The battle for manufacturer supremacy in the global GT World Challenge powered by AWS championship continues to intensify, with Mercedes-AMG reclaiming the lead in the standings following a busy stretch of racing across multiple continents.
Since the previous standings update following Sebring, the global calendar has featured rounds at Monza, Queensland, and most recently Road Atlanta, all contributing valuable points toward the title fight.
While Porsche had consistently occupied the top spot throughout the opening half of the season, seven-time champions Mercedes-AMG surged back into first place.
The margin at the top had initially remained razor-thin, but Mercedes-AMG has now established a more comfortable advantage with 555 points. Porsche sits second on 464 points, though as the season has repeatedly shown, fortunes can change rapidly in global GT racing. The Stuttgart marque now faces the task of closing the gap during a pivotal stretch of the calendar. Ferrari currently holds third position with 390 points and remains firmly in contention as several events still lie ahead.
Although GT World Challenge America powered by AWS now enters its summer break, the global championship remains active with major events around the world, including the marquee CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, ensuring the manufacturer battle is far from over.
Mercedes-AMG
Road Atlanta proved especially significant for Mercedes-AMG as customer squad JMF Motorsports delivered a milestone weekend for both team and manufacturer.
The No. 27 entry of Jason Daskalos and “super sub” factory driver Philip Ellis scored the team’s first Pro-Am class victory of the season in GT World Challenge America. Even more impressively, the duo claimed the outright overall race win in the three-hour contest, adding a substantial points haul to Mercedes-AMG’s championship campaign.
The sister No. 34 Pro class entry of Michai Stephens and Mikael Grenier also looked poised for a strong finish before suffering a power issue during the closing stages of the race. Despite the setback, the pair managed to salvage second place in class, ensuring valuable manufacturer points were still secured.
Porsche
Road Atlanta presented a mixed, though largely positive, weekend for Porsche’s customer teams. Pro-Am championship leaders Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent continued their impressive season aboard the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche. A third-place finish in class allowed the duo to further extend their championship advantage while contributing valuable points to Porsche’s global effort. McCann Racing also earned their first podium finish of the season in the Pro class after a hard-fought effort from Zach Vanier and Michael McCann Jr.
After a challenging first half of the year, the No. 017 Kellymoss entry of Colin Braun and Michael Clark enjoyed a breakthrough performance. The duo gained ten positions over the course of the race, ultimately finishing fourth in class and fifth overall.
Elsewhere, however, fortune was less kind. RS1 suffered its first retirement of the season after contact from another competitor ended what had been an impressive podium streak.
Ferrari
AF Corse USA enjoyed a standout weekend at Road Atlanta, as the Pro-class No. 12 Ferrari of Matias Perez Companc and Frederik Schandorff secured their first pole position of the season before converting it into their maiden class victory of the year. While the race was far from straightforward, the pairing executed when it mattered most to claim the win.
On the other side of the garage, the No. 163 Am-class Ferrari of Jay Schreibman and Benny Simonsen continued their strong campaign by securing another uncontested class victory.
The results further strengthened Ferrari’s hold on third place in the manufacturer standings as the Italian marque remains within striking distance heading into the summer stretch.
Up Next
The biggest event on the global calendar, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, is coming up next from June 25th to 28th. From there follows a plethora of races across Europe, Australia, and Asia before the American branch of the championship resumes.
GT World Challenge America will head to Road America for their next round, taking place in late summer from August 28th to 30th as the field takes on the National Park of Speed.
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