GT World Challenge Europe preview: Magny-Cours draws biggest Sprint Cup grid in history

The GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup heads to Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the fourth round of the 2026 season. The French circuit returns with the biggest Sprint Cup grid in championship history, as 44 cars are set to compete across four classes. Last season, Grasser Racing Team and Garage 59 claimed overall victories at Magny-Cours, while several championship battles also took a major step forward. With the title race becoming increasingly competitive, another important weekend awaits in France.

Record-Breaking Grid Arrives at Magny-Cours

A total of 44 cars are entered for the event, including 14 Pro entries, eight Gold Cup cars, 11 Silver Cup cars, and 11 Bronze Cup entries.

The grid has increased from 43 cars at Misano, with Saintéloc Racing also joining the field with the #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 driven by Jim Pla and Michael Blanchmain in the Bronze Cup. Originally, 45 cars were listed, however, the Razoon – more than racing #914 Porsche 911 GT3 R has since withdrawn.

BMW Leads The Standings, Mercedes Looks to Strike

Heading into Magny-Cours, Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde lead the Sprint Cup standings after securing two overall victories at Misano. Their #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 holds a 14-point advantage at the top of the championship.

Team WRT once again fields four BMW entries. The #31 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Amaury Cordeel and Jordan Pepper, the championship-leading #32 of Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde, and the #46 shared by Valentino Rossi and Max Hesse compete in the Pro class. Meanwhile, the #30 BMW M4 GT3 driven by Matisse Lismont and Ignacio Montenegro races in the Silver Cup.

Mercedes-AMG will aim to secure its first Sprint Cup victory of the 2026 season at one of its strongest circuits. The #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 driven by Maro Engel and Lucas Auer, together with the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry of Dani Juncadella – still substituting for Chris Lulham after emergency surgery – and Jules Gounon, are expected to be among the main contenders. Mercedes-AMG is also represented by the #6 GetSpeed Team Bartone Bros in Silver Cup, the #12 GetSpeed Team Dubai in Bronze Cup, and the # 222 2Seas Motorsport Bronze Cup entry.

Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren Look to Challenge at the Front

Ferrari also arrives with several strong line-ups. The #50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 driven by Thomas Neubauer and Arthur Leclerc remains one of the leading Pro contenders, alongside Emil Frey Racing’s #14 Ferrari of Matteo Cairoli and Konsta Lappalainen, and the #69 shared by Thierry Vermeulen and Ben Green. In the Gold Cup, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari driven by Tommaso Mosca and Matias Zagazeta continues to lead the class standings by eight points after three rounds.

Porsche is represented by Boutsen VDS, Pure Rxcing, Dinamic GT, Lionspeed GP, and Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing. The #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Ricardo Feller and Bastian Buus will look to improve its consistency after a mixed start to the season.

McLaren is represented by Garage 59, Optimum Motorsport, and CSA Racing. Garage 59 returns as the defending overall winner at Magny-Cours and will look to repeat last year’s success with the #59 McLaren 720S GT3 driven by Marvin Kirchhöfer and Dean MacDonald. The team also fields the #58 Gold Cup entry of Thomas Fleming and Louis Prette. CSA Racing continues with two Gold Cup entries, including the #555 McLaren driven by Simon Gachet and Romain Andriolo.

More Manufacturers Join the Fight

Aston Martin will once again be represented by Comtoyou Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport. The #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo of Nicki Thiim and Kobe Pauwels remains among the leading Pro entries, while the team also fields the #21 in Silver Cup and the #11 in Bronze Cup. Walkenhorst Motorsport continues with its two Silver Cup Aston Martins.

Audi’s challenge includes Eastalent Racing, Tresor Attempto Racing, and the returning Saintéloc Racing. The #84 Eastalent Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II of Christopher Haase and Simon Reicher competes in Pro, while Tresor Attempto Racing fields entries in Gold, Silver, and Bronze Cup. Following two class victories at Misano, the #99 Audi of Dylan Pereira and Alex Aka has moved back into Gold Cup title contention and sits just eight points behind the championship-leading #51 AF Corse Ferrari.

Lamborghini continues with the #96 Rutronik Racing Lamborghini Temerario GT3 in the Pro class, driven by Luca Engstler and Patric Niederhauser, while the #163 VSR entry of Loris Spinelli and Mattia Michelotto competes in Gold Cup.

Bronze Cup Battles Continue

The Bronze Cup battle is also expected to be close. Marvin Dienst and Rinat Salikhov arrive at Magny-Cours leading the standings after a strong start to the season and will return to the circuit where they claimed victory last year. However, defending Bronze Cup champions Dennis Marschall and Dustin Blattner in the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari remain among their biggest rivals.

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