Maxime Martin has been crowned the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) Drivers’ Champion, while Porsche secured its fourth Manufacturers’ Championship following a dramatic Indianapolis 8 Hour season finale. The final round saw Martin overturn Maro Engel’s eight-point advantage, while Porsche extended its commanding lead over Mercedes-AMG after GMG Racing claimed a historic victory.
The 2026 Indianapolis 8 Hour was won by GMG Racing’s Kyle Washington, Riccardo Pera and Ayhancan Güven, who brought their #32 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo home 56.209 seconds ahead of Archangel Motorsports. The victory delivered Porsche the Manufacturers’ crown, ending Mercedes-AMG’s hopes of overturning the 38-point deficit it faced after Suzuka.
Meanwhile, Martin finished fifth overall and fourth among IGTC-eligible entries with Mercedes-AMG Team JMF Motorsports, earning the points necessary to claim his first Drivers’ title. Luca Stolz’s early retirement and Engel’s absence ultimately left Martin four points clear at the top of the final standings. In the Independent Cup, already-crowned Champion Kerong Li completed the season on 93 points, while Ralf Bohn secured the final-round victory and second in the standings.
Martin overturns Engel’s advantage to claim 2026 IGTC Drivers’ Championship
Martin entered Indianapolis third in the Drivers’ standings with 60 points, eight behind Engel and one behind Stolz. Although he had missed the 24 Hours of Spa, victories at Bathurst and the Nürburgring, followed by fifth place at Suzuka, had kept the Belgian firmly in championship contention.
For the finale, Martin joined Mikaël Grenier and Michai Stephens in the #34 Mercedes-AMG Team JMF Motorsports entry. The trio demonstrated strong pace during the opening hours, with Stephens moving into the Pro class lead before Grenier helped keep the car among the overall contenders.
However, the team’s victory challenge weakened as the race progressed. Martin struggled to bring his tyres into the operating window following a pit stop, allowing AF Corse USA’s Ferrari to move ahead. The JMF Mercedes-AMG subsequently lost further ground and eventually finished fifth overall.
Nevertheless, the result delivered 12 IGTC Drivers’ Championship points, taking Martin to 72. With Engel unable to add to his existing total, the Belgian secured the title by four points.
The achievement makes Martin the 11th different Drivers’ Champion in the IGTC’s 11 seasons and the fourth Mercedes-AMG driver to secure the crown.
Stolz’s early retirement ends championship challenge
Stolz entered the Indianapolis finale second in the standings, seven points behind Engel and one ahead of Martin. Mercedes-AMG had separated its two remaining title contenders into different entries, giving each driver an independent opportunity to challenge for the Championship.
The German joined Lin Hodenius and five-time IndyCar Champion Álex Palou in the #80 Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing entry. However, their challenge ended almost immediately when Hodenius crashed at Turn 1 during the opening ten minutes.
The incident occurred when the Mercedes-AMG struck a stranded Kellymoss Porsche, causing extensive damage that forced the team to retire. Neither Stolz nor Palou subsequently completed a racing stint, leaving the German unable to improve his Championship position.
Stolz therefore finishes the season third with 61 points, retaining the total he carried into Indianapolis. Although he had been among the leading contenders throughout the year, the early retirement prevented him from challenging Martin and Engel for the title.
Engel finishes runner-up despite missing final two rounds
Engel entered the final round leading the Championship with 68 points, having established his advantage through an exceptionally strong opening three races.
The Mercedes-AMG factory driver won at Bathurst and the Nürburgring before finishing second at Spa, securing 68 points from three appearances. However, he missed the Suzuka 1000km because of his DTM commitments and was also absent from Indianapolis.
His absence left the title outcome dependent on the performances of the chasing drivers. Although Stolz retired early, Martin remained in contention throughout the eight-hour race and eventually secured enough points to overtake Engel.
The German consequently finishes second, four points behind his Mercedes-AMG colleague. Despite missing the final two rounds, his early-season performances were sufficient to keep him in championship contention until the chequered flag at Indianapolis.
