The weekend arrives with a dual motorsport event that will present a special challenge for six drivers, who will have to manage their commitments between the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the GT World Challenge Europe. This situation arises due to an unexpected clash between the two series.
The SRO Motorsports Group has decided to move the three-hour race in Portimao, which represents the final round of the 2026 season of the Endurance Cup, to Saturday afternoon. This decision will allow key drivers who also compete in the WEC to travel between Spain and Portugal, considering that the title races were remaining open.
The team alignments and manufacturers adapted their strategies based on the championship standings, following the guidelines of their director, Stephane Ratel. Additionally, a modification of the program was requested at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to prioritize the liveries of LMGT3 before making way for the Hypercars.
The drivers in the LMGT3 category competing in Portimao include Mattia Drudi, who will defend the colors of Heart of Racing with an Aston Martin Vantage LMGT3. Additionally, he will weave his commitment with Comtoyou Racing in the GT World Challenge with another Vantage model, where he will share driving duties with Ross Gunn and Nicki Thiim.
The team Garage 59 will also have a busy weekend. Drivers Thomas Fleming and Benjamin Goethe will compete in their respective McLaren 720S, before traveling to Portugal to compete in the race.
Other drivers like Darren Leung from BMW will have to move between his M4 LMGT3 from the WEC and his vehicle from Paradine Competition in the GTWCE. Peter Dempsey will make a vehicle switch, competing with a Corvette in Barcelona and a Porsche in Portimao.
Another notable name is Rui Andrade, who will compete in the WEC with Iron Lynx-Mercedes and drive an AMG GT3 with Motopark in Portimao.
Finally, the reconfiguration of the alignments has been carried out without additional complications. Drivers like Max Verstappen and Maxime Martin will remain in their respective competitions, while support will continue for teams and drivers transferring their commitments.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
