Iron Lynx has revealed its drivers for the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship, as the Italian outfit returns with a pair of Mercedes-AMG LMGT3s.
The #61 features the returning Martin Berry and Maxime Martin, alongside new signing Rui Andrade.
Berry is set to embark on his first full FIA WEC campaign, having only competed in the championship from Round 3 onwards in 2025, with the programme a late addition to his planned European Le Mans Series assault with the team.
“Our Bahrain podium showed we have the pace to fight at the front, and that’s exactly what we’re coming back to do – fight for the championship,” Berry said. “Great to have Rui joining Maxime and me. We built a solid foundation in 2025, now it’s about taking the next step.”
Mercedes-AMG factory driver Martin is entering his second season with the marque, having joined from BMW at the end of 2024.
“The 2025 season has been a challenging one with a new car for the championship and a new manufacturer for me and the team,” the Belgian admitted.
“It was tough, but it all came together with a great ending and P2 in Bahrain. We really improved all season, and it got better and better. I’m really looking forward to being back with Iron Lynx to continue the work we have started and to be able to fight for podiums and be in the game for the championship”
2023 LMP2 drivers’ champion Andrade, meanwhile, joins Iron Lynx following two seasons with TF Sport, during which he won at Fuji earlier this year and fought for the LMGT3 title.
In the renumbered #79 AMG, FIA WEC rookie Johannes Zelger joins Lin Hodenius and Matteo Cressoni.
Zelger has been a regular in Porsche machinery since starting his racing career, with the 46-year-old climbing the ranks through both one-make and GT3-spec 911s. In 2025, he contested the Asian Le Mans Series and International GT Open with Tsunami RT.
“Honestly, I’m quite astonished thinking that I began my racing career only four years ago in 2021, and it’s incredible to be about to begin my first season in the world’s top endurance championship,” Zelger commented.
“I really can’t wait to jump in the car in Qatar! The decision to commit to the team and the project was very easy to take: the vibes were great straight away. My goal is to grow step by step with the help of my teammates Matteo and Lin and to improve the pace to reach some good results as the season progresses.”
Hodenius, who competed alongside Martin and Berry last season, has moved across to the sister car for his sophomore campaign, whilst Cressoni returns having missed the majority of the 2025 season.
The Italian, a regular at Iron Lynx since the team was founded, lost his drive after the opening two FIA WEC rounds, following a significant reshuffle in its driver line-up triggered by the team’s much publicised financial difficulties.
“I’m very happy to continue in the family,” Cressoni said.
“I have been competing with Iron Lynx since the very beginning, but it will also be a new challenge with new teammates. I’m happy to partner with Johannes. I know him since his very first steps in racing, and we are great friends, plus he’s quick and really promising. I’m looking forward to racing with Lin, who’s a young, fast and reliable driver. We have everything we need to make steady progress, and we hope to deliver some good surprises throughout the year!”
Iron Lynx had a challenging 2025 campaign in the FIA WEC, as it gave Mercedes-AMG its championship debut. The team scored a best finish of eighth across the opening seven races, until a podium for Berry, Martin and Hodenius at the final round at Bahrain offered a glimpse of the potential that the programme has to offer.
Team principal Andrea Piccini commented: “We are delighted to get to work again ahead of the 2026 season and to introduce our full driver lineup.
“We are happy to welcome Johannes to our team. His performance in the Bahrain rookie test was impressive, and despite not having a lot of mileage with the car, he showed real potential.”
Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, added: “We are delighted to be entering our second FIA WEC season with Iron Lynx. 2025 was challenging, but we made steady progress and were rewarded with a strong second place in Bahrain which was an impressive proof of the hard work put in by the entire team. We can build on that. In 2026, we will do everything we can to fight for victories together.”