Mercedes-AMG ultimately secured a sweep of the top three Drivers’ Championship positions through Martin, Engel and Stolz, although the manufacturer could not repeat that success in the Manufacturers’ standings.
Heinrich finishes fourth as Güven surges into top five
Porsche’s strongest Drivers’ Championship finish came from Laurin Heinrich, who entered Indianapolis with an outside chance of taking the title following his victory at Suzuka.
The German began the final round on 46 points, 22 behind Engel, and required another victory to maintain his championship challenge. He joined Dave Musial Jr. and Ryan Yardley in Wright Motorsports’ #31 Porsche, with the trio also contesting the GT World Challenge America Pro-Am title.
The car briefly led its class during the middle stages before eventually finishing sixth overall. Heinrich earned ten IGTC points, increasing his total to 56 and securing fourth in the final Drivers’ standings.
However, teammate and fellow Porsche driver Güven made an even larger gain at Indianapolis. The Turkish driver arrived with 27 points before joining Washington and Pera in GMG Racing’s #32 Porsche.
Their overall victory delivered the maximum 25 points, taking Güven to 52 and moving him into fifth in the Championship. He consequently overtook Bastian Buus and Ricardo Feller, who remained on 47 and 46 points respectively after failing to score at the finale.
Grenier and Nielsen make significant Indianapolis gains
Further down the standings, several drivers improved their positions through strong results at Indianapolis.
Grenier joined Martin and Stephens in the #34 JMF Mercedes-AMG, collecting 12 points for fifth overall. The Canadian consequently moved from 25 to 37 points, finishing 11th in the final Drivers’ standings.
Ferrari’s Nicklas Nielsen also made substantial progress after joining Matías Pérez Companc and Frederik Schandorff in the #12 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.
The trio challenged for the Pro class victory throughout the race, with Nielsen helping the Ferrari establish itself among the leading contenders during the middle stages. However, the team eventually finished fourth overall after losing ground to Turner Motorsport.
Nielsen collected 15 IGTC points, increasing his total from 15 to 30 and moving into 13th in the Championship. Pérez Companc and Schandorff also earned 15 points apiece, joining several drivers tied for 22nd.
Meanwhile, Daan Arrow moved to 14 points after finishing seventh with RS1, while the Indianapolis performances of several other Porsche crews added new names to the final standings.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge standings after Indianapolis: Drivers (1–15)
The official final 2026 IGTC Drivers’ standings confirm Martin as Champion with 72 points, four ahead of Engel. Stolz completes the leading three, while Heinrich and Güven finish as Porsche’s highest-ranked drivers.
- Maxime Martin – Mercedes-AMG – 72 points
- Maro Engel – Mercedes-AMG – 68
- Luca Stolz – Mercedes-AMG – 61
- Laurin Heinrich – Porsche – 56
- Ayhancan Güven – Porsche – 52
- Bastian Buus – Porsche – 47
- Ricardo Feller – Porsche – 46
- Alessio Picariello – Porsche – 42
- Dorian Boccolacci – Porsche – 39
- Max Hesse – BMW – 38
- Mikaël Grenier – Mercedes-AMG – 37
- Dan Harper – BMW – 32
- Nicklas Nielsen – Ferrari – 30
- Christopher Mies / Dennis Olsen / Frédéric Vervisch – Ford – 28
- Fabien Schiller – Mercedes-AMG; Thomas Preining / Julien Andlauer / Kyle Washington / Riccardo Pera – Porsche – 25
Martin’s Championship-winning total reflects a strong season across four appearances, while Güven’s Indianapolis victory produces the most significant change among the leading Porsche drivers. The manufacturer finishes with six drivers inside the top nine despite losing the Drivers’ title to Mercedes-AMG.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge standings after Indianapolis: Drivers (16–24)
The middle of the standings includes several competitors who scored at Indianapolis, particularly those representing Porsche, BMW and Ferrari.
