Paddock Stories

The Supercars Endurance gets underway this weekend at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve as part of the Algarve Iberian Racing Weekend, but beyond the strong grid set to feature in the opening round of the 2026 season, the paddock of the Iberian Peninsula’s leading circuit racing competition continues to grow in scale, quality and international projection.

Last-minute changes on the chessboard

McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport with a new pairing

One of the late additions is the presence of Alfonso Colomina and Lluis Mas at the wheel of a McLaren Artura GT4 entered by McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport. The Spanish outfit has been involved in Supercars Endurance for several years and brings together a well-known name in the paddock — Colomina, who last year fought for the Supercars España GTX title — with a young driver coming from karting.

Tockwith Motorsport signs a familiar name

Historic Tockwith Motorsport has also made changes to one of its Ginetta G55 entries, handing it over to Aubrey Hall and António Almeida. The Portuguese driver had already been confirmed, but the young Briton was a last-minute signing, making a return after sporadic appearances over the past two seasons, always with the British team.

New name at Veloso Motorsport

José Maria Marreiros returns to the Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade and is also preparing for his Iberian Supercars debut, joining Veloso Motorsport’s GTX campaign. The Lisbon driver will share a Ligier JS2 R run by Veloso Motorsport with rookie Artur Ferreira, further strengthening a GTC championship grid that continues to blend youth and experience.

Paddock grows in quality

New trucks enhance the paddock

The growth of Supercars Endurance is not only reflected in the starting grids. The championship paddock also continues to evolve in terms of size and infrastructure quality, now presenting an organisational and visual standard capable of rivaling many international championships. While not Formula 1, the Iberian championship is beginning to showcase trucks, hospitality units and infrastructures that highlight the increasing investment made by the teams.

For 2026, two significant additions arrive in this area, with Art of Speed and Autoworks Motorsport unveiling new support trucks in the paddock, reinforcing the professional image of two structures that continue expanding their sporting projects.

Paddock catering

Another new feature this season will be the permanent presence of a restaurant in the paddock throughout all championship events, a measure designed to improve the conditions offered to drivers, teams, guests and spectators during race weekends.

Brazilian expansion

The international reach of Supercars Endurance also continues to grow beyond the Iberian Peninsula. The races will once again be broadcast live on DAZN Portugal and DAZN España, as well as on Race Ready’s official YouTube channel, in English and Spanish, while also receiving coverage from Motorsport TV Deutschland in Germany and Parc Fermé in Italy.

The major new development for 2026, however, will be the broadcast of the races by Braking Zone TV, a partnership that marks the championship’s expansion into South America’s main motorsport market, Brazil. This connection becomes even more relevant with the presence of Roberto Faria on the GT4 grid and Breno Arruda in the GTC/Touring Cars field. The young Brazilian will share an RV7-entered and Gianfranco Motorsport-run Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO with Joel Bergström. Breno Arruda will team up with Tiago Loureiro in a TRS-run McLaren 570S GT4.

The GT4 and GTC/Touring Cars races will be broadcast on DAZN Portugal and DAZN España, as well as on Race Ready’s official YouTube channel in Spanish, with additional coverage available in English, German and Italian. The competitive programme begins on Saturday with the first GTC/Touring Cars race at 16:30 Lisbon time, followed by the first GT4 race at 17:45. On Sunday, the second GTC/Touring Cars race will take place at 12:50, while the second GT4 race will start at 14:05. On Friday, at 11:30, the championship’s official Instagram account will broadcast the Pit Walk live, during which interviews will be conducted with the main protagonists of the Algarve weekend.