Andrade no longer attempting double-duty
Rui Andrade will not, in fact, attempt to race in both Portimão and Barcelona this weekend, with the Angolan having been replaced by Marcos Siebert in the #19 Team Motopark Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
Siebert previously raced for Team Motopark in the International GT Open from 2023 to 2024, and has made one previous GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup start, at the 2025 24 Hours of Spa with AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors.
Andrade, meanwhile, will focus his efforts around the #79 Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 category.
Pla replaces Rougier at CSA Racing
Jim Pla has replaced Arthur Rougier in the line-up for the #111 CSA Racing McLaren GT3 Evo, with Rougier still recovering from an injury sustained following an opening lap incident in the Sprint Cup finale at Barcelona earlier this month.
“The contact at the start in Barcelona left me with a wrist sprain,” Rougier stated on social media.
“We’ve tried everything possible to get me back on track in time, and we kept pushing until the very last moment hoping I could still make it work.
“Unfortunately, the pain is still too significant for me to perform at 100%, so we’ve had to make the difficult decision to sit this one out. This is why we waited until now to share the news, as we really wanted to give it every chance.
“Nothing too serious in the long run, hopefully just a few weeks to get back to full strength.”
Pla previously competed for CSA Racing last season in the Sprint Cup and at the 24 Hours of Spa, teaming up with Rougier and his new co-drivers for this weekend Simon Gachet and James Kell at the latter.
Al Harthy loving GTWC Europe return
Oman Racing by Century Motorsport’s Ahmad Al Harthy is making his first start at Portimão since his LMGTE days this weekend, with the Omani racer driving the #42 BMW M4 GT3 Evo in the Bronze Cup.
“The last time I was here, I was in the GTE car,” he told DSC.
Specifically, a TF Sport-run Aston Martin Vantage AMR, aboard which he participated in both the European Le Mans Series’ 2022 4 Hours of Portimão and the FIA World Endurance Championship’s six-hour race the following year, with Al Harthy finishing second in class in the former event.
Yesterday’s pre-event test, therefore, offered Al Harthy the opportunity to re-learn the 4.6-kilometre layout, with him now piloting very different machinery.
“It’s a roller coaster,” he exclaimed.
“Just such an amazing track to drive. You hardly have time to breathe, and it’s one of the coolest tracks I come to. It’s always great to be here in Portugal.”
The 45-year-old has enjoyed a solid 2026 campaign, headlined by a podium finish at Monza, although a disastrous 24 Hours of Spa, where the car failed to score having been involved in a multi-car opening lap accident, means that the #42 BMW enters the finale out of the championship equation.
“Spa was just what it was,” Al Harthy reflected.
“We got caught up with all the action that was not in our control, and from there it was very difficult, on the back foot from the first minute, and that’s the heavy one because it’s where it really counts.
“But I think we were really happy with our pace at the Nürburgring, and hopefully we have a very nice final run here.”
Despite this misfortune, Al Harthy has enjoyed his return to GT World Challenge Europe this season, with the two-time Pro-Am Drivers’ Champion having – outside of a double-programme in 2024 – focused instead on racing elsewhere since his last title success in 2019.
“I’m always very happy to be back where it all really began for me,” he said.
“Every time you come back here, the competition is much higher. The level is unbelievable, and it’s always a pleasure to race against so many competition cars.
“The Bronze class is maybe the second most competitive after Pro in terms of car numbers and real pace in terms of the outfits involved. I’m really happy with my performance over the races. We had one podium, but we look more into other stuff.”
One particular joy for Al Harthy has been the opportunity to work alongside a pair of young drivers. 26-year-old Calan Williams won the Silver Cup Drivers’ title in the Sprint Cup in 2024 before spending last year on the sidelines, whilst 22-year-old Javier Sagrera has made his first steps into the sportscar world this season.
“We’re rebuilding the team again in a way, with young drivers in the car, so it’s been a huge learning curve for us in terms of this new line-up,” Al Harthy acknowledged.
‘The experience of GT racing is what I’m trying to give to them. Calan and I have shared a car in the past [at the 2024 24 Hours of Spa]. For Javier, it’s the first time in a GT3 championship, so it’s a lot of learning, and I’m trying to share anything I know that can help.
“Obviously, I learn a lot from them. They’re young, they’re fast as well, so it’s great to have this dynamic in the team. Also, being with Century, these guys run an amazing job. They’re totally dedicated to what they do. It’s been amazing to have been working with them.”
KTM GT2 set for 2027 Evo
A surprise find in the paddock has been a KTM X-Bow GT2 bearing ‘Evo 2027’ branding, with the Austrian brand yet to announce such an Evo kit will be applied to the car.
The GT2 Evo 2027 was located in front of the KTM team awnings yesterday, but has since been moved to a more prominent position in front of the SRO hospitality unit.
You’ll be able to read more about the 2027 Evo kit on DSC in the coming weeks.
Mercedes-AMG heads Thursday testing
Mercedes-AMG machinery led the way in both of yesterday’s pre-event test sessions, which proceeded the commencement of official on-track running with Free Practice 1 this morning.
In the two-hour pre-event Paid Test, which 60 of the 61 runners participated in, Fabian Schiller was fastest aboard the #17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed AMG GT3 EVO.
Schiller set a 1:42.974, ending the session 0.102 seconds clear of the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing AMG of Chris Lulham.
HRT Ford Racing’s Arjun Maini was third fastest aboard the #64 Ford Mustang GT3 Evo, ahead of the #84 Eastalent Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II of Markus Winkelhock and Jack Hawksworth’s #59 Garage 59 McLaren GT3 Evo.
Loek Hartog was fastest in the Silver Cup aboard the #54 Dinamic GT Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2). The Dutchman is not entered into this weekend’s race, but turned laps with the Italian team as part of his role as a driver coach.
The #58 Garage 59 McLaren of Tom Fleming topped the Gold Cup, with Marvin Dienst fastest in the Bronze Cup aboard the #87 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG.
The #63 TGI Team by GRT Lamborghini Temerario GT3 was the one car which abstained from the test.
The Bronze Test was then headed by the #222 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO of Charles Dawson, who was 0.372 seconds faster than fellow countryman Darren Leung, who was piloting the #991 Paradine Competition BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
Dustin Blattner was third in the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, ahead of the #269 High Class Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2) of Max Moritz and the #12 GetSpeed Team Dubai Mercedes-AMG of Gabriel Rindone.
The 60-minute session offered the rare sight of GT3 and GT2 machinery sharing a European circuit, with it also acting as the GT2 European Series’ pre-event test.
Philippe Prette was the fastest GT2 runner aboard the #1 LP Racing Maserati, only 1.347 seconds off Dawson.
The Ligier JS2 RS was fourth in its maiden GT2 Europe session, with Audunn Gudmundsson only 0.549 seconds off Prette aboard his #77 High Class Racing machine.
Images courtesy of SRO/JEP and Dailysportscar
