The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup arrived at Brands Hatch for the second round of the 2026 season, with momentum already building after a demanding season opener at Circuit Paul Ricard. The Kent circuit hosted more than 23,000 spectators across the weekend, underlining the strength of the Sprint Cup opener in the UK.
That opening round at Circuit Paul Ricard in April came in the form of a six-hour endurance race, a very different challenge to the one-hour intensity of Sprint competition. It was a race that underlined just how quickly fortunes can change. For much of the event, the pace was set by Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter, who controlled proceedings from pole position and looked firmly on course for victory deep into the race.
But endurance racing rarely follows a straightforward script.
A late safety car intervention erased the advantage built over the opening five hours, compressing the field and turning the final stint into a flat-out fight to the flag. That shift opened the door for Comtoyou Racing, whose race had already been complicated by an early puncture that forced an unscheduled stop and dropped them out of contention.
What followed was a measured recovery that became decisive when it mattered most. In the closing stages, Nicki Thiim delivered a controlled but aggressive stint, working through traffic before applying sustained pressure on race leader Lucas Auer. A small mistake was all that was needed, and Thiim capitalised to take the lead and ultimately secure victory for the Aston Martin squad.
It was a result built on consistency, resilience, and execution across the full six hours.
Now, the championship shifts to Brands Hatch and back to Sprint racing. The contrast is immediate. From six hours down to one. No time to recover, no opportunity to rebuild after setbacks. Every lap carries weight, and track position becomes critical on a circuit where overtaking is never straightforward.
Before the action got underway, the paddock paused for a moment of reflection to honour Alex Zanardi. A figure whose influence extends far beyond results, his legacy remains deeply felt across the sport.
Saturday Summary – Practice & Qualifying at Brands Hatch
Free practice immediately showed how competitive the field would be, with different manufacturers showing pace across both sessions.
In Free Practice 1, Team WRT set the benchmark with the #32 BMW, topping the overall times with a 1:21.350. Class pace was spread, with Tresor Attempto Racing quickest in Gold, while Pure Rxcing led the Silver category.
Free Practice 2 saw a shift at the top, with Verstappen Racing putting the #3 Mercedes-AMG fastest overall with a 1:22.932. Boutsen VDS continued strong form in Gold, while Razoon - More Than Racing led Silver.
When it came to qualifying, Lionspeed GP emerged as the standout performer. The #80 Porsche 911 GT3 R secured pole position for both races, posting a 1:22.722 in Qualifying 1 and improving further to a 1:22.676 in Qualifying 2, underlining strong one-lap pace.
Behind them, the class battles remained tight. Tresor Attempto Racing’s Audi continued to feature strongly in Gold, while Team WRT’s BMW set the pace in Silver across both sessions.
RACE ONE
Race one at Brands Hatch unfolded as one of the most chaotic and incident-filled contests of the weekend, with multiple twists reshaping the outcome from start to finish.
Conditions were dry and warm, with a track temperature of 26.4°C, while dust off line made grip unpredictable in the opening phase. Brands Hatch is a tight and technical track which makes over-taking difficult with possibly only two spots to chance it.
The race began under a rolling start, with Porsche and Ferrari sharing the front row, but the opening lap immediately set the tone. A car spun at Paddock Hill Bend as the tightly packed field funnelled through the opening corner, a reminder of just how little margin there is at Brands Hatch.
Moments later came the defining early incident.
At Stirling Bend, the #10 Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Robin Knutsson, left the track at speed and hit the barriers heavily. The impact was significant. The front wheel assembly was destroyed, bodywork was torn away, and the door was ripped completely off the car and left in the gravel trap. Debris was scattered across the run-off area, underlining the severity of the accident. Investigations appear to show it had been triggered by a touch from the Razoon - More Than Racing Porsche #914.
From my trackside position at the corner, the scale of the impact was immediately clear. The car came to rest heavily damaged, requiring extensive recovery. The safety car was deployed, but with barrier repairs needed and debris to clear, the race was red flagged shortly after. The clock was stopped at 54 minutes and 56 seconds.
Importantly, Knutsson was able to exit the car and was reported safe following the incident. A tribute to the crash protection and quality build of the Porsche.
After a lengthy delay, the race resumed from the pit lane, effectively resetting the field and shifting the strategic picture.
