GT World Challenge - Paul Ricard - 2026
Comtoyou Racing claimed a dramatic late victory in the GT World Challenge powered by AWS season opener at Circuit Paul Ricard. The #7 Aston Martin, driven by Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen, and Mattia Drudi, delivered an exciting finish by taking the lead with less than 10 minutes remaining in the six-hour race. Their triumph came despite significant challenges, including a puncture early in the race that forced an unscheduled pit stop.
For most of the event, the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter car appeared destined for victory. Starting from pole position, it controlled the race into the final hour until a late Safety Car period erased its advantage. After the restart, Thiim mounted an aggressive charge, quickly closing a gap of over three seconds while navigating through lapped traffic. Following a tense battle, he overtook Lucas Auer after forcing a small mistake, securing the lead and ultimately the win.
Behind the leading duo, the #58 Garage 59 McLaren completed the podium, performing strongly in the Gold Cup class against top competitors. The #32 Team WRT BMW finished fourth after an impressive climb from 10th on the grid, while the #59 Garage 59 McLaren recovered from an early spin to take fifth place, capping a strong team performance.
In the class categories, the #9 Pure Rxcing Porsche claimed Silver Cup honours after a late-race pass on the #30 Team WRT BMW. Meanwhile, Rutronik Racing’s #97 Porsche dominated the Bronze Cup, leading from early on and finishing 13th overall with a commanding margin.
The race began with a major incident that eliminated two cars immediately, bringing out the Safety Car early on. Although the race ran smoothly for much of its duration, another late caution period proved decisive in setting up the dramatic finish. The GT World Challenge season continues on 2–3 May with the opening Sprint Cup round at Brands Hatch.
Results -
1 - Com To You - Mattia Drudi / Marco Sorensen / Nicki Thiim - Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO
2 - Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER - Lucas Auer / Luca Stolz / Maro Engel - Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO
3 - Garage 59 - Thomas Fleming / Louis Prette / Benjamin Goethe - McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
From here we have a little break before the next round of the European GT World Challenge and the first round of the Sprint Championship.