- Anders Fjordbach / Kerong Li – Porsche – 24 points
- Valentino Rossi – BMW – 23
- Matt Campbell – Porsche – 22
- Augusto Farfus / Raffaele Marciello – BMW – 19
- Dries Vanthoor / Sheldon van der Linde / Justin Rothberg / Connor De Phillippi / Robby Foley – BMW; Lucas Auer – Mercedes-AMG – 18
- Joel Sturm – Porsche – 16
- Alessio Rovera / Tommaso Mosca / Matías Pérez Companc / Frederik Schandorff – Ferrari; Laurens Vanthoor / Alessandro Ghiretti – Porsche – 15
- Daan Arrow – Porsche – 14
- Cunfan Ruan / Maxime Oosten – BMW; Frédéric Makowiecki / Michael Christensen – Porsche; Alexander Sims / Scott McLaughlin / Nicky Catsburg – Chevrolet; Michai Stephens – Mercedes-AMG – 12
Turner Motorsport’s third-place finish at Indianapolis brought Rothberg, De Phillippi and Foley into the standings on 18 points apiece. Although those drivers competed in only the final IGTC round, their result also contributed significantly to BMW’s final Manufacturers’ Championship total.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge standings after Indianapolis: Drivers (25–30)
The remaining points-scoring positions feature drivers from all six registered manufacturers, including several competitors who earned their only IGTC points during the Indianapolis finale.
- Arthur Leclerc / Lilou Wadoux / Sean Gelael – Ferrari; Frank Stippler – Ford; Kakunoshin Ohta – Mercedes-AMG; Morris Schuring / Dave Musial Jr. / Ryan Yardley – Porsche – 10 points
- Charles Weerts / Marco Wittmann / Philipp Eng / Robin Frijns – BMW; Jules Gounon / Kenny Habul – Mercedes-AMG; Takuro Shinohara / Seita Nonaka / Tadasuke Makino – Ferrari; Alfred Renauer / Ralf Bohn / Robert Renauer / Danny Dyszelski / Jan Heylen – Porsche – 8
- Dylan Pereira / Klaus Bachler / Patrick Assenheimer / Tobias Müller – Porsche; Anthony McIntosh / Parker Thompson – BMW – 6
- Daniel Serra / Davide Rigon / Jaxon Evans – Ferrari; Jake Dennis – BMW; Jake Hill / Kyle Tilley / Max Hofer / Patrick Kolb / Thomas Merrill / Kévin Estre – Porsche – 4
- Alex Brundle / Ben Bünnagel / Martin Rump / Hongli Ye – Porsche; Ben Tuck / Chris Froggatt / Dennis Marschall / Dustin Blattner / Jonathan Hui / Lorenzo Patrese / Mathys Jaubert / Ryan Wood / Kei Nakanishi / Shigekazu Wakisaka / Giancarlo Fisichella – Ferrari – 2
- Jens Klingmann / Tim Tramnitz / Ugo de Wilde – BMW; Jongjyum Kim / Marco Seefried / Roelof Bruins / Steven Cho / Michael McCann Jr. / Zachary Vanier – Porsche – 1
The final classification highlights the breadth of participation across the five-round season, with drivers from numerous international GT3 programmes contributing points to the Championship.
Porsche secures fourth IGTC Manufacturers’ Championship
Porsche entered Indianapolis with a commanding 38-point advantage over Mercedes-AMG following its dominant performance at Suzuka.
The German manufacturer had increased its Championship total to 132 points in Japan after AO by Absolute Racing won the Suzuka 1000km and the sister Absolute Racing entry finished third. Those results delivered the maximum 40 points available from the round, leaving Porsche needing only a modest Indianapolis score to secure the title.
However, the manufacturer’s customer teams delivered considerably more than the minimum required.
GMG Racing’s victory secured 25 points, while Heinrich and his Wright Motorsports teammates contributed another ten through their sixth-place finish. Porsche therefore added 35 points at Indianapolis, increasing its final total to 167.
