2026 Bathurst 12 Hour: Preview
- Tayla Purves
- 52 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Mount Panorama is one of the most iconic tracks globally, with the best action almost always guaranteed.
The mountain can be unforgivable - devastating for some, but for those who treat it right, the history books are unlocked.
The 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour is set to kick off this weekend, with an array of talented drivers heading out in some of the world’s fastest GT cars.
This year, the entry list is set to be the most exciting yet, giving Australia a taste of world-class excellence with the presence of talents and teams from across the globe.
36 cars will be competing across Pro, Pro Am, Silver, Bronze, GT4, and Invitational categories this Sunday.
115 drivers will represent 22 nationalities, with 9 former winners, for a whopping total of 15 Bathurst victories, making their return, including the 2025 champions, Augusto Farfus and Kelvin van der Linde. In addition, at least one winner from each of the last six races are set to take on the mountain once again in 2026.
From Australia, the talent pool has filled up with eleven current Supercars Championship drivers, while traveling talents bring copious amounts of both experience and success with them.
Entry list
GT3:
GT3 PRO
The GT3 Pro class is dedicated to the best of the best in sportscar racing, with most of the drivers here being platinum or gold rated.
Some of the big names competing in this class consist of Lee Holdsworth, Earl Bamber, Maximilian Götz, Valentino Rossi, Broc Feeney, Ryder Quinn, Chaz Mostert, and Brad Schumacher.
GT3 PRO AM
In Pro-Am if a car has three drivers, one has to have a Bronze ranking, and if there are four drivers - two of them must be Bronze ranked.
A selection of the biggest names in this class are Prince Jefri Ibrahim, Jordan Love, Alex Peroni, Prince Abu Baker Ibrahim, and James Golding.
GT3 SILVER
In GT3 Silver, there can be three or four drivers to a car for the 12 Hour, but each can either have a Bronze or Silver ranking.
A few of the standout names competing in this class are Garth Walden, Rylan Grey, and Bayley Hall.
GT3 BRONZE
In GT3 Bronze each car can have three - four drivers, all with a Bronze ranking.
Big names in this category include Grant Denyer, Antonio D’Alberto, Lorenzo Patrese, and Alex Fontana.
GT4:
The Class C GT4 is for the latest boom category in global GT racing - this class is a step down in performance and speed from its sister category GT3; this advantage means it is more financially accessible to race for both teams and drivers.
This class does have its own championship Australia, but shares the track at the 12 Hour.
INVITATIONAL:
The invitational category is filled with Australian designed and built MARC Cars racers, plus GT2 machinery and other unique machines. This class is for one-off or unclassified endurance racing cars that don’t fit into the established GT regulations.
Names included in this category include of the following; Gen Wood, David Crampton, Daniel Stutterd, Axle Donaldson, Trent Harrison, and Darren Currie.
The Bathurst 12 Hour has some of the biggest names in global motorsport, with the Australian Quinn family competing together in the Bronze class - a rich historic moment for both this race, and the family.
Jamec Racing Team MPC have made their plans clear, the team planning to fight once again for the victory in their furious Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.
Bathurst 12 Hour event director Shane Rudzis spoke to media at the end of last year:
“The Bathurst 12 Hour has always been fiercely competitive, whether the grid was 20 cars or 40 and remains one of the hardest endurance races in the world to win. But 2026 is shaping up to deliver one of our most competitive and diverse fields yet.
“Our slogan is ‘Where the World Comes to Race,’ and the 2026 edition couldn’t embody that more. With teams from 11 countries already confirmed, a broad mix of brands, and the debut of new teams and manufacturers, this year promises something truly special.”
Last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour consisted of many safety cars, revamping many teams’ chances at a strong finish in the race. Penalties were dished out throughout the day.
The No.77 Mercedes Craft-Bamboo racing took pole position with Lucas Auer at the wheel last year, giving the team a hot shot at prime position for a long day.
By the end of the day, the No.32 WRT BMW driven by K Van Der Linde, S Van Der Linde, and Augusto Farfus had won the event, followed by the sister car No.46 WRT BMW driven by Valentino Rossi, Charles Weerts, and Raffaele Marciello, and in third the No.75 Mercedes driven by Jules Gounon, Luca Stolz, and Kenny Habul.
In 2026, with returning successful drivers, the mountain is set to be a thrilling racing stake out, with 12 gruelling hours on a 6.213km track - a race you do not want to miss.
The Meguair’s Bathurst 12 Hour coverage commences this Sunday, February 15, starting at 5:30am AEDT.
Initial practice and qualifying action starts from February 13 7:20am AEDT - Supercars testing will also take place throughout the weekend prior to race day.
