Arthur Leclerc and Thomas Neubauer secured victory in the opening Sprint Cup race of the 2026 GTWC Europe season at Brands Hatch after late penalties reshuffled the final classification. The #50 AF Corse Ferrari crossed the line in second but inherited the win after the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing received two separate penalties following the race.
Lionspeed Porsche retirement changed complexity of race
Polesitter #80 Lionspeed Porsche controlled the opening phase of the race with Ricardo Feller leading the field. However, a steering issue forced the Porsche to retire shortly after the mandatory pitstop. This made the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing car take the lead of the race.
Leclerc in the #50 AF Corse started the 1-hour race from second on the grid and maintained this position throughout his opening stint, keeping their winning chances. Neubauer took over for the second half of the race and remained close behind the #3 Mercedes-AMG.
Dani Juncadella spent the opening stages in third position. By extending the first stint longer than their rivals, the Mercedes took the lead. Chris Lulham, who drove the second stint, was given a five second penalty for pit infringement. He was able to take the chequered flag first on the road.
Post-race penalties give AF Corse the victory
However, a second penalty for a yellow-flag infringement by the #3 Mercedes changed the final result after the race concluded. The combined penalties led the Mercedes-AMG to drop down the order, ultimately promoting the #50 AF Corse to victory. The #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche inherited second place, with the #32 Team WRT BMW completing the podium after starting 12th on the grid.
Class victories decided throughout the field
In the Silver Cup, the #9 Pure Rxcing Porsche with Aliaksandr Malykhin and Aleksei Nesov secures victory after finishing seventh overall. The #30 Team WRT BMW lost a start-finish class win due to a penalty.
The #51 AF Corse Ferrari finished eighth overall and secured Gold Cup victory for Tommaso Mosca and Matias Zagazeta. The pair finished ahead of their closest rivals, Tom Fleming and Louis Prette in the #58 Garage 59Mclaren.
