Six manufacturers will contest the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) season, marking the highest total since 2020 and underlining the championship’s renewed global strength. Newcomers Chevrolet and Ford join established GT3 heavyweights BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche for Season 11 of SRO’s globe-spanning endurance series. Notably, BMW returns as reigning manufacturers’ champion, while Chevrolet and Ford signal ambitious global customer racing plans through their IGTC debut programmes.
IGTC a truly global endurance platform with six manufacturers set to compete in 2026
Once again, IGTC will stage five marquee endurance events across four continents, reinforcing its status as the only GT3 championship with a worldwide footprint.
The campaign begins in Australia with the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama Circuit. The event traditionally sets the competitive tone for the season, and this year’s provisional entry list already indicates one of the deepest GT3 fields in recent memory.
Thereafter, the championship heads to Europe for two of the sport’s most demanding 24-hour races: the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring and the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. These back-to-back classics in May and June test reliability, teamwork and manufacturer depth like no other events on the calendar.
In the second half of the season, the series travels to Asia for the revived Suzuka 1000km at Suzuka Circuit, before concluding in North America at the Indianapolis 8 Hour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Together, these events create a championship that rewards consistency, adaptability and global manufacturer support.
Abi Hay, Intercontinental GT Challenge Series Manager, said: “Adding two more of the world’s biggest automotive manufacturers to a resurgent IGTC underlines the series’ significance within GT3’s global environment, whilst also emphasising the scale of Chevrolet and Ford’s customer racing ambitions around the world. They, just like Intercontinental’s long-established European constructors – BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche – can operate a manufacturer-supported programme via multiple regional customer teams at the world’s biggest GT3 events.”
Competitive depth signals resurgence
Bathurst’s provisional entry list, released just before Christmas, reflects the most competitive IGTC season since the global pandemic. Of the 32 GT3 cars entered, 24 represent one of the six confirmed manufacturers.
Moreover, last year’s Bathurst-winning combination returns, with Team WRT and drivers Kelvin van der Linde and Augusto Farfus set to defend their crown for BMW.
As always, every Intercontinental entry remains eligible to score championship points, regardless of class. However, only each manufacturer’s top two finishers at each event will count towards the manufacturers’ standings. Drivers’ points will follow the final top-10 classification, ensuring that outright performance remains central to the title fight.
Additionally, The Independent Cup will return in its established format. Bronze-rated drivers who register for the competition may drop their lowest score across the five-event calendar, allowing strategic flexibility across the season’s demanding schedule. Organisers will reveal the 2026 Independent Cup entrants shortly.
2026 IGTC Calendar
- 13–15 February – Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour (Australia)
- 14–17 May – ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring (Germany)
- 25–28 June – CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (Belgium)
- 11–13 September – Suzuka 1000km (Japan)
- 8–10 October – Indianapolis 8 Hour (USA)
With six global manufacturers committed and five iconic endurance races confirmed, the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge promises one of the strongest and most internationally representative GT3 seasons in recent years.
