history where those involved know they are witnessing something significant. More often than not, however, the full importance of those events only becomes clear in time.

The latter best describes the inaugural FIA GT3 European Championship meeting at Silverstone on 6/7 May 2006. To most observers it seemed like the launch of yet another GT category. Few if any knew they were on the ground for the birth of a global racing phenomenon.

One man who might have had an inkling is Stéphane Ratel, whose SRO concern organised the FIA GT Championship and would lead the charge with GT3. The motivation was twofold: tackle soaring budgets and better serve amateur drivers, then as now the backbone of GT racing.

"The cost of GT2 had become unsustainable and it was being dominated by two manufacturers," explains Ratel. "We had a lot of interest from teams and from tuners, which convinced us to launch a standalone series rather than integrate GT3 as a class within the FIA GT Championship.

"At the same time, we introduced a number of features – such as the sprint format of two one-hour races, with each car shared by two drivers – which had been pioneered in the Lamborghini Super Trophy. So we had a sense that it could be successful."

Among its key innovations, GT3 would make use of existing car models, thus saving manufacturers considerable investment, and their performance would be balanced to maintain parity. Ratel took the concept to the FIA and received full backing from then-president Max Mosley.

In December 2005 a launch event was held in Monte-Carlo and, less than six months later, the first race exclusively for GT3 cars was held at Silverstone as part of the circuit’s Supercar Showdown. Headlined by the FIA GT Championship, the weekend featured further support races from Ferrari Challenge and the Maserati Trofeo, bringing around 150 GT cars to the British venue.

Among the teams to sign up for the inaugural FIA GT3 season was Barwell Motorsport, which remains active in the category today. Barwell also participates in the GT3 Revival Series, giving team boss Mark Lemmer a panoramic view of the GT3 category.

"Unlike just about every other fledgling series, this was unique because of Stéphane’s requirement for six cars per manufacturer," recalls Lemmer, whose team ran a trio of Aston Martin DBRS9 in ‘06. "We had close to 50 cars on the grid for the first ever race, which was absolutely mind-blowing."

The final entry stood at 44 cars, with eight manufacturers represented at Silverstone. Aston Martin (DBRS9), Corvette (Z06), Ferrari (430 Challenge), Lamborghini (Gallardo) and Porsche (997 GT3 Cup) remain active in the discipline today, while Ascari (KZ1R), Dodge (Viper) and Maserati (GranSport Light) were there for the launch.

Among the Ferrari entrants was the familiar British GT pairing of Hector Lester and Allan Simonsen, who along with their engineer John Buchan, had joined forces with Monegasque squad JMB Racing. Buchan takes up the story.

"JMB had two cars and they were having difficulty finding a third, so Stéphane suggested we talk. Hector and I met up with them on a test day at Dijon and decided to go ahead with it. The next time we saw them was at Silverstone.

"I prepared our car in Scotland and brought it down. We converted it to GT3 spec, which was basically a different bumper, a splitter, and a rear wing; I think that's about all. Then we gave it a go, and Allan put it on the front row."

A word on drivers. It would be fair to say that Max Verstappen’s recent GT3 exploits are the equivalent of Michael Schumacher racing GT cars two decades ago, but Schumi would not have been permitted to race in FIA GT3. The series effectively prohibited professionals, with the grid predominantly made up of amateurs alongside a handful of rising stars such as Simonsen and eventual champion Sean Edwards.

"This was very much aimed at the gentlemen drivers," says Ratel. "We put rules in place about levels of experience and skill, including the exclusion of works drivers and those with a strong single-seater career."

An exception was made for three-time Le Mans winner Klaus Ludwig, who was accepted on the basis of his age. The 56-year-old may not have been the youngest driver on the grid, but he was still quite capable of being the fastest, which he made very clear by taking pole position for the opening race. Simonsen came within 0.133s of matching the veteran German ace but had to settle for second.

The rules mandated that the faster driver from each crew – invariably the pro – must start Race 2, and so it was Lester who occupied the JMB-run 430 for the inaugural contest. Rain was falling when the cars got underway, and this contributed to a collision that sent Lester into a spin on the first lap.

A pair of Dodge Vipers dominated the opening phase, but the momentum shifted again during the second half of the hour-long race when the track began to dry. Watching this unfold as he prepared to take over behind the wheel of the recovering Ferrari, Simonsen was feeling lucky.

"He suggested we go on to slicks, though it looked too wet," recalls Buchan. "The first few laps seemed to be quite tentative. Then he just drove to the lead."

Buchan’s matter-of-fact description sums it up perfectly: with his tyres coming up to temperature and the track crossing from wet to dry, Simonsen may as well have been driving a GT1 car. The Dane was 10 seconds a lap faster than the leaders and pulling off overtakes at will.

A handful of others had also gambled on slicks, but even they could not stop Simonsen’s charge to the front. On the penultimate lap he deposed Edwards' Porsche to win the first-ever GT3 race.

"I was passing four or five cars a lap, so that was fun!" said Simonsen afterwards. "This championship is fantastic; I mean, who thought that 44 cars would be here for the first round?!"

