Walkenhorst Motorsport Joins GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups
- Walkenhorst Motorsport has confirmed its participation in the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, entering two Aston Martin Vantage GT3 cars for the upcoming season.
- The 2026 edition of the championship, organized by the SRO Motorsports Group, marks the 13th season of the series.
- For the Endurance Cup, Walkenhorst Motorsport will field two cars, splitting their efforts between the Pro class and the Silver Cup.
Walkenhorst Motorsport has confirmed its participation in the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, entering two Aston Martin Vantage GT3 cars for the upcoming season. The racing team, based in Melle, Germany, will compete across both the Endurance Cup and the Sprint Cup.
The 2026 edition of the championship, organized by the SRO Motorsports Group, marks the 13th season of the series. It serves as the European component of the broader GT World Challenge, which also encompasses championships in Asia, Australia, and America.
Endurance Cup Strategy and Driver Line-ups
For the Endurance Cup, Walkenhorst Motorsport will field two cars, splitting their efforts between the Pro class and the Silver Cup. The team has secured Aston Martin factory drivers Christian Krognes and Henrique Chaves to compete for the team, continuing their partnership from the previous year.
Joining the Pro car in the Endurance Cup is Jamie Day. Day previously won the AMR Driver Academy in 2024 and was the champion of the Silver Cup in the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup.
The team is currently finalizing the driver roster for its Silver Cup entry in the Endurance Cup. According to team boss Jörg Breuer, the team is evaluating young drivers through test sessions in Italy and France. It has been confirmed that Mateo Villagomez and Ethan Ischer will form the foundation of the driver line-up for this car.
Jörg Breuer, Walkenhorst Motorsport team boss
The line-up for the GT World Challenge Europe looks very promising! Our Pro car will be driven by two Aston Martin factory drivers, both of whom we know very well. Jamie Day, an up-and-coming talent who impressed with strong performances last year, will be joining our team.
Championship Structure and Schedule
The 2026 GT World Challenge Europe is divided into two primary competitions: the Sprint Cup and the Endurance Cup. Each cup awards its own titles, while an overall GT World Challenge Europe championship is also contested.
The season consists of ten rounds at various European circuits. The Sprint Cup format features weekends consisting of two one-hour races, with a mandatory driver change occurring at the half-time mark of each race. In total, 15 sprint races are planned for the season.
The Endurance Cup features longer formats, including 3-hour races at Monza, Nürburgring, and Portimão, a 6-hour race at Paul Ricard, and the flagship 24-hour race at Spa.
Pre-season preparations are already underway. The annual season prologue, which serves as the championship’s pre-season testing, is scheduled for April 8 and 9, 2026. Further testing specifically for the 24 Hours of Spa is slated for May 19 and 20, 2026. Competitive racing is planned to begin in April and conclude in October.
The 2026 season follows the 2025 championship, where Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts were the reigning drivers’ champions, and Team WRT held the consecutive teams’ championship title.