SUPERCARS ENDURANCE RETURNS TO VALENCIA WITH CAPACITY GRID

Supercars Endurance series return in style this coming weekend to the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia for the fourth round of the season, counting towards both the Iberian Supercars and Supercars España. After the summer break, both series hit the track again with a full-capacity grid – 45 cars, the maximum allowed by the regulation – promising intense, unpredictable, and emotion-filled racing.

The Valencia Challenge

The Valencia layout is known for its technical demands and the pressure it puts on both drivers and machinery, particularly due to the intense heat typically present at this time of year. Even so, the conditions have never discouraged the fans: at the 2024 round, the grandstands and paddock were packed with enthusiasts, confirming the growing appeal of the competition.

Last year's races were a clear example of the championship’s competitiveness. In the first race, victory went to César Machado and Jan Durán in the Speedy Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO, while the second was won by Manuel Gião and Mathieu Martins in Racar Motorsport’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 after a tight battle right to the end.

With a new Pirelli tyre in use this season, another point of interest will be the attempt to match – or even beat – the GT4 lap record, set by Jan Durán with a 1m40.174s during last year’s second qualifying session, a time that still stands as the benchmark at Valencia.

Given all this, the stage is set in Valencia for thrilling races, where the heat, the technical layout, and the pressure of this phase of the season will combine to deliver spectacle and uncertainty all the way to the chequered flag.

What is new in the grid

The starting grid at Valencia brings a host of updates. Former Toyota GR Cup Spain winner Adrián Ferrer steps in for Rafael Lobato, joining César Machado in the Speedy Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 that won in Portimão – a team defending the GT4 Pro title. Also in the GT4 Pro class, complete GT debutant Luka Tavares replaces Bernardo Pinheiro in the Speedy Motorsport Porsche Cayman CS RS, sharing the wheel with João Aguiar Branco.

GT4 Bronze also sees new faces. Kyam Potez makes his Iberian Supercars debut in a Lema Racing-run Mercedes AMG GT4. Veloso Motorsport strengthens its line-up with the return of Miguel Cristóvão, 2022 GT4 Bronze champion, who teams up with Patrick Cunha in a Porsche Cayman CS RS.

Andrés Prieto joins Ricardo Costa in one of NM Racing Team’s Mercedes AMG GT4s, while local driver Manuel Bertolín returns to competition in his BMW M4 GT4 EVO, once again supported by GT Corse.

Autoworks Motorsport, meanwhile, moves to a BMW M4 GT4 (G82) after competing in GTX with a previous-generation model, entering Borja Hormigos and Héctor Hernández in GT4 Bronze.

NokoTech Racing by Speedy, previously known as GT Race Marbella by Speedy, fields Andrius Zemaitis with new teammate Karel Staut, as the pairing steps into the GT4 Pro-Bronze class.

In GT4 Am, PCR Sport makes its debut in the series this season with a Mercedes AMG GT4 for Vicente Dasí and Josep Parera.

GTX will also feature several notable changes. Lema Racing enters a Porsche Cayman CS to be shared by the highly experienced Álvaro Fontes – returning to the series – and rookie Miguel Gaspar.

Chefo Sport Petrogold increases its presence with a second Ligier JS2R, to be driven by Pere Marques and Gabriel Caçoilo, formerly a member of the FPAK Junior Team. Belgian team HY Racing returns after making its debut at the Estoril round earlier this season, fielding a Porsche Cayman CS for Olivier Muytjens and Brice Pineau, both regular competitors in the Iberian Historic Endurance.

Finally, McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport expands its entry to four cars, adding a McLaren 570S GT4 for Alex Wendt, joining the team’s two Artura GT4s and another 570S GT4 already in competition.

With so many changes and returns, the Valencia round of Supercars Endurance promises not just on-track excitement but also a refreshed storyline in the paddock, raising the stakes for what could be a decisive weekend in the title race.

