GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Monza Preview

The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup returns to Autodromo Nazionale Monza this weekend for the second round of the season. With 59 cars entered across four classes, it’s the largest Endurance Cup grid at Monza since 2013, and the final opportunity for teams to prepare in race conditions before the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

Monza and the Endurance Cup: A historic pairing

Monza holds a special place in the history of the championship. It hosted the inaugural race of the then-Blancpain Endurance Series in 2011, and its slipstream-heavy layout and punishing kerbs have produced no shortage of drama over the years.

Last year’s edition delivered a truly historic moment. In a stunning upset, the Bronze Cup-entered #30 BMW M4 GT3 of OQ by Oman Racing became the first non-Pro class car to win overall in Endurance Cup history. Ahmad Al Harthy, Sam De Haan, and Jens Klingmann pulled off a sensational strategic drive to claim the win ahead of a packed Pro field. The result sent shockwaves through the paddock and underscored the unpredictable nature of Monza, where smart pit work and composure can outshine outright pace.

This year’s race again includes a mandatory third pit stop, continuing the strategic complexity introduced in 2024. With Spa looming, teams will be treating Monza as both a chance for points and a critical testing ground for their 24-hour ambitions.

Pro Cup: BMW sets the benchmark, rivals aim to respond

BMW arrives at Monza with the momentum of a flawless win at Paul Ricard and a strong track record at the Temple of Speed. The #32 Team WRT crew of Charles Weerts, Kelvin van der Linde, and Ugo de Wilde raced from ninth on the grid to victory in the opener, while the #98 Rowe Racing reinforces BMW’s bid with a proven trio in Raffaele Marciello, Jesse Krohn, and Augusto Farfus.

Porsche leads the charge to unseat them, with Schumacher CLRT’s Ayhancan Güven joined in Italy by Dutch rising stars Morris Schuring and Larry Ten Voorde looking to improve on their Paul Ricard third-place finish. Rutronik Racing, who finished a close second last time out, and Pure Rxcing add further strength to the Stuttgart brand’s challenge.

Mercedes-AMG is still chasing its first overall win at Monza and returns with depth: GetSpeed (Jules Gounon/Fabian Schiller/Luca Stolz), Mann-Filter (Lucas Auer/Matteo Cairoli/Maro Engel), and Boutsen VDS (Maximilian Götz/Mikael Grenier/Maxime Martin) all capable of springing a result.

After narrowly missing out on victory last year, AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors returns with a clear target at home. Alessandro Pier Guidi, Vincent Abril, and Alessio Rovera share the #51 Ferrari, joined by Antonio Fuoco, Arthur Leclerc, and Eliseo Donno in the #50.

Grasser Racing and VSR represent Lamborghini with strong factory-backed line-ups, while Aston Martin, McLaren, and Ford complete a competitive 16-car Pro grid.

Gold Cup: McLaren leads the early charge

The Gold Cup saw CSA Racing open the season with a win at Paul Ricard, and the McLaren squad returns to Monza aiming to double up. Fellow McLaren entries from Garage 59, Optimum Motorsport, and Team RJN add further strength. Eyes will also be on Verstappen.com Racing, which impressed on debut.

Also on the radar is AlManar Racing by WRT, which brings a strong BMW line-up featuring Jens Klingmann, one of last year’s overall winners at Monza. The team runs under the WRT banner, the same squad that delivered the historic 2024 victory with the #30 Bronze Cup entry.

Silver Cup: BMW out front

Paradine Competition took top honours at Paul Ricard and will be among the favourites again at Monza. BMW remains one of the best-represented brand in the class with entries from WRT and Century Motorsport, while Steller Motorsport’s Corvette and the Audi of Saintéloc Racing have already shown podium pace. Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, and Ford round out a competitive and diverse Silver field.

Bronze Cup: Kessel leads Ferrari charge

In the Bronze Class, Kessel Racing carries the early momentum after winning the 2025 opener at Paul Ricard, while Ferrari will also be represented by AF Corse, Rinaldi Racing, and Ziggo Sport Tempesta. BMW Italia Ceccato Racing adds home interest, while Audi, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Mercedes-AMG also bring experienced crews. Four-time BTCC champion Ashley Sutton makes his series debut alongside Darren Leung and Sean Gelael aboard the #991 Paradine Competition BMW M4 GT3 EVO.