Click here to view the Circuit Paul Ricard entry list
GT World Challenge powered by AWS hits the track next weekend with a six-hour race at Circuit Paul Ricard. Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 opener. For tickets and event info, please click here.
The champions are back with a brand-new car
Rutronik Racing claimed last year's Endurance Cup title – the first for Porsche – in dramatic fashion. It has taken on a fresh challenge this year, linking up with Lamborghini to field the new Temerario GT3.
The Italian machine is one of the biggest stories of 2026, and it's also being run by TGI Team by GRT. The defending CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winner knows Lamborghini inside out and has Mirko Bortolotti – the brand’s longest serving factory driver – on its crew.
A debut win would be a remarkable achievement for the Temerario, but the car is certain to be a major attraction regardless of the result.
The established front-runners are favourites for victory
The new Lamborghini faces a stern test at Circuit Paul Ricard. The pre-event favourite is BMW, which has won this race back-to-back. Its trio of Pro cars comprises a pair from Team WRT and another from ROWE Racing, while the drivers include Raffaele Marciello, Kelvin van der Linde, and Valentino Rossi.
Mercedes-AMG will also be a contender with three factory-supported cars, including a new addition from Verstappen Racing. And, after a stellar 2025, Garage 59 is well placed to capture McLaren’s first title in a decade.
Porsche, Ford and Ferrari all have upgraded machinery
While Lamborghini is the only brand with a new model this term, Ferrari, Ford, and Porsche have all introduced upgraded cars.
Among those entering 2026 with revised machinery, watch out for the #51 AF Corse Ferrari and the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche, both of which are stacked with factory drivers and could emerge as victory contenders.
Ferrari will be targetting wins and a title challenge with its 296 GT3 EVO.
The grid features 59 cars, 10 brands, and over 30 rookies
The same 10 brands that competed last year are back in 2026. They are Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
Porsche tops the charts with 10 cars, while Mercedes-AMG is a close second with nine entries. Audi, BMW, Ferrari and Porsche have a car in all four classes, while Corvette is the only brand relying on a single car.
We also have more than 30 series rookies on the grid, including the impressive trio of Lance Stroll, Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya aboard the #18 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin.
Big grids are the norm in GT World Challenge.
We'll crown a new Gold Cup champion this year
With Verstappen Racing moving up to the Pro class, we'll see a new Gold Cup champion crowned this term – and there are some very serious contenders. ROWE Racing combines a trio of BMW factory drivers, while last year's Circuit Paul Ricard winner, CSA Racing (below), and Porsche newcomer Boutsen VDS should also feature.
Paradine Competition joins the class and has BTCC legend Ashley Sutton among its drivers. But the narrow favourite – at least for the opener – is Garage 59. The British squad won overall at the final race of 2025 and its McLaren always performs well at Circuit Paul Ricard.
.jpg)
The unchanged CSA line-up of (left to right) Kell, Gachet and Rougier should be a contender this season.
As usual, the Silver Cup is impossible to predict
Each season brings an influx of new drivers to the Silver Cup, making it the hardest class to predict.
A few crews stand out. GetSpeed Team BartoneBros has added Aurélien Panis and Cesar Gazeau, while HRT Ford Racing brings reigning ADAC GT Masters champion Finn Wiebelhaus to the party. SRO GT Academy winner Gaspard Simon also joins the Endurance Cup grid, driving an Aston Martin for Walkenhorst Motorsport.
There are many other teams that could win at Circuit Paul Ricard: Rinaldi Racing, Dinamic GT, Pure Rxcing, AF Corse to name just a few. We’ll need to watch the opening round before we have a firm idea of the competitive order.
Gazeau and Panis (left and right) have switched from Boutsen VDS to GetSpeed Team BartoneBros
Kessel Racing is favourite to retain its Bronze Cup title
Kessel Racing dominated the Bronze Cup last year and the Ferrari squad is hot favourite to win again in 2026. Dustin Blattner and Dennis Marschall continue, while the addition of Lorenzo Patrese strengthens their crew further.
But there are plenty of strong line-ups ready to topple the Swiss outfit. Paradine Competition is a proven winner and has BMW factory ace Dries Vanthoor among its drivers for the opener. There are Mercedes-AMG entries from top teams like GetSpeed and Winward Racing, and don't rule out former class champion Ziggo Sport Tempesta with its new Porsche.
In short, Kessel may be the favourites, but they definitely won't have it easy.
Catch them if you can... Kessel Racing begins 2026 as favourite to retain the Bronze Cup crown.
The schedule for this event is unique
There’s plenty of track action coming up during race week. For the first time, the traditional pre-season Prologue runs immediately before the opening race, with sessions taking place throughout Wednesday and again on Thursday morning.
The ‘weekend’ officially begins on Friday, which features the Bronze Test (09:00) and Free Practice sessions at 14:25 and 19:25. Qualifying runs at 12:05 on Saturday, followed by the six-hour main event running from 18:00 through to midnight.
Click here to see the full timetable.
Expect fireworks – on and off the circuit.
Did you know....
This will be the 14th time that GT World Challenge has raced at Circuit Paul Ricard. The series first visited in 2012 and has been back every year since. Originally a three-hour race, it adopted its popular six-hour format in 2015 and – with the exception of 2024 – has retained it ever since. The distance record for the event – 1,056 kilometres and 183 laps – was set in 2023.
Usually a spring or early summer event, in 2020 the race was run in November following the Covid pandemic.