From there, the race remained unpredictable. The pole-sitting Lionspeed GP Porsche #80, which had led the field away, began to fall backwards following an early pit stop before ultimately retiring with a power steering issue. What had looked like a controlled start quickly unravelled.
At the front, the #3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG, driven by Chris Lulham, delivered a standout performance. Despite carrying a five-second pit stop penalty for a procedural infringement, Lulham built a sufficient gap on track to retain the lead, crossing the line first.
However, the result was far from settled.
Post-race penalties dramatically altered the classification, with the #3 Mercedes-AMG among several cars handed a 30-second penalty for failing to sufficiently slow under yellow flags while improving sector times. That decision reshuffled the order and handed victory to the #50 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by Arthur Leclerc and Thomas Neubauer.
Behind them, Lorenzo Zagazeta and Titouan Mosca secured Gold Cup honours, while Mikey Porter and Guilherme Oliveira claimed victory in the Silver Cup.
In the end, race one was defined less by outright pace and more by survival, discipline, and adherence to regulations. A race where the chequered flag didn’t tell the full story, and the final result was only confirmed once the stewards had their say.
RACE TWO
Race two at Brands Hatch delivered a more controlled contest on paper, but the intensity remained from the outset, with the field immediately racing hard for position.
From the start, drivers were forced to fight for space through the opening corners, running wide and kicking up dust as they searched for grip off the racing line. With the pack still tightly compressed, the opening laps demanded precision, and any small mistake was quickly punished.
As the race began to settle, incidents in the midfield continued to shape the order. The #914 Razoon - More Than Racing Porsche spun out, while the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi, driven by Alex Aka, picked up damage following contact with the Boutsen VDS Porsche of Dorian Boccolacci. The damage proved terminal, forcing the car into retirement.
Further penalties followed. The #6 GetSpeed Performance Mercedes-AMG received a 15-second penalty for causing a collision with the #914 Porsche, adding another layer of consequence to the early race battles.
At the front, however, the picture was far more straightforward.
Starting from pole, the Lionspeed GP Porsche #80, driven by Bastian Buus, quickly established control. By lap three, Buus had broken clear of the pack, creating a gap that would define the race. From that point on, it became a flat-out sprint to the finish, with no interruptions and no opportunity for strategy to come into play.
Through the middle phase, the field spread out, but the intensity remained. Drivers continued to push hard, with several track limits penalties reflecting the fine margins being worked at throughout.
Unlike race one, there were no major incidents to disrupt the order at the front. Instead, the race was decided through consistency and control, with the leading Porsche maintaining its advantage without error.
At the chequered flag, Bastian Buus and Ricardo Feller secured a lights-to-flag overall victory for Lionspeed GP in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, delivering a measured and composed performance across the full race distance.
Behind them, the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen entry of Dani Juncadella and Chris Lulham took second place overall, with the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel completing the overall podium in third.
Further back, the class battles played out within the field. Simon Gachet and Romain Andriolo secured Gold Cup honours for CSA Racing, while Team WRT’s Matisse Lismont and Ignacio Montenegro took victory in the Silver Cup.
In contrast to the disruption of race one, race two was defined by execution. A race where track position was established early and managed to the finish, with little margin for recovery once the order had settled.
Across the weekend, the contrast between endurance and sprint racing was clear.
Paul Ricard rewarded patience and recovery. Brands Hatch demanded immediate execution. Race one showed how quickly control can be lost, shaped by incidents and penalties as much as pace. Race two, by contrast, was decided early and managed cleanly to the finish.
Following the conclusion of the round, the global manufacturers’ standings remain led by Porsche on 343 points, with Mercedes-AMG in second on 290. Ferrari sit third on 203, just ahead of BMW M Motorsport on 202, while Audi Sport complete the top five on 155.
The championship now moves on to round three at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on 30–31 May, where the focus shifts back to endurance racing and another six-hour contest. If the opening rounds have shown anything, it’s that very little needs to happen for everything to change.
There is also a Prologue race 0n 19-20 May at Spa for the Crowddstrike 24 hours
This feature also includes photography from fellow Gridline Press team members, whose work alongside my own helped capture the full story across the weekend. So a big thank you to them.
Sam Pelling; Michael Clarke; Jamie Nash; Kaelan Stallman-Gill; Kai Harris; Myles Dell
