GT World Challenge Europe Preview: Barcelona
The GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE) Sprint Cup is poised to finish with a bang, as teams and drivers converge on Barcelona for the finale, where champions will be crowned in three classes.
Zandvoort provided a pivotal weekend for the GTWCE Sprint Cup championship, with two great races that changed the dynamic across all classes, alongside the crowning of Team WRT’s No.30 entry as Silver champions. Now things are set for a massive showdown, as the Overall, Gold and Bronze driver titles will be settled on Spanish tarmac.
Entry list
44 cars, divided into 14 Pro, eight Gold, 12 Silver and 10 Bronze entries, will take on the pair of Barcelona races this weekend. The main story regarding the entries is the absence of the No.914 Razoon – more than racing Porsche, which leaves the field a car short of its Zandvoort size.
There also will be a couple of line-up tweaks, as Mikkel Pedersen will once again race for Pure Rxcing’s No.9 Porsche alongside Alex Malykhin, while Swede Gustav Bergstrom will race for Lionspeed GP’s No.89 Porsche Bronze entry, partnering Nicolas Baert.
The full entry list for the upcoming GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Zandvoort event can be found here.
Championship standings in the Sprint Cup
Heading into the Sprint Cup season finale, the battle for the Overall title undoubtedly dominates the news and the public discourse. After a solid Race 2 at Zandvoort, which gave them a second place, the No.80 Lionspeed GP duo of Bastian Buus and Ricardo Feller lead the standings with 59 points.
They will have to give their best to claim the title, though, for there are at least three other credible contenders, alongside a couple of others, still in with a shot.
Verstappen Racing’s Dani Juncadella enters his home event in second place with 53 points, tied with the No.50 AF Corse Ferrari pair of Arthur Leclerc and Thomas Neubauer, only six points away from the lead, with two upcoming races that give 16.5 points each for the win.
Team WRT’s defending champions Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts sit fourth after yet another disappointing (and pointless) weekend at Zandvoort with 49.5 points, with Winward Racing’s Maro Engel and Lucas Auer in fifth place with 42 points, as Emil Frey’s Thierry Vermeulen and Ben Green are sixth with 40.
In Gold, Tommaso Mosca and Matias Zagazeta are poised to be crowned champions, as the No.51 Ferrari AF Corse teammates head the standings with 96.5 points, 21 more than second place Tom Fleming and Louis Prette of Garage 59.
Finally in Bronze, Ziggo Tempesta Racing’s No.93 drivers, Eddie Cheever and Peter Dempsey lead the points table, after their double win at Zandvoort, leading Winward Racing’s Rinat Salikhov and Marvin Dienst by six and a half points, in a fight worthy of note.
The track
A motorsport staple since its opening in 1991, ahead of the following year’s Olympic Games, the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit has been mostly known as the home of the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix, as well as for hosting numerous two and four-wheel racing championships.
A popular testing ground, Barcelona poses a technical challenge, requiring precision and concentration, as well as finding the balance in the team approach. Overtaking opportunities, though, are limited, especially for GT3 cars, with Turn 1 and 10 providing the best chances.
Schedule for the weekend
Track action begins on Friday, 2 October 2026, with Free Practice 1 taking place at 09:00 local time (08:00 BST) and Free Practice 2 following at 13:55 (12:55 BST).
Saturday, 3 October 2026, brings the first Qualifying session at 09:45 local time (08:45 BST), which will set the grid for Race 1, scheduled for 14:00 local time (13:00 BST).Sunday, 4 October 2026, follows the same structure, with Qualifying 2 taking place at 11:10 local time (10:10 BST) and Race 2 at 16:00 (15:00 BST).
Both Qualifying and the Race will be free to watch for everyone on the GTWorld YouTube channel, as will the supporting series’ races, with McLaren Trophy Europe, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and GT3 Revival series action on offer.
Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
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