Mercedes-AMG strengthened its position at the top of the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) standings after Round 2 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, while Maro Engel and Maxime Martin moved clear at the head of the drivers’ championship.
The German marque now leads the GT3 manufacturers’ standings with 64 points after a strong start to the season. Porsche follows on 55 points, while BMW sits close behind on 53. Ferrari and Ford share fourth on 10 points, and Chevrolet completes the table with three.
In the Drivers’ standings, Engel and Martin lead with 50 points each. Luca Stolz follows on 33, while BMW’s Max Hesse sits third on 30. Therefore, Mercedes-AMG holds both the leading drivers and the Manufacturers’ advantage after the opening two rounds.
Engel and Martin take control of the 2026 Drivers’ standings
Engel and Martin have built the strongest early title platform. Both drivers sit level on 50 points, and their position gives Mercedes-AMG a clear benchmark at the top of the standings.
Stolz adds further strength to Mercedes-AMG’s championship picture in second on 33 points. Hesse keeps BMW in the conversation in third, while Mikael Grenier and Fabian Schiller sit fourth on 25 points each.
That distribution matters. Mercedes-AMG does not only lead the standings through one standout result; it has placed several drivers near the front. As a result, the manufacturer has multiple contenders shaping the early drivers’ championship.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC): Standings after the Nürburgring 24 Hours (Round 2): Drivers
- Maro Engel / Maxime Martin – Mercedes-AMG – 50
- Luca Stolz – Mercedes-AMG – 33
- Max Hesse – BMW – 30
- Mikael Grenier / Fabian Schiller – Mercedes-AMG – 25
- Bastian Buus – Porsche – 22
- Laurin Heinrich / Ricardo Feller – Porsche – 21
- Dorian Boccolacci / Anders Fjordbach / Kerong Li – Porsche – 18
Sheldon van der Linde / Dries Vanthoor / Daniel Harper – BMW – 18 - Raffaele Marciello / Augusto Farfus / Valentino Rossi – BMW – 15
Laurens Vanthoor – Porsche – 15 - Maxime Oosten / Cunfan Ruan – BMW – 12
Michael Christensen / Joel Sturm – Porsche – 12 - Alessio Picariello / Matt Campbell – Porsche – 10
Dennis Olsen / Christopher Mies / Frederic Vervisch / Frank Stippler – Ford – 10 - Kenny Habul / Jules Gounon – Mercedes-AMG – 8
Marco Wittmann / Philipp Eng / Charles Weerts / Robin Frijns – BMW – 8 - Klaus Bachler / Daan Arrow / Patrick Assenheimer / Tobias Muller / Dylan Pereira – Porsche – 6
- Daniel Serra / Jaxon Evans / Davide Rigon / Jonathan Hui / Chris Froggatt / Ryan Wood / Lorenzo Patrese – Ferrari – 4
Kyle Tilley / Jake Hill / Patrick Kolb / Max Hofer – Porsche – 4 - Martin Rump / Ben Bünnagel / Alex Brundle – Porsche – 2
- Robert Renauer / Alfred Renauer / Ralf Bohn / Jongjyum Kim / Roelof Bruins / Steven Cho / Marco Seefried – Porsche – 1
Porsche builds pressure through depth
Although Mercedes-AMG leads the headline classifications, Porsche has assembled a broad points base. Bastian Buus sits fifth on 22 points, while Laurin Heinrich and Ricardo Feller follow closely on 21.
Dorian Boccolacci, Anders Fjordbach and Kerong Li also sit on 18 points. Laurens Vanthoor adds 15, while Michael Christensen and Joel Sturm contribute 12. Further down the order, Porsche has points from Alessio Picariello, Matt Campbell, Klaus Bachler, Daan Arrow, Patrick Assenheimer, Tobias Muller, Dylan Pereira, Kyle Tilley, Jake Hill, Patrick Kolb, Max Hofer, Martin Rump, Ben Bünnagel, Alex Brundle, Robert Renauer, Alfred Renauer, Ralf Bohn, Jongjyum Kim, Roelof Bruins, Steven Cho and Marco Seefried.
