GT World Challenge – Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Ferrari take title battle to final four
Three brands are competing for this year’s GT World Challenge powered by AWS title, with Mercedes-AMG currently leading Porsche, while Ferrari is rapidly catching up. Each of the four continental series has held at least one event in the past six weeks, with only one round left for the season. The title race is very close, as the German brands are performing strongly and the Italian brand is in good form.
The season resumed with a busy weekend on 29/30 August, featuring the only triple-header of the year across Asia, Europe, and America. The Audi R8 continues to show its dominance in GT3 racing, highlighted by Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom’s success at Okayama, where the Chinese drivers Yu Kuai and Cheng Congfu won Race 1 after a rival team made a poor tire choice. Audi then achieved a clean sweep in Race 2, with the sister car of Jaxon Evans and Andrés Pato narrowly beating the championship leader Lu Wei in a thrilling finish.
Later that same day, at the Nürburgring, Aston Martin won the three-hour Endurance Cup race through a strong performance by Comtoyou Racing. Team WRT’s BMW finished in second, while Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing secured third, marking its first podium in the Endurance Cup and adding to AMG’s points.
In America, Road America hosted its fifth event of the year, where Robby Foley and Justin Rothberg secured another win in their BMW, beating Mercedes-AMG teams. This victory helped AMG extend its lead in the championship to 52 points.
GT World Challenge action continued on 19/20 September in Australia and the Netherlands. In Australia, Kollosche AMG by Tigani Motorsport’s Oscar Targett and Shane Smollen achieved Mercedes’ eighth win of the season. Audi also claimed victory in Race 2 at the same event, further showcasing the strength of the R8.
At Zandvoort in Europe, Garage 59 and Emil Frey Racing both earned their first wins of the season, with McLaren and Ferrari respectively finishing strong. Ferrari performed particularly well, keeping up its momentum in the second half of the campaign, while Mercedes-AMG still held a 59-point lead over Porsche.
On 26/27 September, the GT World Challenge America had its second-to-last round at Barber Motorsports Park, where Matías Pérez Companc and Frederik Schandorff won in their Ferrari, marking the brand’s first win in the U.S. series since 2023. This victory added to the success of AF Corse, which had previously won in Europe.
The following week, both Asia and Europe held events, with Ferrari winning in Beijing due to strong performances from Liu Kaishun and Takuro Shinohara. The team faced challenges, including a car fire during testing, but persevered to secure good points. In the second race, Absolute Racing’s Lamborghini finished strong after overcoming difficulties earlier in the event.
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the penultimate round of the GT World Challenge Europe, with heavy rain impacting the first race. Here, Tresor Attempto Racing continued Audi’s success, winning Race 1. In Race 2, Ferrari scored its first-ever Sprint Cup one-two finish, closing the gap in the title race. Currently, Mercedes-AMG leads by just six points, while Ferrari has made significant gains in the standings.
As the season draws to a close, four rounds will determine the championship, with the GT World Challenge America finishing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 10/11 October, coinciding with the Intercontinental GT Challenge’s Indy 8 Hour. Europe will conclude with a three-hour race at Portimão on 17/18 October, where notable drivers, including Max Verstappen, will compete to earn points for AMG.
