GTWC Europe set for December entry deadline
GT World Challenge Europe is set to bring forward its entry deadline for the 2027 season, as a response to the sustained high level of interest in joining the GT3-only series.
The SRO Motorsport Group-organised series has, in recent years, announced its entry list in February or March, but looks set to follow the likes of the FIA World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series in moving its entry deadline to prior to New Year.
This is so that teams who do not make the final cut have increased time to organise alternate plans for their 2027 programme, with the grid once again looking likely to be heavily oversubscribed.
“We have enough cars for two series,” SRO founder and CEO Stéphane Ratel declared to reporters at the 2026 season finale at Portimão.
“What we have to do is a very early registration, because I’ve had teams in my life and I know how difficult it is to put a budget together and to be ready.
“And when you do the effort, have the driver, sponsor and car, and in February you’re told that you can’t have an entry it can put your business in danger. So we will do an early entry in December, where we need the entry fee and the names of the drivers.
“It’s important that by the middle of December we publish the list. Teams can then decide and go somewhere else if they don’t have all the cars they want.”
Ratel also reaffirmed that priority for 2027 will be given to GT World Challenge Europe’s current squads, although he described a promotion/relegation system as “an interesting option” for the long-term should interest in GT World Challenge Europe remain at its current level.
Car Collection considering GTWC Europe entry
Amongst the teams interested in contesting next year’s GT World Challenge Europe season is Car Collection Motorsport, which made a pair of outings at the 24 Hours of Spa and Portimão this year with its #8 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2).
“Our participation in Portimão was also an important test ahead of a possible full programme in the series next year, in which we are very interested, as it is the best and strongest GT3 racing series for us,” team manager Romina Schmidt said after the season finale in Portugal.
Porsche & Mercedes-AMG set to battle for GTWC Manufacturers’ crown
Only four races remain in the 2026 GT World Challenge season, with the season finales in Asia and Australia set to settle the destination of the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Mercedes-AMG has won all seven previous titles, but has work to do in Shanghai and Adelaide, with the three-pointed star currently trailing Porsche by 40 points.
Porsche has surged into the lead over the past two events, with 66-point hauls at both the Indianapolis 8 Hour and GT World Challenge Europe event at Portimão reversing a six-point deficit to Mercedes-AMG.
Mercedes-AMG can bank on the GT World Challenge Australia round at Adelaide to close the margin, with AMG having outscored Porsche in every GTWC Australia race so far this season, with this weekend’s GTWC Asia event at Shanghai set to determine the gap which Mercedes-AMG will need to close on the streets of South Australia.
Ferrari, at 151 points behind, also remains in mathematical contention.
Magnussen & Davies win McLaren Trophy Europe title
Callum Davies and Luca Magnussen have won the 2026 McLaren Trophy Europe Pro Drivers’ crown by the narrowest of margins, with the pair defeating Joshua Mason and Michael O’Brien by just 0.5 points across the 10-race campaign.
The #23 Paddock Motorsport McLaren Artura of Davies and Magnussen suffered a major blow in Race 1 at the season finale at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal, after earning a 40-second time penalty for pitting outside of the mandatory window which initially dropped them outside of the points-paying positions before post-race penalties promoted them back to seventh.
In Race 2, the #1 Greystone GT entry of Mason and defending Drivers’ champion O’Brien – which had retired after contact in Race 1 – charged from 11th on the grid to finish second. The #23 McLaren, meanwhile, was running sixth in the closing stages when Magnussen was assessed a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits.
The Dane, son of sportscar legend Jan and brother of current BMW M factory driver Kevin, therefore had to manage the margin to the cars behind. Magnussen finished 5.628 seconds ahead of Lourenço Monteiro on the road, effectively winning the Pro Drivers’ title by 0.628 seconds.
It is the first car racing title for both Magnussen and Davies, claimed through consistency after the pair went winless but recorded five podium finishes and no retirements.
Target Racing’s Largim Ali also played a key role in the title fight, leading the standings on the road in the finale before retiring with braking issues with just six minutes remaining.
SMC Motorsport won its second Teams’ Championship in the past three years, whilst Erik Behrans and Alejandro Geppert were the dominant Pro-Am Drivers’ Champions. Charlie Martin won the Am Drivers’ title, with David Coelho victorious in the Papaya Cup standings.
Woods to make Mustang Cup Australia debut
GWR Australia has entered a second Ford Mustang Dark Horse R into the final round of the 2026 Mustang Cup Australia season at Sandown.
23-year-old Zoe Woods will race the #210 Mustang, with the Sydney-born racer making her series debut.
Woods, who tested a Mustang Dark Horse R at Queensland Raceway earlier this year, finished fourth in the Silver Drivers’ standings in last year’s GT4 Australia.
“I’m definitely looking forward to my first Mustang Cup Australia race at Sandown this weekend,” said Woods. “I was actually told by the family on my birthday that this had been arranged, so that was really cool to hear that it was all locked in.
“My first impression of driving the Mustang in testing was overwhelmingly positive, and I love the Sandown circuit – it is one of my favourites – so I can’t wait to get out there competitively.
“Our main objective at Sandown is to keep it clean and, above all, have fun. Driving a brand-new Mustang chassis will feel phenomenal and I can’t wait to press on with GWR and learn as much as I can throughout the weekend.”
Woods joins Ben Kavich in the GWR Australia stable for Sandown.
“It’s great for GWR to have two Mustangs locked in for the final round,” said team owner Garth Walden.
“Having enjoyed our first outing with Mustang Cup Australia at Sydney, our goal was to run multiple cars in 2027, so to have Zoe onboard with the team for the last round is a real coup.”
The final round of the 2026 Mustang Cup Australia season will take place at Sandown this weekend from 30th October to 1st November.
Images courtesy of SRO/JEP, McLaren Trophy Europe and Mustang Cup Australia
