The 2026 GT World Challenge season is rapidly approaching its conclusion, and the global manufacturer championship is entering its closing stages as everyone prepares for the final curtain call.
On the American front, the penultimate round at Barber Motorsports Park marked the final three-hour race of the season before the championship heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the DESDER Indianapolis 8 Hour. There, GT World Challenge America competitors will join forces with Intercontinental GT Challenge teams, with both championship titles set to be decided at the Brickyard.
Following the Alabama weekend, Mercedes-AMG remains in control of the Global Manufacturer Championship with 1,027 points. Porsche continues to chase in second with 964 points, while Ferrari occupies third with 890 points.
Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG added 48 points to its global championship total at Barber Motorsports Park, maintaining its position at the top of the standings heading into the season finale.
Mercedes-AMG Team JMF Motorsports led the charge, with Michai Stephens and Mikael Grenier bringing the No. 34 entry home in second place overall. The podium result provided another valuable points haul for the manufacturer and continued the team’s strong campaign. They continue to sit at the top of the Pro class standings, though their points lead has lessened slightly.
The sister No. 27 entry of Jason Daskalos and Philip Ellis also produced a solid result, finishing fourth in the Pro-Am category.
With Mercedes-AMG holding a 63-point advantage over Porsche, the manufacturer will head to Indianapolis looking to protect its lead and close out the season on top.
Porsche
Porsche continued to mount its challenge at Barber Motorsports Park, with customer teams producing a pair of Pro-Am podium finishes and another strong performance in the Pro class.
McCann Racing secured its second podium finish of the season in the Pro class, with Michael McCann Jr. and Zach Vanier executing a bold strategy that paid off in the closing stages. Vanier was forced to fend off a charging BMW in the final minutes, but the Porsche ultimately held on for a strong result.
In Pro-Am, RS1 added another podium to its impressive season, with Danny Dyszelski and Jan Heylen bringing the No. 28 Porsche home in second place.
The No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche of Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent completed the Pro-Am podium. After being spun early in the race, the championship contenders produced an impressive comeback to secure third and, in the process, retake the Pro-Am championship points lead.
Ferrari
AF Corse USA enjoyed another standout weekend in Birmingham, with the No. 12 Pro-class Ferrari continuing its remarkable qualifying form. For the third consecutive race, the Ferrari secured overall pole position. Matias Perez Companc and Frederik Schandorff then converted that pace into victory, taking the Pro-class win and adding another significant haul of points to Ferrari’s championship campaign.
In the Am class, Jay Schreibman was reunited with teammate Oswaldo Negri for the penultimate race of the season after Negri missed the previous two rounds due to injury.
The reunion proved successful, with the pair returning to victory lane in the No. 163 Ferrari. With one race remaining, Schreibman and Negri will look to repeat the result at Indianapolis as they aim to close out their Am class championship campaign on a high note.
Up Next
The global GT World Challenge calendar continues with rounds in Beijing and Barcelona, both taking place over the weekend of October 3rd and 4th.
But all roads ultimately lead to Indianapolis. Just one week remains until the DESDER Indianapolis 8 Hour, where GT World Challenge America teams will join the Intercontinental GT Challenge field for the final race of the season. With the global manufacturer championship still to be decided, the Brickyard is set to provide the final chapter of an action-packed 2026 campaign.
Buy your #Indy8H tickets now and see the final showdown at the Brickyard from October 8th to 11th.