GT4: FIVE KEY STORYLINES FROM THE SEASON SO FAR

The three Supercars Endurance series have reached the summer break after a season characterised by growing spectator interest, GT4 grids that remain among the largest in Europe, a competitive structure that continues to give every category its own prominence, and increasing internationalisation. With plenty of talking points after three rounds, we look back at the five key highlights of the season so far.

Strong spectator turnout at every event

One of the defining features of the 2026 season has been the strong support from spectators. Regardless of the characteristics of each circuit, the Iberian Supercars, Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade and Campeonato de España de Supercars have continued to attract thousands of fans, confirming the growing interest in the competition.

At the Algarve, a circuit where its location traditionally makes it more challenging to attract large crowds, around 5,000 spectators attended across the weekend. One of the highlights was the pit-lane walk, which gave more than 1,000 fans the opportunity to enter the pit lane, see the cars at close quarters, meet drivers and teams, and experience the behind-the-scenes atmosphere of an international race meeting.

At the Circuito de Jarama, in Madrid, the enduring passion for motorsport in Spain was once again evident. Around 20,000 spectators visited the circuit during the Jarama Classic weekend, creating a particularly vibrant atmosphere in the grandstands and paddock.

In Vila Real, as always, the street circuit was transformed into a spectacular celebration of motorsport. Thousands of people filled the city throughout the three days of competition, with more than 100,000 spectators attending, further underlining the Trás-os-Montes event’s status as one of Portugal’s largest sporting occasions.

Direct interaction between fans, drivers and teams remains a key priority for the organisers, bringing spectators closer to the championship and helping create an experience that extends well beyond the racing itself.

Two-day race format enhances the spectacle

One of the major changes introduced in 2026 was the decision to split the two races between Saturday and Sunday, rather than holding both on Sunday as was the case until 2025, combined with separate grids for GT4 and GTC and Touring Cars. The new format gives each race and its winners greater individual prominence, ensuring that every division has its own showcase moment on each day.

The revised format also gives teams more time to analyse data from the opening race, address any issues and prepare for the second contest, increasing their ability to react between races.

For spectators and the media, the change also represents a significant benefit. With television coverage on both days, Supercars Endurance series gains greater exposure while giving fans an additional opportunity to follow the action and experience the racing excitement from Saturday onwards.

The rise of GT4 Pro-Bronze

The strength of the GT4 Pro-Bronze field is clear from the variety of drivers and crews fighting at the sharp end of the order. Across the six races held so far, three different pairings have already claimed victories in the division, with José Carlos Pires and Francisco Abreu of Toyota Gazoo Racing Caetano Portugal, Nuno Afonso and Alexandre Areia of Gianfranco Motorsport, and Nuno Pires and Orlando Batina of Batina Racing all taking their respective Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2s to the top step of the podium.

The competitiveness is not limited to the winners, however. Himar Acosta and Kyam Potez, in the CV Performance x JP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4, Guillermo Aso and Mario Pinazo, also in a Stuttgart-built car but representing NM Racing Team, and Alfonso Colomina and Lluis Mas, in the McLaren Artura GT4 of McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport, have likewise demonstrated the pace to challenge at the front.

That balance is reflected directly in the championships’ standings, leaving the GT4 Pro-Bronze titles in the Iberian Supercars, Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade and Campeonato de España de Supercars wide open. With several crews separated by only small margins and a number of races still to come, any one of them could play a decisive role in the title battle.

The championship has become truly international

The internationalisation of Supercars Endurance continues to gather pace and is one of the most prominent trends of the 2026 season.

Alongside Portuguese and Spanish teams and drivers, the championship currently features competitors from Germany, Andorra, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Slovenia, France, Mauritius, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mozambique, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and Uruguay, representing 18 different countries. This international reach is equally evident in the diversity of the teams represented in the paddock.

Several teams are already using the championship as an integral part of their driver development programmes, while young talents from a wide range of countries are finding Supercars Endurance an ideal platform on which to begin their careers in GT4 machinery.

This diversity is helping to raise the competitive level of the championship while strengthening its international profile, further establishing the Iberian series as one of Europe’s leading GT racing platforms.

Extremely high levels of competition across every division

Few championships can match the level of parity witnessed during the current season.

Across the six races held so far – two at the Algarve, two at Jarama and two in Vila Real – only Francisco Mora and Rodrigo Almeida, driving the Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 for Toyota Gazoo Racing Caetano Portugal, have managed to secure more than one outright victory. Every other race has been won by a different pairing, underlining the exceptional competitiveness of the field.

Nuno Afonso and Alexandre Areia in the Gianfranco Motorsport Toyota, Luís Aguiar and Rafael Rajani in the McLaren Artura GT4 of McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport, Tomás Teixeira and César Machado in the Speedy Motorsport Supra, and Hendrik Still and Carlos Vieira in the Veloso Motorsport Porsche Cayman GT4 RS CS have also stood on the top step of the podium, confirming that there are numerous crews capable of fighting for victory at any given weekend.

The close competition extends across the different divisions of the championship, with only narrow margins separating the leading contenders. Strategy, traffic management, pit-stop execution and consistency over race distance have all played a crucial role in determining the results, underlining the demands of the competition.

This exceptional level of parity means that virtually every race remains in the balance until the closing stages, delivering high-quality sporting competition while making both race victories and championship outcomes difficult to predict.

The next round of Supercars Endurance series takes place at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo from 25 to 27 September, as part of the Iberian Racing Festival Valencia. Iberian Supercars and Campeonato de España de Supercars return to the Valencia circuit for the fourth round of the season, as the title battles begin to enter their decisive phase.