Brendon Leitch and Sergio Pires claimed their second GT World Challenge (GTWC) Australia victory of the 2026 season in Race 2 at Queensland Raceway, moving to the top of the standings in the process.
Leitch seized the lead at the opening corner in the #44 Geyer Valmont Racing by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO before building a sizeable advantage. Pires then completed the result after the mandatory pit stop, finishing one second ahead of Ryan Wood and Steve Brooks in the #88 Team BRM/Wolfbrook Motorsport Audi R8 LMS EVO II. Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte completed the podium in the #26 ARGT Ferrari 296 GT3.
2026 GTWC Australia: Queensland Raceway: Race 2: Leitch takes the lead at Turn 1
Oscar Targett started from pole position in the #56 Kollosche AMG by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, with Leitch alongside him on the front row.
However, Leitch launched strongly and wrestled the lead away at the first corner. He immediately began to pull clear, while Targett came under pressure from Broc Feeney in the #1 Kelso Electrical Team MPC Audi and Wood in the #88 Team BRM/Wolfbrook Motorsport entry.
Further back, Alex Peroni produced one of the strongest starts in the field. The #268 Team BRM Audi driver climbed from last to eighth during the opening lap.
Meanwhile, Will Davison dropped to seventh in the #181 OnlyFans Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 after a poor getaway. Valentino Astuti also ran off the circuit in the #2 Trading Garage Team MPC Audi during a busy opening phase.
Leitch controls the opening stint
Once the field settled, Leitch took firm control of the race.
The New Zealander consistently extended his advantage and left Targett to defend from Feeney and Wood. His pace gave the #44 Mercedes-AMG a lead of almost eight seconds by the time the mandatory pit window opened.
That margin proved particularly important because Leitch and Pires carried a success penalty following their Race 1 podium. Despite the additional stationary time, the #44 retained the lead after Leitch handed the car to Pires.
Schutte emerged from the pit sequence in second aboard the #26 Ferrari, less than one second behind the leader. Therefore, Pires faced immediate pressure when he began the second stint.
Audi door problem ends Feeney and Schumacher challenge
The mandatory stops created drama for the #1 Kelso Electrical Team MPC Audi.
Feeney returned to the pits to hand the car to Brad Schumacher, but the door failed to open. The mechanical problem delayed the driver change and sent the Audi tumbling down the order.
The team attempted a temporary repair, although the issue continued to compromise the car. Consequently, Feeney and Schumacher lost the strong position they had established during the opening stint and fell out of contention for a leading result.
Their difficult race also carried Championship consequences, as Leitch and Pires moved ahead of them in the standings.
Pires resists Schutte before Brooks moves into second
Pires remained composed when Schutte closed behind the leading Mercedes-AMG.
Rather than allowing the Ferrari driver to apply sustained pressure, Pires gradually increased the gap and recreated some of the breathing space Leitch had established during the first stint.
Schutte then ran slightly off the circuit and onto the grass. Brooks capitalised immediately and moved the #88 Audi into second place.
The top three remained unchanged for the rest of the race. Pires crossed the line one second ahead of Brooks, while Schutte finished another second behind in third.
The result gave Leitch and Pires their second victory of the campaign and elevated them to the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
Ojeda and Lucchitti lead the chasing group in GTWC Australia Race 2 at Queensland Raceway
A substantial gap developed between the podium finishers and the remainder of the field.
Jayden Ojeda and Paul Lucchitti placed fourth in the #66 Move My Wheels by Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, nine seconds behind Schutte and Evans.
Peroni and Mark Rosser completed the top five in the #268 Team BRM Audi, finishing a further four seconds behind the fourth-placed Mercedes-AMG.
Targett and Justin Tigani eventually finished sixth in the pole-sitting #56 Mercedes-AMG.
Astuti and Darren Currie recovered from the former’s opening-lap excursion to take seventh in the #2 Audi. They beat Davison and Renee Gracie’s #181 Ferrari by four tenths of a second.
Wall Racing places ninth as Trophy winners complete top 10
Tony D’Alberto and Adrian Deitz finished ninth in the #93 Wall Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO II.
Luke Youlden and Nathan Halstead rounded out the overall top 10 in the #71 AED Consulting by Tigani Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R. Their result also secured another Trophy Class victory.
Paul Stokell and Gary Higgon finished second in the Trophy Class in the #24 KFC Team MPC Audi R8 LMS EVO II, 10 seconds behind the winning Porsche.
Cameron Rees completed the class podium in the #14 Volante Rosso Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3.
Buchan and Campbell lose time after early incident
Josh Buchan and Cameron Campbell endured a difficult race in the #23 Zagame Autosport Ferrari 296 GT3.
An incident during the opening laps forced the car into the pits. Although the team returned to the circuit, the delay left Buchan and Campbell behind the troubled #1 Audi of Feeney and Schumacher at the finish.
The setback denied the Ferrari pairing an opportunity to build on its earlier performances during the 2026 GTWC Australia Queensland Raceway weekend.
Leitch and Pires leave Queensland with 2026 GTWC Australia Championship lead
Leitch and Pires converted a front-row start into victory through a commanding opening stint and a controlled drive after the pit window.
Their result, combined with Feeney and Schumacher’s mechanical problems, moved the #44 pairing into the Championship lead by nine points at the halfway stage of the season.
GT World Challenge Australia will next visit Hidden Valley Raceway for the following round of the campaign.
