Förch Racing by Atlas Ward will join the International GT Open for the final three rounds of the 2026 season as the Polish squad prepares for a potential full-time programme in 2027.
The Bielsko-Biała-based team will make its first appearance at Hockenheim before continuing to Monza and Barcelona. It will field a Porsche 911 GT3 R for Bronze-rated pair Jakub Dwernicki and Tomasz Magdziarz, both of whom bring previous experience from GT Sport-promoted championships.
The programme marks a return to GT3 competition for a team better known in recent years for its success in Porsche one-make racing. Förch Racing previously made a single GT Open appearance at Monza in 2017, but now intends to use the closing stages of 2026 as preparation for a more substantial campaign next year.
Förch Racing returns to GT Open after nine-year absence
Förch Racing first appeared in GT Open almost a decade ago, when team founder Robert Lukas was still competing as a driver. The outfit has since concentrated much of its activity on Porsche one-make competition while building a strong record in Germany.
Lukas founded the team in 2010, making it one of the earlier Polish operations to compete internationally in GT racing. He has since retired from driving and now directs a programme that wants to rebuild its presence in GT3 machinery.
The team won the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland Teams’ Championship in 2020 and has collected several Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland titles, including the overall crown in 2022. Its wider endurance record also includes a class victory at the Dubai 24 Hours.
Those achievements provide a strong foundation as Förch Racing moves back into multi-manufacturer GT3 competition. The final three rounds of the season will allow the team to assess its operation against established GT Open rivals before deciding how to structure a full 2027 campaign.
Porsche 911 GT3 R to lead renewed GT3 programme
Förch Racing will use the Porsche 911 GT3 R for its return, maintaining the close association with the German manufacturer that has defined much of its recent racing history.
The switch from Porsche Cup competition to GT3 brings a more complex technical and sporting challenge, with greater aerodynamic performance, additional set-up options and a broader range of manufacturer competition. The team nevertheless enters the programme with significant experience of Porsche machinery and a long record of developing drivers within the marque’s racing ecosystem.
Lukas believes GT Open offers the right environment for the team to take that next step.
“We made a single appearance in the GT Open back in 2017, at Monza, when I was still driving but that’s a very long time ago! Our team has been quite successful with the Porsche Cup cars, but now we want to revive our GT3 programme, and the GT Open is the place where we want to be, hopefully for a full campaign next year. It’s a very competitive series, an ideal platform to continue growing for our Am driver pair and us as a team.”
The team’s late-season entry therefore serves a dual purpose, providing competitive mileage in 2026 while laying the groundwork for a larger commitment next season.
Dwernicki and Magdziarz form all-Bronze line-up
Dwernicki and Magdziarz will share the Porsche across the three-round programme, giving Förch Racing an experienced all-Bronze pairing for its GT Open return.
Both drivers are 48 and already have experience in series organised by GT Sport, reducing the amount of adaptation required from a sporting perspective. Their programme will centre on building familiarity with the Porsche GT3 package and establishing a working relationship with the team before any potential full-season effort.
Lukas specifically identified development as a major motivation behind the programme, describing GT Open as an ideal platform for the pair to continue progressing.
That approach means the final results at Hockenheim, Monza and Barcelona will represent only part of the team’s assessment. Förch Racing can also use the three weekends to refine operational procedures, strategy and engineering processes before potentially committing to every round in 2027.
Förch Racing brings history of developing talent
Driver development has formed a significant part of Förch Racing’s identity since its foundation.
The team has previously worked with several drivers who later established major international careers, including René Rast, Connor De Phillippi, Klaus Bächler and Dylan Pereira. Robert Kubica has also driven for the Polish operation during its history.
That record gives the team experience of working with competitors at different stages of their careers, although its latest programme focuses on developing an established Bronze pairing rather than introducing young single-seater graduates.
The move also broadens Poland’s representation within international GT competition. Förch Racing has long operated outside its home country and now has another opportunity to establish itself on a grid containing some of Europe’s leading GT3 teams.
Hockenheim begins three-round GT Open programme
Förch Racing by Atlas Ward will begin its 2026 GT Open campaign at Hockenheim before travelling to Monza and Barcelona for the final two rounds.
The compressed three-event programme should give the team a useful sample of different circuit characteristics. Hockenheim provides the first opportunity to establish a baseline with the Porsche, while Monza marks a return to the venue of Förch Racing’s previous GT Open appearance in 2017.
Barcelona will then close both the championship and the team’s initial programme, giving Lukas and his organisation an opportunity to evaluate whether the foundations are in place for the planned full campaign in 2027.
For Förch Racing, the final three rounds therefore represent more than a late addition to the 2026 grid. They mark the beginning of a renewed GT3 project that the Polish squad hopes will develop into a full-time presence in GT Open next season.
