Comtoyou Racing has announced its full driver line-up for this year’s GT World Challenge Europe season, with the Belgian outfit set to field three Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evos in both the Endurance and Sprint Cups.
In the Endurance Cup, Aston Martin factory drivers Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen and Mattia Drudi all return to the Pro #007 Vantage AMR GT3 Evo for the third consecutive season. The trio won the 2024 24 Hours of Spa together, earning both Comtoyou and Aston Martin’s first victory at the event, and were in the mix for another win last year when mechanical woes struck overnight.
Thiim will also pilot the #007 Aston Martin in the Sprint Cup, meaning he is set to compete for the outright GT World Challenge Europe drivers’ title for the first time in his career. Here, he will share the car with 2025 Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy winner Kobe Pauwels, who won the Silver Cup drivers’ championship with Comtoyou in the Sprint Cup last season.
This effort marks a return to the Pro class in the Sprint Cup for Comtoyou Racing, which last featured in Pro in the Sprint Cup during the team’s first year with Aston Martin in 2024.
Pauwels is the only returnee to Comtoyou’s #21 Silver Cup entry in the Endurance Cup, with him being joined by Oliver Söderström and Sébastien Baud this year.
Söderström is moving across from fellow Aston Martin team Walkenhorst Motorsport, with whom he won the Silver Cup at last year’s 24 Hours of Spa, whilst Baud is returning to a full Endurance Cup campaign after two seasons spent competing in FIA WEC’s LMGT3 category.
In the Sprint Cup, Söderström will share the car with sportscar debutant Arthur Dorison, who finished as runner-up in last year’s FFSA F4 French Championship.
Comtoyou’s line-up is completed by the #11 Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, which is entered into the Bronze Cup. Series rookies A.J. Muss and Kyle Marcelli will share the car with Marcelo Tomasoni, who raced for BMW Italia Ceccato Racing last term, in the Endurance Cup.
Both American Muss, who competed in snowboarding at the 2018 Winter Olympics and raced in the GTDX class of IMSA’s VP Racing Sportscar Challenge last year, and multi-time IMSA GTD race winner Marcelli, are making the switch to European racing having focused on North America so far in their respective careers.
Tomasoni also features in the #11’s Sprint Cup line-up, alongside his 2025 Endurance Cup co-driver Felice Jelmini.
“We have further strengthened our ties with our partner Aston Martin for this third year of collaboration, and we are delighted about it,” said team owner Jean-Michel Baert.
“I sincerely hope that we will be able to demonstrate the true value of our package and fight on equal terms with our competitors. Our car, our line‑ups, and our team are a real rocket. We’re among the best, and we fully intend to prove it again this year, just as we always have when given the opportunity.
“Based on our latest discussions with all involved parties, I am very confident heading into this new season, and I deeply hope that this year we will succeed in combining the professionalism and passion that drive us all!”
The 2026 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup will begin at Circuit Paul Ricard on 10th and 11th April 2026.
Images courtesy of Comtoyou Racing and SRO/JEP