The result secured Porsche its fourth IGTC Manufacturers’ Championship and second in three seasons, reinforcing its position among the series’ most successful marques.
It also completed an exceptional conclusion to the season. Porsche won the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa with Lionspeed GP, followed that with AO by Absolute Racing’s Suzuka triumph and then secured the final Indianapolis 8 Hour victory.
GMG Racing victory seals Porsche’s dominant finale
GMG Racing’s success provided the decisive result for Porsche at Indianapolis, with Washington, Pera and Güven becoming the first Pro-Am crew to win the event overall.
The #32 Porsche initially ran outside the leading positions before the team committed to an alternative pit-stop strategy approaching halfway. Washington completed his required driving time early, allowing Pera and Güven to handle the remaining stints as the team attempted to gain an advantage through its pit-stop sequence.
The strategy proved effective as the race continued without further caution periods. While several leading competitors followed more conventional pit-stop patterns, GMG positioned itself to reach the chequered flag without sacrificing track position during the closing stages.
Güven eventually brought the Porsche home 56.209 seconds ahead of Archangel Motorsports’ McLaren, securing GMG Racing’s historic Indianapolis victory.
The result also delivered Washington the GTWC America Pro-Am Drivers’ Championship, completing a remarkable weekend for the American operation. For Porsche, it secured both the race victory and the Manufacturers’ title, bringing its 2026 IGTC campaign to a successful conclusion.
Mercedes-AMG finishes second after difficult title decider
Mercedes-AMG entered Indianapolis as Porsche’s only remaining mathematical challenger, but the manufacturer faced a substantial deficit after the Suzuka 1000km.
The marque began the finale with 94 points, 38 behind Porsche, and needed a near-perfect result combined with a difficult weekend for its rival to overturn the gap.
Its prospects suffered an early setback when Lone Star Racing’s #80 Mercedes-AMG retired following Hodenius’ opening-lap accident. The incident eliminated Stolz’s Drivers’ Championship hopes and reduced the manufacturer’s opportunities to score significant points.
JMF Motorsports consequently led Mercedes-AMG’s challenge, with Martin, Grenier and Stephens finishing fifth overall. Their result contributed to an 18-point Indianapolis haul for the manufacturer, increasing its Championship total to 112.
However, Porsche’s 35-point score meant the gap increased rather than decreased. Mercedes-AMG ultimately finished 55 points behind its German rival, despite securing the Drivers’ Championship and occupying all three leading positions in that classification.
BMW strengthens third as Ferrari closes season in fourth
BMW made significant gains during the final round, adding 26 points to increase its Manufacturers’ Championship total from 74 to 100.
Turner Motorsport led the manufacturer’s Indianapolis challenge, with Rothberg, De Phillippi and Foley finishing third overall and winning the Pro class. Their result delivered valuable IGTC points while also securing the GTWC America Pro Drivers’ Championship for Rothberg and Foley.
The performance helped BMW finish third in the Manufacturers’ standings, 12 points behind Mercedes-AMG and 34 ahead of Ferrari.
Ferrari also enjoyed a competitive finale through AF Corse USA. Pérez Companc, Nielsen and Schandorff finished fourth overall after challenging for the Pro victory, contributing to the manufacturer’s 19-point haul.
Ferrari consequently increased its Championship total from 47 to 66, maintaining fourth place. Although the marque could not challenge the top three manufacturers, its Indianapolis performance represented another important result following its podium success earlier in the season.
Ford and Chevrolet, meanwhile, failed to add to their totals at Indianapolis. They finish fifth and sixth with 32 and 18 points respectively.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge standings after Indianapolis: Manufacturers
The final 2026 IGTC Manufacturers’ standings confirm Porsche’s fourth Championship title following a dominant final three rounds.
- Porsche – 167 points
- Mercedes-AMG – 112
- BMW – 100
- Ferrari – 66
- Ford – 32
- Chevrolet – 18
Porsche’s final advantage stands at 55 points, having increased from eight after Spa to 38 following Suzuka and then 55 at Indianapolis. The manufacturer collected 112 points across the final three rounds, compared with Mercedes-AMG’s 48, providing the foundation for its decisive Championship victory.
