HOSTILITIES BEGIN AT ESTORIL

Today’s Free Practice sessions offered the first clear indication of the balance of performance ahead of the decisive Supercars Endurance weekend at the Autódromo do Estoril in Portugal, confirming that the battles for the Iberian Supercars and Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade titles will be decided by mere thousandths of a second.

Portuguese drivers Nuno Afonso and Alexandre Areia topped the overall timesheets in the Gianfranco Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, also leading the GT4 Pro-Bronze class. The pair edged the McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4 of José Cautela and Lourenço Monteiro by just 0.038 seconds. Both crews remain firmly in the fight for the GT4 Pro-Bronze division crown.

In a top five covered by only 0.160 seconds, Francisco Mora placed the Toyota Gazoo Racing Caetano Portugal Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 third overall and fastest in GT4 Pro. They were followed by Guillermo and Filip Aso, who showed strong pace in the NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT4, placing third in GT4 Pro-Bronze. Tomás Guedes and José Carlos Pires completed the top five in the Speedy Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 and were second in GT4 Pro, confirming their intentions to fight for GT honours this weekend.

Among the GT4 Pro-Bronze driver - who once again proved particularly competitive - Bruno Pires and young Slovenian driver Mark Kastelic produced an impressive showing in the Lema Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4, placing 11th overall and less than a second off the fastest time.

In GT4 Pro, Francisco Mora and Francisco Abreu opened the weekend by setting the benchmark, fully embracing their status as title contenders in both GT and GT4 Pro. Pires and Guedes followed closely in the Speedy Motorsport Toyota, underlining the consistency that has kept them firmly in both championship fights. Mathieu Martins, in the Racar Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 and once again joined this weekend by Portuguese youngster Henrique Ventura Oliveira, completed the class top three. Fresh from winning the GT and GT4 Pro titles in Supercars España, Martins has made clear he is not here to ease off, maintaining strong ambitions in both Iberian Supercars and the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade.

Iberian Supercars reigning champion César Machado, sharing a Speedy Motorsport Toyota GR Supra with young Spaniard Adrián Ferrer and one of the strongest title candidates, ended Free Practice fourth in GT4 Pro division, narrowly behind his direct rivals.

GT4 Bronze once again provided one of the highlights of the day. Álvaro Lobera and Gonzalo de Andrés led the class with the McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4, setting the sixth-fastest time overall—a crucial result for their title hopes, and further proof of the competitiveness of the Woking machinery.

Portugal’s Ricardo Costa and Colombia’s Andrés Prieto followed closely in the NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT4, signalling an intense head-to-head fight. Portuguese duo Vasco Oliveira and Francisco Carvalho placed the Racar Motorsport-run Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO third in class, reaffirming their commitment to the three-way battle for the title.

In GT4 Am, Pedro Bastos Rezende and Rúben Vaquinhas began the weekend exactly as they have so often this season: on top. Their Gianfranco Motorsport-run Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 comfortably set the pace, once again demonstrating why they have already secured the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade title. Smörg and Javier Macias were second in the Promotion Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO and remain poised to capitalise should the leaders encounter trouble in Sunday’s crucial races.

Close Competition in GTC and Touring Cars

In GTX, Ángel Santos and Gabriel Caçoilo laid down the first strong marker of the weekend, topping both the division and the wider GTC category with a rapid time aboard the Chefo Sport Petrogold Ligier JS2 R.

Title contenders Pompeu Simões and Duarte Camelo placed their Speedy Motorsport Porsche Cayman CS close behind, maintaining their status as favourites for the races ahead. Gracie Mitchell and Luca Staccini also showed competitive pace in the Tockwith Motorsport Ginetta G55, while Henrique Moura Oliveira and Chloe Grant (Monteiros Competições BMW M4 GT4 F82) and the debuting Team CDRS line-up all demonstrated strong rhythm.

Rui Miritta once again set the benchmark in the Cup division. The Portuguese driver—GTC champion and Cup winner in Supercars España—was fastest in the Monteiros Competições Porsche 911 Cup, signalling his intent to close the season with further Iberian and national titles.

Britons Marcus Fothergill and Dave Benett, in the Tockwith Motorsport Porsche 911 Cup, followed just 0.095s behind and keep their mathematical chances alive in Iberian Supercars.

João Posser added to the class competitiveness in the Veloso Motorsport Porsche 911 Cup, while Briton Adam Fawsitt and Portugal’s Pedro Paiva Raposo showed promising pace in the Protech Motorsport Ferrari F430 Challenge—enough to keep their hopes alive in the Cup battle within the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade.

In Touring Cars, Daniel Teixeira delivered as expected, placing his JT59 Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR well clear of the pack. He arrives at Estoril leading the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade standings and in a strong position in Iberian Supercars—status reinforced by today’s performance.

In TC, attention centred on the three Ginetta G40s of the FPAK Junior Team, run by Monteiros Competições squad, but it was the newcomer Art of Speed SEAT León Supercopa MK2 of Frederico Formiga and Frederico Castro that set the fastest time.

Among the Ginetta crews, João Faria and Martin Romão, and Tomás Martins with Rodrigo Vilaça, both showed strong pace. Diogo Castro and Tomás Gomes turned laps only during test sessions after gearbox issues prevented them from joining Free Practice, but the intensity of the three-way fight for TC titles in both Iberian Supercars and the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade remains clear.

With the first indicators now established at Estoril, and with minimal gaps across almost every division, Free Practice confirmed what the entire season has been suggesting: the Iberian Supercars and Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade titles will be decided in the finest of margins, with a remarkably closely matched grid and several teams poised to end the year on the top step of the podium.

How to Watch

Fans wishing to witness the decisive moments of the season live can purchase daily tickets for €15 or a full-weekend pass for €20, both available at BOL.pt.

Qualifying takes place on Saturday and will be broadcast live on the official Supercars Endurance Instagram page from 11:30, featuring exclusive interviews.

As always, the races will be broadcast live on DAZN Portugal and DAZN Spain, as well as on the Race Ready YouTube channel. International coverage will also be provided: English commentary on AlphaLive, German coverage on Deutsch Motorsport Television, and Italian coverage on Parc Fermé, ensuring global visibility for one of the most important weekends of the Iberian motorsport calendar.