GT World Challenge Europe: GetSpeed Claims Maiden Overall Victory in Portimão as Auer and Engel Crowned Champions

GT World Challenge Europe: GetSpeed Claims Maiden Overall Victory in Portimão as Auer and Engel Crowned Champions

The 2026 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season concluded with high drama at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed produced a sensational performance in a record 61-car grid, with Ralf Aron, Maximilian Götz, and Fabian Schiller guiding the #17 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO from second on the grid to overall victory. A perfectly executed overcut pit-stop strategy allowed Aron to emerge in the lead during the middle stint, which final-stint driver Schiller successfully defended until the chequered flag. This marked GetSpeed's first overall win in the series, as well as the first career GTWCE victory for Aron and Schiller, and Götz's first SRO endurance win since 2013.

Lionspeed GP's #80 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO driven by Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining, and Bastian Buus finished second overall, 5.062 seconds behind the winners, while Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci, and Alessio Picariello completed the overall podium for Boutsen VDS in the #2 Porsche (+5.411s).

Despite a 14th-place finish following an unprovoked collision, Lucas Auer and Maro Engel (#48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER) were officially crowned overall GT World Challenge Europe Drivers' Champions for the second time as a duo (following their 2024 title). The championship was confirmed on Friday after Winward Racing's appeal against their Misano Sprint Race 2 disqualification was upheld. Winward Racing had also mathematically wrapped up the Endurance Cup Team Championship prior to the start of the race.

One of the standout drives of the afternoon came from Max Verstappen in the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry. After serving a drive-through penalty, Verstappen delivered an impressive final stint, carving his way through 15 positions to bring the car home in ninth overall alongside teammates Ben Barnicoat and Christopher Lulham.

Event Overview

  • Event: GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup (Season Finale)
  • Track: Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (Portimão)
  • Series: Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS

Overall Podium

  • 1: Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed (Pro Cup) – Ralf Aron, Maximilian Götz, Fabian Schiller – Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO (94 Laps, 1:44.190)
  • 2: Lionspeed GP (Pro Cup) – Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining, Bastian Buus – Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO (+5.062s)
  • 3: Boutsen VDS (Pro Cup) – Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci, Alessio Picariello – Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO (+5.411s)

Class Winners

  • Gold Cup: Selected Car Racing (#71) – Frederik Schandorff, Malte Ebdrup, Simon Birch – Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO (4th overall, +7.692s)
  • Silver Cup: Team WRT (#30) – Amaury Cordeel, Matisse Lismont, Ignacio Montenegro – BMW M4 GT3 EVO (5th overall, +14.406s)
  • Bronze Cup: 2Seas Motorsport (#222) – Kiern Jewiss, Charles Dawson, Reece Barr – Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO (13th overall, +22.913s)

Championship Titles

  • Overall Drivers' Champions: Lucas Auer & Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG / Winward Racing)
  • Endurance Cup Drivers' Champions: Lucas Auer, Maro Engel & Luca Stolz
  • Endurance Cup Team Champions: Winward Racing

Photo credits: Mercedes-Benz Media