The 2026 GT World Challenge Europe (GTWC) season began in spectacular fashion at Circuit Paul Ricard, delivering not only a dramatic race but also an early shake-up in the championship standings. With the opening round doubling as the first Endurance Cup event, the overall standings mirror the Endurance Cup classification after Round 1.
2026 GTWC Europe Teams’ Standings after Round 1 at Circuit Paul Ricard: Overall: Comtoyou Racing strikes first in title fight
At the top of the Teams’ standings, Comtoyou Racing leads with 33 points after a remarkable comeback victory. The No. 007 Aston Martin crew of Marco Sørensen, Nicki Thiim, and Mattia Drudi produced one of the most dramatic wins in recent GTWC history.
Their race looked compromised early due to a puncture, forcing an alternative strategy. However, a late Safety Car erased the dominant lead of the Mercedes-AMG entry from Winward Racing. In the closing stages, Thiim chased down Lucas Auer and executed a decisive pass to secure victory by less than a second.
That result places Winward Racing second in the standings with 25 points, while Garage 59 sits third on 19 after an outstanding all-around performance.
Meanwhile, the Drivers’ championship mirrors the team battle at the front. Sørensen, Thiim, and Drudi lead with 33 points, followed by Auer, Luca Stolz, and Maro Engel on 25. Garage 59’s trio of Benjamin Goethe, Thomas Fleming, and Louis Prette impressed by finishing third overall while dominating their class, underlining their early championship credentials.
Teams
- Comtoyou Racing – 33
- Winward Racing – 25
- Garage 59 – 19
- Team WRT – 15
- Rowe Racing – 12
- GetSpeed – 9
- CSA Racing – 6
- 2Seas Motorsport – 4
- Boutsen VDS – 2
- Rutronik Racing – 1
Drivers
- Marco Sørensen/ Mattia Drudi/ Nicki Thiim – 33
- Lucas Auer/ Luca Stolz/ Maro Engel – 25
- Benjamin Goethe/ Thomas Fleming/ Louis Prette – 19
- Kelvin van der Linde/ Jordan Pepper/ Charles Weerts – 15
- Marvin Kirchöfer/ Dean Macdonald/ Joseph Loake – 12
- Jake Dennis/ Augusto Farfus/ Raffaele Marciello – 9
- Maxime Martin/ Fabian Schiller/ Maximillian Götz – 6
- Arthur Rougier/ James Kell/ Simon Gachet – 4
- Chris Lulham/ Daniel Juncadella/ Jules Gounon – 2
- Jens Klingmann/ Tim Tramnitz/ Ugo De Wilde – 1
2026 GTWC Europe Teams’ Standings after Round 1 at Circuit Paul Ricard: Gold Cup: Garage 59 converts dominance
In the Gold Cup, Garage 59 leads both the Teams’ and Drivers’ standings. Their McLaren entry controlled the category throughout the race and even secured an overall podium finish—an exceptional achievement that puts them firmly in control with 34 points.
They are followed by CSA Racing and Rowe Racing, who capitalised on early incidents and attrition to secure strong opening results.
Teams
- Garage 59 – 34
- CSA Racing – 24
- Rowe Racing – 19
- AF Corse – 15
- Paradine Competition – 12
- Steller Motorsport – 9
- Optimum Motorsport – 6
Drivers
- Benjamin Goethe/ Thomas Fleming/ Louis Prette – 34
- Simon Gachet/ Arthur Rougier/ James Kell – 24
- Jens Klingmann/ Ugo De Wilde/ Tim Tramnitz – 19
- Malte Ebdrup/ Frederik Schandoff/ Simon Birch – 15
- Christian Hahn/ Robert De Haan/ Ashley Sutton – 12
- Lorenzo Fluxa Cross/ Dennis Lind/ Antoine Doquin – 9
- Harry George/ Freddie Tomlinson/ Adam Smalley – 6
2026 GTWC Europe Teams’ Standings after Round 1 at Circuit Paul Ricard: Silver Cup: Pure Rxcing emerges from tight battle
The Silver Cup produced one of the closest contests of the race. Pure Rxcing leads the Teams’ standings with 33 points after a decisive late move secured victory.