Li completes Independent Cup title-winning campaign
The Independent Cup had already been decided at Suzuka, where High Class Racing’s Kerong Li secured the title with one round remaining.
Li entered Indianapolis with 93 Championship points after winning at Bathurst, the Nürburgring and Suzuka, while also finishing second at Spa. His performances had established a decisive advantage over his rivals, giving him an opportunity to further strengthen his record during the finale.
The Chinese driver returned with High Class Racing, sharing the #86 Porsche with Anders Fjordbach and Hongli Ye. The trio completed the eight-hour race in tenth overall, although a late pit stop dropped them behind Herberth Motorsport.
Li therefore finished second among the Independent Cup contenders, earning 18 points from the round. However, because the Championship counts only each driver’s four best results, his final total remains at 93 after the equal 18-point score from Spa was dropped.
Although the result denied him the maximum possible Championship total of 100, Li finishes the season as a convincing Champion, having secured three Independent Cup victories from five rounds.
Bohn secures second with Indianapolis Independent Cup victory
Ralf Bohn emerged as the strongest Independent Cup competitor at Indianapolis, delivering an important result for Herberth Motorsport.
The German shared the #91 Porsche with Alfred and Robert Renauer, with the trio finishing eighth overall after a competitive race. The result placed Bohn ahead of Li in the Independent Cup classification, securing the maximum 25 points available from the finale.
Bohn entered Indianapolis fourth in the standings with 30 points, three behind Johannes Zelger and 20 behind Prince Jefri Ibrahim. His final-round victory increased his total to 55 and moved him into second in the Championship, five points ahead of Ibrahim.
Zelger also made progress during the finale, adding 15 points through his appearance with Tsunami RT. The result increased his total from 33 to 48, moving him ahead of Jonathan Hui and into fourth.
Ibrahim, who did not contest Indianapolis, retains third with 50 points. Bohn’s victory therefore reshuffled the leading positions behind Li, although the Championship itself had already been settled.
2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge standings after Indianapolis: Independent Cup
The official 2026 IGTC Independent Cup standings confirm Li as Champion with 93 points, while Bohn’s Indianapolis victory secured second place.
- Kerong Li – Porsche – 93 points
- Ralf Bohn – Porsche – 55
- Prince Jefri Ibrahim – Chevrolet – 50
- Johannes Zelger – Porsche – 48
- Jonathan Hui – Ferrari – 27
- Kenny Habul – Mercedes-AMG – 18
- Adrian D’Silva – Porsche – 8
Li finishes 38 points ahead of Bohn, while only seven points separate second through fourth. Porsche therefore secures the leading two positions in the Independent Cup, completing another successful classification for the manufacturer.
Indianapolis concludes 2026 IGTC championship battles
The Indianapolis 8 Hour brought an eventful conclusion to the 2026 IGTC season, with the final round deciding both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships.
Martin entered the weekend eight points behind Engel but emerged as Drivers’ Champion after finishing fifth overall with JMF Motorsports. Stolz’s early retirement removed another major contender, while Heinrich’s sixth-place finish was insufficient to extend his Suzuka-inspired championship challenge.
Porsche, meanwhile, secured the Manufacturers’ title in emphatic fashion. Having established a commanding advantage through its victories at Spa and Suzuka, the manufacturer added another major success through GMG Racing’s first overall Indianapolis triumph.
The Independent Cup provided a different conclusion, with Li already crowned Champion before the finale. Nevertheless, Bohn’s Indianapolis victory secured second place and confirmed Porsche’s dominance of the category’s final standings.
With all three titles decided, the 2026 IGTC season concludes after five rounds across Australia, Germany, Belgium, Japan and the United States. The Championship will return in February 2027 with the Bathurst 12 Hour, while the North American round moves from Indianapolis to the Circuit of the Americas.