The JMB Ferrari very nearly made it a clean sweep in Sunday's second contest, which was wet for the duration. Simonsen took the start from 16th but had bolted to the lead by lap four. Lester was two seconds clear at the start of the final tour only to be baulked through Becketts by a slow-moving Corvette. Andrea Ceccato snatched the win in his Viper, sharing the spoils with Stefano Livio.

With a huge grid and two races that were decided on the final lap, the event had been an enormous success. But, as Lemmer recalls, there were still a few creases to iron out.

"Prodrive had underestimated where this car needed to be, so for that first race we had an H-pattern manual gearbox and five-stud wheel nuts! They quickly realised that this wasn't going to cut the mustard. To their credit, Prodrive reacted brilliantly and by the time we got to the next race, we had single hub wheel nuts and a six-speed sequential gearbox."

While it had been entertaining, it was by no means obvious that this was the future of sportscar racing. FIA GT3 had been positioned as a series predominantly focussed on amateur drivers and with teams rather than manufacturers playing the pivotal role.

But to use the modern parlance, GT3 was about to go on a journey. The ingredients that made it popular from the very beginning – not least the parity between such a large number of manufacturers – would make it an increasingly attractive prospect. Two decades later, it does not simply dominate GT racing: it defines it.

Images: Jakob Ebrey Photography

Special Indonesian-inspired livery for early leaders Huang and Ghiretti

2025 Mandalika winners Lu and Picariello amongst chasing pack

Sun, sea and supercars! Following a triumphant first outing 12 months ago GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS returns to the tropical island of Lombok this weekend for Rounds 3 and 4 at the coastal Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit.

Home favourite and series debutant Sean Gelael makes his first-ever competitive appearance at Indonesia’s 4.3km-long, 17-turn MotoGP venue where Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti will be eager to extend their early championship lead.

Recent results suggest they will be amongst the favourites. Absolute Racing’s new pairing and 911 GT3 R Evo won first time out at Sepang, while Porsches – albeit entered by Origine – cleaned up at Mandalika last season.

Changes amongst the pro ranks include Japanese duo Yuichi Nakayama and Kimiya Sato joining Porsche Center Okazaki and 5ZIGEN, Loek Hartog and Klaus Bachler replacing their Porsche counterparts at Phantom and Absolute, and Jesse Krohn teaming up with KRC.

The entry list features six of the 10 global GT World Challenge manufacturers – Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche – as well as Nissan, while six drivers are battling for SRO GT Academy points and a prize drive at the 2027 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

A packed weekend of on-track action includes BRZ, Superstar Sportscar Series, Time Attack and Krida Agya OMR, while both GT World Asia races, as well as qualifying, are live on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel and app.

japan cup

gt$ european series

gt3 revival series

2026 JAPAN CUP SCHEDULE

29 MAY 2026

31 MAY 2026

Monza

Italy

Round 2

25 JUN 2026

27 JUN 2026

Spa-Francorchamps

Belgium

Round 3

17 JUL 2026

19 JUL 2026

Misano

Italy

Round 4

18 SEP 2026

20 SEP 2026

Zandvoort

Netherlands

Round 5

Event Info

Save Date

2026 GT4 Australian Series

LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Queensland

Australia

Round 5 & 6

24 JUL 2026

26 JUL 2026

LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Darwin

Australia

Round 7 & 8

18 SEP 2026

20 SEP 2026

LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Sydney

Australia

Round 9 & 10

30 OCT 2026

01 NOV 2026

LIQUI MOLY GT Festival Sandown

Australia

Round 11 & 12

MAY 2026

17 MAY 2026

Championnat de France FFSA des Circuits - Dijon-Prenois

France

Manche 2

20 JUN 2026

21 JUN 2026

Spa SpeedWeek

Belgique

Manche 3

01 AUG 2026

02 AUG 2026

Events

10 APR 2026

12 APR 2026
Circuit Paul Ricard

France
Round 1
- Event Info
- Save Date
29 MAY 2026

31 MAY 2026

Monza

Italy
Round 2
- Event Info
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25 JUN 2026

27 JUN 2026

Spa-Francorchamps

Belgium
Round 3
- Event Info
- Save Date
17 JUL 2026

19 JUL 2026

Misano

Italy
Round 4
- Event Info
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18 SEP 2026

20 SEP 2026

Zandvoort

Netherlands
Round 5
- Event Info
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16 OCT 2026

18 OCT 2026

Portimao

Portugal
Round 6
- Event Info
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  2026 GT2 European Series

20 JUN 2026

21 JUN 2026

Spa Speedweek

Belgium

Round 3 & 4

18 JUL 2026

19 JUL 2026

Misano

Italy

Round 5 & 6

19 SEP 2026

20 SEP 2026

Zandvoort

Netherlands

Round 7 & 8

17 OCT 2026

18 OCT 2026

2026 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Central

1 March 2026 Sebring, FL

14 March 2026 Braselton, GA

25 April 2026 Sonoma, CA

26 April 2026 Sonoma, CA

22 May 2026 Lakeville, CT

20 June 2026 Speedway, IN

27 June 2026 Elkhart Lake, WI

18 July 2026 Watkins Glen, NY

19 July 2026 Watkins Glen, NY

5 September 2026 Bowmanville, ON, Canada

19 September 2026 Alton, VA

7 November 2026 Austin, TX