Drivers Aleksei Nesov, Aliaksandr Malykhin, and Max Hofer head the standings, narrowly ahead of Team WRT, whose BMW crew pushed them hard throughout the six-hour contest.
Teams
- Pure Rxcing – 33
- Team WRT – 24
- Comtoyou Racing – 20
- Tresor Attempto Racing – 15
- HRT Ford Racing – 12
- Saintéloc Racing – 9
- AF Corse – 6
- Team RJN – 4
- GetSpeed – 2
- Walkenhorst Motorsport – 1
Drivers
- Aleksi Nesov/ Aliaksandr Malykhin/ Max Hofer – 33
- Amaury Cordeel/ Ignacio Montenegro/ Matisse Lismont – 24
- Kobe Pauwels/ Oliver Söderström/ Sébastien Baud – 20
- Ariel Levi/ Rocco Mazzola/ Sebastian Øgaard – 15
- Finn Wiebelhaus/ Maxime Oosten/ Eduardo Coseteng – 12
- Etienne Cheli/ Ivan Klymenko/ Ezequiel Perez Companc – 9
- Matías Zagazeta/ Gilles Stadsbader/ Jeff Machiels – 6
- Maxwell Lynn/ Horatio Fitz-Simon/ Ben Dörr – 4
- Aurélien Panis/ Cesar Gazeau/ Anthony Bartone – 2
- Ethan Ischer/ Gaspard Simon/ Mateo Villagomez – 1
2026 GTWC Europe Teams’ Standings after Round 1 at Circuit Paul Ricard: Bronze Cup: Rutronik Racing dominates
In the Bronze Cup, Rutronik Racing delivered a commanding performance. Their Porsche entry took control midway through the race and never looked back, finishing well clear of the field and even placing 13th overall.
This dominant run gives Rutronik Racing 33 points and the early championship lead, ahead of Winward Racing and Paradine Competition.
Drivers Loek Hartog, Riccardo Pera, and Antares Au top the standings after a flawless execution.
Teams
- Rutronik Racing – 33
- Winward Racing – 24
- Paradine Competition – 19
- 2Seas Motorsport – 15
- Kesel Racing – 12
- Century Motorsport – 9
- Herberth Motorsport – 7
- GetSpeed – 4
- Razoon – more than racing – 2
- Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn – 1
Drivers
- Loek Hartog/ Riccardo Pera/ Antares Au – 33
- Gabriele Piana/ Marvin Dienst/ Rinat Salikhov – 24
- James Kellett/ Dries Vanthoor/ Darren Leung – 19
- Charles Dawson/ Reece Barr/ Kiern Jewiss – 15
- Lorenzo Patrese/ Dustin Blattner/ Dennis Marschall – 12
- Javier Sagrera/ Calan Williams/ Ahmad Al Harthy – 9
- Robert Renauer/ Huub van Eijndhoven/ Ralf Bohn – 7
- Gabriel Rindone/ Mikael Grenier/ Tom Kalender – 4
- Dominik Olbert/ Benjamin Paque/ Gerhard Tweraser – 2
- Tom Wood/ Giacomo Petrobelli/ Jonathan Adam – 1
A race that reshaped expectations
For much of the race, Mercedes-AMG appeared untouchable. However, the late Safety Car—triggered by a stranded Porsche—completely reset the contest. Comtoyou Racing seized the opportunity, turning adversity into victory and setting the tone for the season. Elsewhere, standout drives from Garage 59 and Team WRT, combined with setbacks for several contenders, have already created meaningful gaps in the standings.
With such a dramatic and unpredictable opener, the 2026 GTWC Europe season is poised to deliver an intense championship battle across all classes.
Note: Since Round 1 of the 2026 GTWC Europe Endurance Cup also served as the opening round of the 2026 GTWC Europe season, the overall GTWC Europe standings are identical to the Endurance Cup standings at this stage.
