GTWC Europe 2026: Aston Martin triumphs at Paul Ricard after late twist

The 2026 GTWC Europe season delivered on its pre-race promise of spectacle and fierce competition, with a nail-biting finish to the opening round. The Paul Ricard 6 Hours, the championship's curtain-raiser, seemed all but settled until nine minutes before the chequered flag, when the race took a dramatic turn. The #48 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO of Lucas Auer, Luca Stolz and Maro Engel, which had led from the outset, was forced to give way to the #7 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO of Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen and Mattia Drudi. The Aston Martin had fought its way back through the field and, in the closing stages, its charge was helped by the deployment of the safety car with only a few laps remaining. The field bunching up gave Thiim the chance to wipe out the gap to Auer's Mercedes and then make the decisive pass. Third place went to the #58 Garage 59 McLaren, winner of the Gold Cup class, driven by Benjamin Goethe, Louis Prette and Tom Fleming.

"The P Zero DHG tyres, now well known to the drivers, once again proved reliable in every race of this opening weekend of the season, which was fiercely contested and spectacular across every category on track," commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager. "As always, the 6 Hours was demanding, also because of the rapid evolution of track conditions, with temperatures falling from 21 degrees ambient and 29 on the track at the start to 16 and 17 degrees respectively by the end. It was a foretaste of what lies ahead over the rest of the championship: races whose outcome remains uncertain right to the finish. The Revival did not disappoint, not only because of the beauty of the cars, but also because of the quality of the two races held today: at Pirelli, we believe this new series still has more to offer. GT4 was also very closely fought, especially Race 2, which brought the weekend to a fitting close. Attention now turns to the first Sprint round of the season, at Brands Hatch."

Among the other Pirelli-supported series, the new GT3 Revival stood out for the spectacle it provided, captivating the crowd with the timeless elegance of the cars that shaped the recent history of SRO's GT championships. Race 1, on Sunday morning, ended with a one-two for the Storic and Race Cars Ferrari 458 GT3 Evos, with Jim Pla in car #87 and Benjamin Ricci in #10, ahead of Jonathan Mitchell's Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. In Race 2, Ricci took victory ahead of Mitchell and the other Ferrari 458 GT3 Evo, car #87, driven by Jean-Luc Beaubelique.

In GT4, Race 1 was won by Enrico Förderer in the SR Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4, while Race 2 went to Luca Cartelle in the CRT Sport Toyota.