The latest weekend of endurance racing delivered decisive outcomes across two very different settings. In Abu Dhabi, the Asian Le Mans Series concluded its 2025–26 season with titles settled across a hard-fought double-header finale. Meanwhile in Portugal, the 6 Hours of Portimão once again became a test of adaptability, as changing weather conditions played a central role in the race.

Asian Le Mans Series – 4H of Abu Dhabi: Titles decided in Yas Marina season finale

The 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series season concluded with its finale weekend at Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, with all three class titles still in play. Across two 4-hour races, the LMP2, LMP3 and GT championships were ultimately decided, with Crowdstrike Racing by APR, CLX Motorsport and Kessel Racing emerging as title winners.

Race 1

The opening race of the finale weekend was a caution-free race, allowing the #4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR Oreca 07-Gibson of George Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen and Louis Delétraz to convert their pace into a third consecutive victory. Delétraz led home the sister #20 Algarve Pro Racing Oreca and the #30 RD Limited Oreca, strengthening CrowdStrike’s grip on the championship.

The decisive moment for the title fight came behind them, where the #47 Cetilar Racing Oreca failed to score. As a result, CrowdStrike headed into the final race needing just a single point to secure the 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series LMP2 title.

In LMP3, the #13 Inter Europol Competition Ligier-Toyota of Alex Bukhantsov, Chun Ting Chou and Henry Cubides initially took the win on the road, but a post-race disqualification for a missing damper cover panel promoted the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier-Toyota of Paul Lanchere, Kevin Rabin and Alexander Jacoby to victory.

GT honours went to the #69 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Tony McIntosh, Parker Thompson and Dan Harper. Although Team WRT finished 1–2 on the road, the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 of Dustin Scott Blattner, Chris Lulham and Dennis Marschall still left Race 1 with a 22-point GT championship lead after finishing third, meaning they only needed a top-eight finish in the final race to secure the title.

Race 2

The final race of the season was won outright by the #3 DKR Engineering Oreca 07-Gibson, with Alexander Mattschull, Mathias Beche and Griffin Peebles taking victory after a race disrupted by safety cars and a red flag following a heavy accident on the back straight. However, the key outcome in LMP2 was further back, where an eighth-place finish was enough for the #4 Crowdstrike Racing by APR Oreca 07-Gibson to secure the LMP2 championship for George Kurtz, Malthe Jakobsen and Louis Delétraz.

In LMP3, race victory went to the #23 23Events Racing Ligier-Toyota, as Louis Stern, Isaac Barashi and Matteo Quintarelli led home a team 1–2. Despite retiring after contact while fighting for the lead, the #17 CLX Motorsport Ligier-Toyota still did enough to be crowned LMP3 champions.

GT honours in Race 2 were taken by the #56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin Vantage GT3, with Giacomo Petrobelli, Jonny Adam and Kobe Pauwels claiming their first win of the season. The GT title, however, went to the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, as Dustin Scott Blattner, Chris Lulham and Dennis Marschall secured the championship despite finishing ninth, with the #69 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 unable to overturn the points deficit.

6 Hours of Portimão: Greystone GT masters the weather

The 6 Hours of Portimão once again proved a race of survival and strategy, as mixed conditions and late rain reshuffled the order in the closing stages. Greystone GT kept its composure throughout the six-hour contest to secure overall GT3 victory, while LMR Motorsport and SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm claimed class wins in Cup 2 and GT4.

Read the full race report and view the photo gallery.

From the archive: When WRT conquered Bathurst with Audi

As WRT returns to Mount Panorama as defending Bathurst 12 Hour winners, now racing with BMW, it’s worth looking back to 2018, when the Belgian squad claimed its first victory in the race with Audi. Robin Frijns, Dries Vanthoor and Stuart Leonard overcame early setbacks and capitalised on a tense, safety car-affected finale to seal a landmark Bathurst win.

Read the full interview with Robin Frijns: “We wouldn’t have won without the safety car”

Up next: GT world gathers at Bathurst

The coming weekend is headlined by one of the true cornerstones of global GT racing, the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama. As the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, Bathurst once again draws a world-class GT3 field, with factory-backed teams and top international drivers tackling the unique demands of the Mountain.

In Europe, the GT Winter Series runs at Valencia with three races, while over in Portugal, the Ultimate Winter Cup is also in action at Portimão, keeping the winter calendar busy on two very different tracks across the same weekend.