GWR Australia/RAM Motorsport will return to GT World Challenge Australia for the first time since 2024 later this weekend, with it set to field a single Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in the final two rounds of the season.
Michael Sheargold and Brett Hobson will share its #45 AMG GT3 EVO in the Am Cup at Sydney and Adelaide.
Sheargold was part of the team’s line-up the last time it raced in GT World Challenge Australia, winning the 2024 Am Sprint Cup drivers’ title alongside team boss Garth Walden, before electing to downsize his racing programme for 2025.
“It’s been two years since my last GTWC round and I’ve missed it – it’s nice to be able to come back to a circuit I know pretty well at SMSP and then Adelaide is one of the best events on the Australian motorsport calendar, I’m under no illusions about where the field is at, but I’m looking forward to it enormously,” said Sheargold.
“I’ve always intended to get back on track when the circumstances were right, and I’m in a good spot now, so a couple of rounds at the end of 2026 felt like a fun hit out.
“Brett and I have done a bit of endurance racing together – Dubai 24 Hour, Bathurst 12 Hour – but never a GTWC round. He’s a great mate and there is plenty I can learn from him, we had tried to stitch a full season together in 2025 and it didn’t come to fruition, so we were both keen to finally get in the car together for a few rounds of GTWC.
“The AMG is a known quantity and GWR prepare it properly. Testing went well – I’ve been out of the car a long time and I was happy with where I got back to by the end of the day. There’s more to find, it’s not quite like riding a bike but let’s just say I haven’t forgotten everything!”
Hobson, meanwhile, last competed in GT World Challenge Australia in 2023.
Since then, he has finished third in the GT3-Am class of the 2025 24H Series Middle East Trophy alongside Sheargold and Justin McMillan, and most recently was part of GWR Australia/RAM Motorsport’s Pro-Am winning crew at this year’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
“After being sidelined last year due to an issue with our driver pairing and then this year to some unforeseen issues we thought it was a great time to re-visit our racing venture together to try and start aligning a program for next year,” said Hobson.
“After a three-year hiatus from the series I feel I was losing touch with my racing ability and needed to get back in the seat or I was running the risk of becoming somewhat washed up. I’m really looking forward to getting back racing with the series and feel this will be a good test run the make sure that I have not lost any of my ability in a GT car.”
GWR Australia/RAM Motorsport will make its GT World Challenge Australia return at Sydney Motorsport Park on 18th to 20th September 2026, before also contesting the season finale at the Adelaide Street Circuit on 26th to 29th November.
Image courtesy of GT World Challenge Australia
