Jay Mo Härtling and Kenneth Heyer secured the 2026 GT Winter Series drivers’ championship during a dramatic finale weekend at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. 

The SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm duo overturned a four-point deficit to Marcus Clutton and Simon Orange of Orange Racing by JMH, securing the title after three action-packed races that featured penalties, safety cars, and late-race drama.

The GT Winter Series finale also attracted several high-profile entries. Former Scuderia Ferrari Formula One driver Felipe Massa joined the grid in the Cup 2 class for AF Motorsport alongside his son Pipo Massa, while FIA World Touring Car champion Tom Coronel competed in the GT3 category for Comtoyou Racing.

Several drivers also returned from the previous round at MotorLand Aragón, including Guy Albag, who had shown strong pace in the #64 Antonelli Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 and arrived in Barcelona hoping to continue that form.

Race 1: Albag secures maiden GT Winter Series win

The opening race of the weekend began with drama before the green flag had even fallen. Championship contender Simon Orange spun the #67 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren 720S GT3 on the formation lap after a small mistake, forcing him to start from the back of the GT3 field.

At the front, Guy Albag made the perfect start for Antonelli Motorsport and quickly established control of the race as the field navigated the early laps in cold and difficult conditions.

Chaos soon followed behind him. Alfredo Hernandez spun the #77 Grupo Prom Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 on the opening lap, while Florian Scholze in the #86 Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 later lost control after applying the throttle too early and ended up in the gravel. Jon Lancaster in the #34 MZR KTM X-Bow GT2 was then caught out by the stranded car and spun while trying to avoid the incident, prompting race control to deploy the safety car.

Following the restart, Orange began an impressive recovery drive in an effort to limit the points lost to championship rival Kenneth Heyer, driving the #11 SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Elsewhere, Jerzy Spinkiewicz in the #25 UNIQ Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo was making strong progress in his return to racing following a testing crash in September. However, his race was compromised after contact with Marius Aigner in the #119 MZR KTM X-Bow GT2 sent his car into a spin.

Further incidents followed as the conditions worsened. Michael Fischbaum spun the #18 Auto Sport Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 independently, while Anders Steiner in the #43 Team Steiner Racing Porsche 992 GT3 Cup also lost control at Turn 1. The incident allowed Pipo Massa in the #10 AF Motorsport Porsche 992 GT3 Cup to take the lead in the Cup 2 class, while Cup 2 class championship leader Igor Klaja in the #7 PTT Racing Team Porsche 992 GT3 Cup became stranded in the gravel at Turn 5.

At the front of the field, Albag remained composed and delivered a controlled performance to take the overall victory. The result marked Antonelli Motorsport’s first ever win in the GT Winter Series.

Race 2: Härtling inherits victory after Clutton penalty

Race 2 began with immediate controversy as Marcus Clutton in the #67 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren 720S GT3 and Jay Mo Härtling in the #11 SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMG GT3 ran side by side into Turn 1. Contact between the pair forced Clutton off the circuit, and although he attempted to redress the advantage after cutting across the runoff area, race control issued him a ten-second time penalty.

A major accident soon followed further back in the field. Michael Hove in the #49 Highclass Racing Ligier JSP325 collided with Petar Matic in the #32 Auto Sport Racing Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, sending both cars heavily into the barriers and bringing out an immediate red flag. Fortunately, both drivers were able to climb from their cars safely.

Once the race resumed, battles intensified throughout the field. Alfredo Hernandez spun during the restart but managed to avoid becoming stuck in the gravel and rejoined the race.

Jerzy Spinkiewicz again impressed in the Cup 4 category. Driving his Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, he showed strong pace among the GT3 cars and ultimately secured another class victory.

Further forward, Mattia Michelotto in the #66 VSR Lamborghini Huracán GT3 and Ariel Levi in the #86 Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 fought an intense battle for position, with Michelotto attempting several aggressive moves while Levi defended strongly.

Clutton crossed the finish line first on the road, but the earlier time penalty altered the result. Once the classification was corrected, Härtling was promoted to victory.

The win proved crucial in the championship fight, allowing Härtling and teammate Kenneth Heyer to take the points lead heading into the final race of the season.

Race 3: Late safety car sparks championship battle into life as VSR return to the top step of the podium

The third and final race of the weekend would ultimately decide the championship. In Race 3, both title-contending cars ran with driver changes during the pit stops: Kenneth Heyer started the #11 SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMG GT3 before handing over to Jay Mo Härtling, while Simon Orange started the #67 Orange Racing by JMH McLaren 720S GT3 before handing over to Marcus Clutton.

Ignazio Zanon took pole position in the #66 VSR Lamborghini Huracán GT3 and made a strong start to lead the field into the opening corners.

Kenneth Heyer quickly moved into second place, knowing that finishing ahead of the Orange Racing by JMH McLaren driven by Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton would be enough to secure the title.

The race’s first major incident occurred at Turn 3 when Igor Klaja spun following contact with Pipo Massa. Both cars were forced to retire, and the safety car was deployed.

After the restart, battles intensified throughout the field. Guy Albag fought past Seweryn Mazur in the #79 Sendom Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 and soon found himself battling Heyer in a tense midfield fight.

Following the pit stops, Härtling returned to the track while Clutton rejoined close to Ariel Levi. The pair made contact on their out lap and continued battling for several laps.

Another safety car was required when Michael Hove ended up in the gravel after contact with Milos Pavlovic in the #18 Auto Sport Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3. The incident set up a dramatic sprint to the finish with less than ten minutes remaining.

When racing resumed, Härtling attempted a bold move on Albag, even placing two wheels on the grass in an attempt to pass. Clutton closed rapidly behind them as the championship battle reached its climax.

The decisive moment came in the closing laps when Albag spun and collected Ariel Levi. The incident allowed Härtling to continue without losing ground, while Clutton’s challenge was disrupted.

At the front, Mattia Michelotto controlled the race to take a dominant victory, with Yaroslav Veselaho finishing second in the #96 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. Härtling crossed the line in third place, which was enough to secure the GT Winter Series drivers’ championship alongside teammate Kenneth Heyer.

Clutton and Orange finished fourth after a strong season-long title challenge, while Przemyslaw Bienkowski and Mateusz Lisowski in the #27 PTT Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 completed the top five. Jerzy Spinkiewicz capped off his comeback weekend by winning the Cup 4 class and finishing seventh overall.

The dramatic finale brought the 2026 GT Winter Series season to a close, with Härtling and Heyer emerging as deserving champions after an intense three-race showdown in Barcelona.