Mercedes-AMG has reclaimed the lead of the global 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) powered by AWS manufacturers’ championship following a busy run of races across Europe, Australia and North America.
The German manufacturer now holds 555 points after rounds at Monza, Queensland and Road Atlanta contributed to the latest standings update. Porsche, which led throughout much of the opening half of the season, sits second with 464 points, while Ferrari remains third on 390.
Mercedes-AMG therefore carries a 91-point advantage over Porsche into the next phase of the global campaign. However, several major events remain on the calendar, including the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, leaving the manufacturers with further opportunities to gain or lose significant ground.
Mercedes-AMG uses Road Atlanta win to move clear
Road Atlanta played a major role in Mercedes-AMG’s return to the top as JMF Motorsports secured a breakthrough result in the three-hour GT World Challenge America powered by AWS race.
Jason Daskalos shared the #27 Mercedes-AMG with factory driver Philip Ellis, who joined the team as a substitute for the weekend. The pairing delivered JMF Motorsports’ first Pro-Am victory of the season and also claimed the overall race win.
The result gave Mercedes-AMG a substantial points haul and strengthened its position after the manufacturer had remained close to Porsche during the previous standings update following Sebring.
The #34 JMF Motorsports entry also contributed despite encountering trouble late in the race. Michai Stephens and Mikael Grenier looked set for a strong result before a power issue disrupted their challenge during the closing stages.
Nevertheless, the pair recovered second place in the Pro class and added further points to Mercedes-AMG’s total. Together, the two JMF Motorsports entries helped the manufacturer turn a narrow championship contest into a more substantial lead.
Porsche limits losses with multiple podium finishes
Porsche endured a mixed Road Atlanta weekend, although several customer teams still collected valuable points.
Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent continued their consistent season in the #32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo. The Pro-Am championship leaders finished third in class and secured their third podium from the opening three races.
Their result extended their domestic championship advantage while also contributing to Porsche’s global manufacturers’ campaign.
McCann Racing added another podium after Zach Vanier and Michael McCann Jr secured third place in the Pro category. The result marked the team’s first podium of the season and provided Porsche with another important contribution.
Meanwhile, Colin Braun and Michael Clark produced a strong recovery in the #017 Kellymoss Porsche. After a difficult opening half of the campaign, the pairing gained 10 positions and finished fourth in class and fifth overall.
However, RS1 suffered a more difficult outcome. Contact from another competitor forced the team into its first retirement of the season and ended an impressive run of podium finishes.
Porsche therefore left Road Atlanta with several strong results but could not match the points Mercedes-AMG earned through its overall victory.
Ferrari strengthens third place with first Pro win
Ferrari also enjoyed a productive weekend as AF Corse USA converted its first pole position of the season into victory.
Matias Perez Companc and Frederik Schandorff started the #12 Ferrari from the front of the Pro-class field. Although the race presented several challenges, the pairing maintained its position and secured its first class win of the year.
The result delivered an important boost to Ferrari’s global championship total as the Italian manufacturer attempts to reduce the gap to Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
The sister #163 Am entry also continued its successful campaign. Jay Schreibman and Benny Simonsen claimed another uncontested class victory and added further points for AF Corse USA.
Ferrari now sits 74 points behind Porsche and 165 behind Mercedes-AMG. Although the deficit remains significant, the volume of racing still to come keeps the manufacturer involved in the title contest.
Global championship remains active during American break
GT World Challenge America now enters a summer break, but the global manufacturers’ championship will continue across several regions.
The competition combines results from GT World Challenge series in Europe, America, Asia and Australia, which means manufacturers must rely on customer teams competing across different circuits and race formats.
Mercedes-AMG has created the strongest position after the latest run of events, but the championship structure can produce rapid changes. A successful weekend in one region can generate a major points swing, particularly when several manufacturer entries finish near the front.
Porsche must now respond after losing a lead it had held throughout much of the season. Ferrari also has an opportunity to close the gap if its customer teams build on their improved Road Atlanta performance.
Spa offers major opportunity in manufacturers’ battle
The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa will provide the next major test from 25-28 June.
As one of the largest events on the global calendar, Spa will bring together a deep field of manufacturers, customer teams and factory-supported drivers. The length of the race and size of the entry list create several opportunities to score points, but they also increase the risk of incidents and reliability problems.
Mercedes-AMG will arrive with momentum and a 91-point lead. Porsche must use the event to reduce that advantage, while Ferrari will aim to continue the progress shown at Road Atlanta.
The global calendar will then continue with races across Europe, Australia and Asia before GT World Challenge America resumes later in the summer.
Road America begins next American chapter
GT World Challenge America will return at Road America from 28-30 August.
The Wisconsin circuit will begin the second half of the domestic campaign and offer Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Ferrari another opportunity to contribute to their global totals.
For now, Mercedes-AMG holds control after its customer teams delivered the strongest combined results during the latest stretch of racing. JMF Motorsports’ overall Road Atlanta victory proved particularly valuable and helped the seven-time champion return to first place.
However, the global title fight remains open. Porsche still has time to recover, Ferrari remains within reach and Spa could reshape the standings once again.