That spread gives Porsche an important advantage. Even without leading the drivers’ standings, the brand has several names in the points. Therefore, Porsche remains close in the manufacturers’ fight and can quickly close the gap if it delivers a stronger result in the next round.
BMW stays within striking range
BMW also remains firmly in the title battle. Hesse leads its charge in third with 30 points, while Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor and Daniel Harper sit level on 18.
Raffaele Marciello, Augusto Farfus and Valentino Rossi hold 15 points, while Maxime Oosten and Cunfan Ruan sit on 12. Marco Wittmann, Philipp Eng, Charles Weerts and Robin Frijns add eight points each.
Those numbers keep BMW only two points behind Porsche and 11 behind Mercedes-AMG in the manufacturers’ standings. As a result, BMW still has a realistic route back to the lead, especially if its top drivers convert consistency into a major points haul in the next round.
Ford and Ferrari sit level
Ferrari and Ford sit level in the GT3 manufacturers’ standings on 10 points. However, their points profiles look different.
Ferrari has a larger group of drivers on four points: Daniel Serra, Jaxon Evans, Davide Rigon, Jonathan Hui, Chris Froggatt, Ryan Wood and Lorenzo Patrese. Ford, meanwhile, has Dennis Olsen, Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch and Frank Stippler on 10 points each in the drivers’ standings.
That leaves both manufacturers with work to do. Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and BMW have already created a clear gap at the front, so Ferrari and Ford need stronger results soon to join the main championship fight.
Mercedes-AMG leads the manufacturers’ standings
Mercedes-AMG leads the GT3 manufacturers’ table with 64 points. Porsche sits second with 55, while BMW holds third with 53. The gap at the top gives Mercedes-AMG the advantage, but it does not yet give the marque full control of the season.
Porsche trails by nine points, and BMW trails by 11. Therefore, one strong round could significantly change the order. Ferrari and Ford share fourth, while Chevrolet sits fifth.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC): Standings after the Nürburgring 24 Hours (Round 2): GT3 Manufacturers
- Mercedes-AMG – 64
- Porsche – 55
- BMW – 53
- Ferrari – 10
Ford – 10 - Chevrolet – 3
Kerong Li dominates the Independent Cup
Kerong Li has taken command of the Independent Cup with 50 points for Porsche. His advantage looks especially strong because only Li participated in Round 2 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Kenny Habul sits second on 18 points for Mercedes-AMG, while Jonathan Hui holds third on 15 for Ferrari. Ralf Bohn follows on 12, with Prince Jefri Ibrahim fifth on 10 for Chevrolet.
Johannes Zelgar sits sixth on eight points, while Adrian D’Silva remains seventh on zero. However, with several rivals absent from Round 2, the Independent Cup picture could still shift if the chasing drivers return in the next events.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC): Standings after the Nürburgring 24 Hours (Round 2): Independent Cup
- Kerong Li – Porsche – 50
- Kenny Habul – Mercedes-AMG – 18
- Jonathan Hui – Ferrari – 15
- Ralf Bohn – Porsche – 12
- Prince Jefri Ibrahim – Chevrolet – 10
- Johannes Zelgar – Porsche – 8
- Adrian D’Silva – Porsche – 0
Note: Only Li participated in Round 2 (Nürburgring 24 Hours)
Round 2 sharpens the championship picture
The Nürburgring 24 Hours has created a clear early order in the 2026 IGTC season. Mercedes-AMG leads both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ standings, Engel and Martin have established themselves as the benchmark pairing, and Stolz gives the brand another strong championship position.
However, Porsche and BMW remain too close to ignore. Porsche has depth across the drivers’ table, while BMW has several major names inside the points. Both manufacturers can still challenge Mercedes-AMG if they turn consistency into bigger scores.
For now, Mercedes-AMG carries the momentum. Yet the standings show a championship that still has room to move, especially with Porsche and BMW sitting within reach after only two rounds.
