This weekend sees the GT Winter Series return to kick off the 2026 season, with 32 cars expected to take the green flag at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. A mix of new teams, drivers, and machinery will all be present at Portimão for the season-opening round.

Reigning GT3 class champions SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Racing return with a two-car Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo effort. Kenneth Heyer will be joined by Jay Mo Hartling in one entry, while the second car will be driven by two-time GT Winter Series champion Michael Sander alongside Moritz Witzkirchen.

Mercedes-AMG machinery will be well represented beyond the reigning champions. Dexter Muller returns after a partial campaign in 2025, having competed at Circuito Estoril and the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, while Alfredo Hernandez switches from gold and black to blue and yellow with Grupo Prom Racing Team. PTT Racing also returns to the premier class after primarily competing in Cup Two last season, with Przemyslaw Bienkowski driving for the Polish squad.

Haupt Racing Team has previously fielded Mercedes-AMG machinery in the series; however, for 2026, the German outfit will debut the Ford Mustang GT3 with a dual entry. Kiano Blum and Emil Gjerdrum will share one car, while Max Cuccarese and Alain Valente will line up in the second Mustang at the opening round.

LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler returns for a full 2026 campaign with Jonas Karklys and Tim Hütter piloting a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2. The team will also field a single Cup 1 entry driven by Fredrich Muller.

British GT regulars Marcus Clutton and Simon Orange return following a successful 2025 campaign, once again racing their McLaren 720S GT3 Evo run by JMH. AF Motorsport joins the series with Portuguese driver André Fernandez in a Porsche 911 GT3 (991.2), while Juta Racing brings an Audi R8 LMS Evo II to the grid.

The GT2 class will also feature another Mercedes-AMG entry, with Branden Lee Oxley and Alberto De Martin representing NM Racing.

Cup 1 will see AF Corse field two cars at the Portuguese venue. Former Ligier European Championship racer Josh Steed teams up with Sean Ran in one entry, while the second lineup has yet to be announced. Araújo Competição’s Álvaro Ramos returns to the category, while Kessel Racing’s Lukas Azzato and Alberto Cola make their series debut.

Cup 2 features the return of several familiar teams, including Leandro Martins Racing, PTT Racing, MS Racing, Nacente Racing, Team Steiner Racing, and Up2Race.

Cup 3 will see Auto Sport Racing field a double entry, with reigning class champions Milos Pavlovic and Alessio Ruffini returning, alongside a solo entry for Petar Matic.

Finally, the GTX class will see the BMW Z4 GT3 make its series debut, with Marcus Oeyenhausen driving for Classic & Speed.

Photo credit: Costa Chatzikonstantinou