GT World Challenge Europe Barcelona Preview: 60-Car Grid and Title Fights Set for Endurance Finale

The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup reaches its conclusion this weekend at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where a record 60-car grid will contest the three-hour finale to close out the tenth running of the Festival de la Velocidad.

Pro: Mann-Filter leads three-way title fight

The battle for the Endurance Cup title will be decided between Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, and BMW. Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter enters the weekend with a five-point lead thanks to Maro Engel, Lucas Auer, and Matteo Cairoli, who took victory at Monza and finished second at the Nürburgring. Rutronik Racing’s Porsche trio of Patric Niederhauser, Sven Müller, and Alessio Picariello remains within striking distance, while Team WRT’s BMW of Charles Weerts, Kelvin van der Linde, and Ugo de Wilde sits 17 points off the lead.

A further 14 Pro entries will chase victory at the season finale, including Nürburgring winners Rowe Racing, AF Corse’s pair of Ferrari 296 GT3s, and HRT Ford Performance, which is coming off its strongest result of the year.

Gold: Verstappen.com Racing aims to finish the job

Verstappen.com Racing arrives in Barcelona with a 16-point advantage in the Gold Cup. The Aston Martin crew of Harry King, Chris Lulham, and Thierry Vermeulen saw a Nürburgring win and with it early title celebrations slip away after a post-race penalty but remains in control of the standings. AlManar Racing by WRT (BMW M4 GT3) and CSA Racing (McLaren 720S GT3 Evo) are the main challengers, though both need a standout result to deny the leaders.

Silver: Century Motorsport on the brink of title success

Century Motorsport holds a comfortable lead in the Silver Cup standings with its BMW M4 GT3 of Jarrod Waberski, William Moore, and Mex Jansen. The team’s consistent season, including a win at Monza and two further podiums, has put it 18 points clear of the Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG of Aurélien Panis, César Gazeau, and Loris Cabirou. Paradine Competition’s BMW retains a mathematical chance but will need a near-perfect weekend to take the crown. The 19-car field matches the largest Silver Cup grid since Spa 2022.

Bronze: Kessel Racing chasing a clean sweep

After winning both the Sprint Cup and overall Bronze titles, Kessel Racing can complete a sweep of the season’s honours this weekend. The Ferrari 296 GT3 of Conrad Laursen, Dennis Marschall, and Dustin Blattner holds a 21-point advantage over Winward Racing’s Mercedes-AMG shared by Rinat Salikhov, Gabriele Piana, and Marvin Dienst. Bronze features the most diverse field of the four classes, with 16 cars representing all 10 manufacturers, including 2 Seas Motorsport’s Nürburgring-winning Mercedes-AMG and the new UNX Racing team back with its Porsche driven by Fabian Duffieux and Mathieu Detry who are joined by Bastian Buus.

Ten years of the Festival de la Velocidad

Barcelona’s season-closing race marks the tenth edition of the Festival de la Velocidad. The circuit has become the traditional stage for title deciders in both the Sprint and Endurance Cups, producing memorable wins for Mercedes-AMG, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche, and Audi over the past decade. Mercedes-AMG remains the most successful brand at the venue, with five overall victories across both formats.

Last year’s event, run as the Sprint Cup finale, was settled in dramatic fashion as Winward Racing’s Maro Engel and Lucas Auer clinched the title by the narrowest of margins, while Rutronik Racing secured Porsche’s first-ever Sprint Cup win. In previous seasons, Barcelona has crowned champions such as Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts with Team WRT, while the venue also hosted one of the most dramatic Endurance Cup turnarounds when FFF Racing snatched the 2019 title from SMP Racing with a last-round victory. Across ten years, the Catalan circuit has built a reputation for decisive moments and late twists—a fitting stage for the 2025 finale.