Iberian Supercars: Championship standings by class

The opening round of the Iberian Supercars in Portimão made one thing clear: 2025 is shaping up to be a fiercely contested season. The balance between teams and drivers has been so fine that each race has come down to the smallest details – and Valencia is set to continue that tension right to the edge.

In GT4 Pro, consistency has been the strength of Roberto Faria and Mathieu Martins. Two second places in the Algarve were enough to put the Racar Motorsport duo in the lead with 41 points, but the pressure is on: Francisco Mora and Francisco Abreu (Toyota Gazoo Racing Caetano Portugal) follow closely with 38, thanks to a win and a second place. Also in the mix is César Machado (Speedy Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2), who will have a new teammate in Valencia and sits on 37 points after winning the opening race. Three teams separated by four points sets the stage for an all-out battle on Spanish soil.

In GT4 Pro-Bronze, it’s all level. Guillermo Aso and Filip Vava (NM Racing Team Mercedes AMG GT4) won the first race in Portimão, but Nuno Afonso and Alexandre Areia (Gianfranco Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) kept pace with two second places, leaving both pairings tied on 41 points. Right behind, Bruno Pires and Mark Kastelic (Lema Racing Mercedes AMG GT4), who took victory in the second race, sit on 39 points. Three duos within two points – Valencia could prove explosive.

The GT4 Bronze races look set to be equally unpredictable. Vasco Oliveira and Francisco Carvalho (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO) took the win in Race 2 and lead the standings with 43 points. Just behind is Ricardo Costa, who won the first race but won’t be joined by Ian Loggie this time, sitting on 37. André and Miguel Nabais (Gianfranco Motorsport Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2), ever consistent and always on the podium, are third with 34. All three crews have shown they can win – none will give an inch at Valencia. Álvaro Lobera and Gonzalo de Andrés, winners of Race 1 in Portimão but forced to retire in Race 2, remain in title contention thanks to the dropped-score rule.

In GT4 Am, the standout duo has been Rúben Vaquinhas and Pedro Bastos Rezende (Gianfranco Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4), who dominated Portimão with two wins and lead the standings on 53 points. The competition is not far behind: Smörg and Javier Macías (Promotion Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO) are chasing with 41 points, while António Lopes and Filipe Videira (Racar Motorsport Aston Martin) complete the provisional podium on 34.

In the Cup division, reigning winner Rui Miritta (Monteiros Competições Porsche 911 Cup) was utterly dominant, taking both wins and a perfect 54-point score. Behind him, Marcus Fothergill and Dave Benett (Tockwith Motorsports) sit on 40 points, while Pedro Paiva Raposo and Adam Fawsitt (Protech Motorsport), who have returned to the Porsche 911 Cup while awaiting delivery of their Ferrari 430 Challenge, hold third with 31.

In GTX, the action has been evenly spread. Alba Vázquez and Alfonso Colombina (McLaren 570S GT4, McLaren Barcelona – SMC Motorsport) shone in the opening race and lead with 42 points. Duarte Camelo and Pompeu Simões (Speedy Motorsport Porsche Cayman CS) responded with a Race 2 win and sit on 33 points, while Gracie Mitchell and Luca Staccini (Tockwith Motorsports Ginetta G55), ever consistent, are right behind with 32. Three teams, three different cars, one goal: to win.

This competitive landscape confirms that each class tells its own story of strategy, resilience, and skill – ensuring that fans in Valencia will have no shortage of reasons to stay on the edge of their seats until the final lap.

How to watch the races

As always, motorsport fans will be able to follow all the Supercars España action. Two races are scheduled for Sunday at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo – the first at 10:05 and the second at 15:05, both lasting 50 minutes. Both races will be broadcast live on DAZN España and DAZN Portugal, as well as through the competition’s official social media channels in Spanish.

In addition, international coverage will include: English commentary on the Alpha Live YouTube channel; German-language coverage on Motorsport Television Deutschland; and Italian broadcasts via Parc Fermé TV.

Access to the grandstands and paddock during the Valencia Iberian Racing Festival will be free for all fans attending the circuit this weekend.