Things have taken a turn in the GT World Challenge Global Manufacturers Championship following events at Sepang, Paul Ricard, and Circuit of The Americas as a new leader has emerged to knock multi-time champions Mercedes-AMG off the throne. Porsche has laid their claim at the top of the leaderboard, but margins remain incredibly thin between the two German powerhouses.
The Stuttgart brand now sits at 232 points, just a mere 9 points ahead of the Affalterbach marque. Meanwhile, Bavarian-based BMW M has taken over the third position in the standings, but with 143 points to their name thus far, they still have a large gap to close to the frontrunners ahead.
With multiple events coming up around the globe in the very near future, the standings may flip once again, but it remains clear that the battles will be hotly contested and every point won or lost could have massive implications.
Porsche
GT World Texas at Circuit of The Americas can be summarized by two words: Porsche perfection. The second round of the season saw the manufacturer score 80 points, much ado to Wright Motorsports’ dominant 1-2 finish in the new three-hour format. Dave Musial Jr. and Ryan Yardley not only secured the Pro-Am victory in their No. 31 Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO after completing a clean and clinical drive, but they also took home the overall win.
They were joined by teammates Therese Lahlouh and Thomas Merrill in second place, who scored their maiden podium in the series with the No. 242 machine. Additionally, RS1’s JP Martinez and Jan Heylen in the No. 28 car made it a full Porsche sweep for the second consecutive race.
Mercedes-AMG
Although Mercedes-AMG has dropped to second place in the global standings, COTA was by no means a weekend where they fell short. Michai Stephens and Mikaël Grenier scored back-to-back race wins in the Pro class with their No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
The duo also went quickest in both their respective Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2 sessions, grabbing the overall pole position with their combined times for the second consecutive time. Their strong form makes them clear favorites, and targets, as the championship continues to take shape.
BMW M
BMW M has entered the arena, taking over third place in the standings and sitting just a mere 8 points clear of Ferrari after 7 global rounds. With 143 points on the board, they still have a lot of work to do to catch up to Porsche and Mercedes-AMG ahead, but anything is possible.
Turner Motorsport’s Justin Rothberg and Robby Foley were the standouts, scoring a P2 finish in Texas, marking their first podium result since moving up to the Pro class ranks. It was a fierce battle as they chased down JMF Motorsports, with the end result truly coming down to the wire.
Up Next
The battles will continue in both GT World Challenge Asia and Europe, with simultaneous events taking place the weekend of May 1-3 at Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit and Brands Hatch Circuit, respectively.
The American championship will resume for the third round of the championship at Sebring International Raceway, where the field will battle it out from day into night across brutal bumps and Florida skies.