As reported by Sportscar365, Proton Competition has withdrawn from this weekend’s Michelin 24H Barcelona following a biking accident involving Jörg Dreisow, ending the defending champions’ hopes of retaining the Michelin 24H European Series title.
The German squad had been due to field its #73 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo for Dreisow, Lucas Wolf, Manuel Lauck and Porsche-contracted driver Joel Sturm in the season finale at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
However, Dreisow remains in recovery following the accident and will not be able to compete, prompting Proton to withdraw the car entirely. Sportscar365 reported the decision on Thursday.
Proton’s title defence ends before Barcelona finale
The withdrawal brings Proton’s 2026 campaign to an early conclusion at a decisive point in the championship.
The #73 Porsche entered the Barcelona weekend 22 points behind overall championship leader GetSpeed Team JR286 and also sat second in the GT3 Pro-Am standings. With the 24-hour race carrying more points than the preceding 12-hour rounds, Proton still had an opportunity to challenge for both titles before its withdrawal.
Barcelona awards up to 60 points compared with 40 at the four 12-hour races earlier in the season, leaving several championships open heading into the finale.
Proton’s absence therefore removes one of the principal contenders from the GT3 title fight before track action begins.
Dreisow unable to compete after accident
Dreisow described the decision to withdraw as particularly difficult given Proton’s status as the reigning champion.
“For us as defending champions in the 24H Series, it was a very difficult decision to withdraw from the 24H Barcelona” said Dreisow.
He explained that his recovery had to take priority over the championship finale.
“But sometimes there are things that are more important than motorsport: I had a bike accident and therefore cannot compete, as I still need to recover. Many thanks to the entire team for their hard work throughout the season, which we would have loved to crown with a top result in Barcelona.
“With the class wins at Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring, we can once again look back on strong results this year – we will return next year confident and motivated.”
The team has not provided further details regarding Dreisow’s condition beyond confirming that he still requires time to recover.
Strong results without an overall victory in 2026
Proton arrived at the final round having shown strong pace throughout the season without converting that performance into an overall victory.
The team claimed GT3 Pro-Am class wins at both the 12H Spa-Francorchamps and 12H Nürburgring, keeping itself firmly in the championship picture heading into Barcelona.
It had also led during the 12H Paul Ricard earlier in the campaign, with Dreisow, Lauck, Constantin Dressler and Sturm taking the #73 Porsche to the front during the opening half of the race.
Despite those performances, an outright win had eluded Proton this season.
That left the team needing a strong Barcelona result to overhaul GetSpeed Team JR286 in the overall standings and strengthen its position in GT3 Pro-Am.
Proton had enjoyed Barcelona success in 2025
The withdrawal is particularly disappointing for Proton given its success at the same event last year.
The team claimed a class victory at the 24H Barcelona in 2025 as part of the campaign that ultimately delivered the Michelin 24H European Series teams’ championship.
Its return to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya therefore represented an opportunity to defend both that result and its championship crown.
Instead, the team will end its season without taking the start in the only 24-hour race on the 2026 European Series calendar.
Barcelona grid reduced following withdrawal
Proton’s absence also reduces the final entry for the season-ending race.
DailySportsCar reported on Friday that 33 cars are now set to compete, including 13 GT3 entries, alongside cars from the 992, GTX, GT4 and touring-car categories.
The event concludes a European Series season that has already visited Mugello, Spa-Francorchamps, Paul Ricard and the Nürburgring, with Barcelona serving as the sole 24-hour contest and carrying the largest points allocation of the year.
Qualifying begins on Friday before the race starts on Saturday morning.
For Proton, however, the season is already over. Its two class victories ensure the team leaves 2026 with significant results, but Dreisow’s accident has denied the defending champions the opportunity to fight for another title at the final round.
