We are half an hour away from the start of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS season opener, the six-hour Endurance Cup race at Circuit Paul Ricard.
This is the starting grid. There are no grid penalties. An * indicates the starting driver.
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Pole positions per class:
🔘 Pro (P1): No. 48 Winward Mercedes-AMG
🟡 Gold (P2): No. 58 Garage 59 McLaren
⚪️ Silver (P13): No. 21 Comtoyou Aston Martin
🟤 Bronze (P34): No. 91 Herberth Porsche
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
Lucas Auer, Maro Engel and Luca Stolz grab pole position at Paul Ricard with an average time of 1:53.622, 0.054 seconds under the Gold Cup Garage 59 McLaren. The Pro car of Garage 59 ends up fourth behind the Comtoyou Aston Martin and ahead of the Lionspeed GP Porsche.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
The final Friday session ended with a crash for Bashar Mardini, hitting the barriers in the first sector. The driver of the No. 89 Porsche of Lionspeed GP is okay.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
There were three Red Flags in FP2. The No. 18 Comtoyou Aston Martin of Lance Stroll and the No. 32 WRT BMW of Kelvin van der Linde both ground to a halt with mechanical problems.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
Fabian Schiller topped the Friday at Circuit Paul Ricard with a lap time of 1:54.624 in Free Practice 2 behind the wheel of the No. 17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG. Jules Gounon was quickest in FP1, after posting a 1:54.690 in the Verstappen Racing machine.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
Consequences of Behaviour Warning Points per driver:
3⃣ BWP = 5-place grid penalty
5⃣ BWP = 10-place grid penalty
7⃣ BWP = Drive-through penalty
9⃣ BWP = Stop-and-go penalty
1⃣2⃣ BWP = One-event suspension
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There were 53 Behaviour Warning Points handed out and 439 stewards' decisions in the 2024 season of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS.
It went up to a total of 152 Behaviour Warning Points and 768 stewards' decisions across the 2025 season.
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The basic format effectively remains the same: three segments - though now split into two groups -, with the aggregate time for each car establishing the grid. This system has been in place in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS since 2018.
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Each qualifying session in the Endurance Cup will be split into two groups, one for Pro and the Gold Cup and another one for the Silver Cup and Bronze Cup, to limit traffic. The SRO had already introduced this format in the Sprint Cup.
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For the entire 2026 season of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, the Pre-Qualifying practice session is no more. Instead there will be a 'normal' Free Practice 2 session. Restrictions on running plans for teams have been removed.
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The minimum refuelling time at Circuit Paul Ricard is set at 43 seconds. The maximum refuelling time for a short stop is 3 seconds.
The maximum driving stint will be 61 minutes, which is extended to 66 minutes in case of a Full Course Yellow or Safety Car.
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Stefano Costantini is a late replacement for Daniil Move in the Ziggo Sport Tempesta Porsche.
Colin Caresani will substitute for Ralf Aron, who continues to recover from injuries sustained in a crash in the #B12hr, aboard the Grupo Prom Mercedes-AMG.
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razoon - more than racing have a completely different line-up than previously confirmed. Denny Berndt, Leo Pichler and Luca Rettenbacher out of the Silver Cup will be replaced by Bronze Cup trio Dominik Olbert, Benjamin Paque and Gerhard Tweraser.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
It's 58 cars - of which 17 in Pro, 9 in Gold, 15 in Silver and 17 in Bronze - for GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS at Paul Ricard. The 75 Express AMG and one of the Kessel Ferraris went missing. The Pro class Walkenhorst Aston was withdrawn.
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❌ WALKENHORST WITHDRAWN: The No. 34 Pro class Aston Martin will not take part at Circuit Paul Ricard after a major crash in the Prologue for Jamie Day, who fortunately was unharmed. He was supposed to race with Henrique Chaves and Christian Krognes.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
The session ended prematurely for Walkenhorst Motorsport and Jamie Day. Following a big shunt in Turn 7, the Aston Martin driver went to the medical centre for checks, but turned out to be okay. Comtoyou Racing's Mari Boya suffered a crash in Turn 2.
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1⃣ #84 Eastalent - 1:54.352
2⃣ #2 Boutsen - 1:54.635
3⃣ #80 Lionspeed - 1:54.641
4⃣ #91 Herberth - 1:54.708
5⃣ #17 GetSpeed - 1:54.723
6⃣ #99 Tresor - 1:54.963
7⃣ #48 Winward - 1:54.978
8⃣ #3 Verstappen - 1:55.088
9⃣ #4 Optimum - 1:55.100
1⃣0⃣ #97 Rutronik - 1:55.117
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The No. 84 Audi R8 LMS Evo II of Eastalent-Racing closed out the Prologue at Circuit Paul Ricard at the top of the boards, courtesy of a 1:54.352 of Christopher Haase, followed by the Porsches of Alessio Picariello, Ricardo Feller and Robert Renauer.
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Lance Stroll en liberté conditionnelle cette semaine au Paul Ricard
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Lance Stroll (Comtoyou Racing) : « Tout le monde aime piloter une GT3 »
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Weekly Preview in Motorsports - Week 15 on RaceDay!
#WRC #CroatiaRally
#MXGP #MXGPSardegna
#NASCAR
#GTWorldEurope #GTWorld
#ELMS #4HBarcelona #LMC
#NLS #Nürburgring
#FerrariRaces
#SupercrossLIVE #SMX
#FormulaDRIFT
#RepcoSC #Supercars
#SUPERGT
Lance Stroll, who is making his GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS debut this week, wasn't the only familiar Formula One face in Le Castellet today.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
1⃣ #80 Lionspeed - 1:54.682
2⃣ #23 RJN - 1:54.762
3⃣ #84 Eastalent - 1:54.768
4⃣ #97 Rutronik - 1:54.804
5⃣ #17 GetSpeed - 1:54.818
6⃣ #3 Verstappen - 1:54.844
7⃣ #44 Greystone - 1:54.925
8⃣ #89 Lionspeed - 1:54.960
9⃣ #2 Boutsen - 1:54.974
1⃣0⃣ #9 Pure - 1:54.990
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Thomas Preining posted the fastest lap of the first Prologue day at Circuit Paul Ricard - a 1:54.682 aboard the No. 80 Porsche of Lionspeed GP, which he shares with Bastian Buus and Ricardo Feller -, edging out Ben Dörr's McLaren by 0.080 seconds.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
Christopher Haase: « Le GT World Challenge Europe est la F1 du GT »
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Vincent Abril se confie longuement à Endurance-Info après l'annonce de sa retraite professionnelle
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⚪️ SILVER ENTRY FOR SAINTÉLOC: Étienne Cheli, Ivan Klymenko and Ezequiel Pérez Companc will share the No. 25 Silver Cup Audi of Saintéloc Racing in GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup powered by AWS. Didier André and Grégory Guilvert are no longer in.
📸 SRO/JEP | #GTWorldEurope
Endurance-Info a délocalisé son #podcast Track Limit à Toulouse chez Specialized pour rencontrer Jules Gounon et évoquer la carrière du Français
#WEC #GTWorldEurope #DTM #MercedesAMG #Alpine
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❌ TWO CARS MISSING AT LE CASTELLET: The No. 8 Kessel Ferrari of Alessandro Cutrera, Marco Frezza and David Fumanelli as well as the 75 Express AMG of Dominik Baumann, Hadrien David and Kenny Habul will not take part in the #GTWorldEurope season opener at Paul Ricard.
📸 SRO
