+ Two title battles set to go to the wire in Sunday headliner
+ Can Gialdini and Njor double up with Overall GT2 honours?
+ Four crews still in contention for Pro-Am glory
+ Epic GT World event to boast battle of champions as Verstappen joins Rossi
+ Provisional entry list, Portimão
The GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli will finish its season with a super Sunday shootout at Portimão next weekend (October 16-18), with a brace of titles on the line.
Both races will take place on Sunday, October 18 in a headline slot for the series, with a 17-car grid boasting six different manufacturers ready for action. While the Silver and Masters champions may have already been decided, the fight for Overall honours is not yet settled, while a thrilling Pro-Am showdown beckons with four crews still in the title fight. The weekend marks GT2 Europe’s first visit to the Portuguese track since 2023.
The GT2 action will form a key part of the support package for what promises to be an epic final GT World event, with Max Verstappen confirming his participation in Saturday’s GT World Endurance Cup finale, pitting him against Valentino Rossi in a unique battle of the champions. Add in races from the ever-popular GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy Europe, and Portimão promises to be a weekend not to miss.
13 TITLES BETWEEN THEM, 1 EPIC SHOW IN STORE
The arrival of four-time Formula 1 World Champion Verstappen to the GT3 grid will only enhance the headline act as 61 GT World cars race into twilight on Saturday night, with the Dutchman joining the crew of the #3 Team Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG.
Sure to be a fan favourite, Verstappen will also go head-to-head with nine-time Moto GP World Champion Valentino Rossi, who will be in action with his regular Team WRT BMW. Between them, the two drivers should create a thrilling spectacle when mixed with the world-class field of GT racing talent.
Not limited to just the racing, GT World will also put on its usual lineup of off-track activities. The popular Fan Zone will be a hub for the weekend, featuring multiple food and drink offerings, merchandise stalls, supercar displays and a big screen, all soundtracked by the GT World DJ. The event will also feature open paddocks, as well as pit and grid walks which are certain to be in high demand in Portugal.
OVERALL AND PRO-AM HANG IN THE BALANCE
Ethan Gialdini and Mikkel Njor may have secured the inaugural Silver class honours last time out at Zandvoort, but they could also go on to do a historic double by landing the first-ever Overall GT2 Drivers’ title too.
The CMR Ginetta pair have celebrated outright wins four times this season, across the events at Spa, Misano and Zandvoort, which has propelled them into the Overall points lead. Stefan Rosina leads the challenge and will race solo this weekend aboard an LP Racing Maserati.
David Thilenius and Jay Mo Härtling sit just a point further back in their SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMG and were outright winners back at the opening event in Monza, while newly crowned three-time Masters Champion Philippe Prette is the last driver in contention, but needs to hope for big trouble for those ahead if he is to snatch a second crown this season.
Pro-Am is both the biggest entry with 10 cars and the closest title fight. Thilenius and Härtling lead by just nine points from Lawrence Tomlinson and Mike Simpson in their CMR Ginetta. They may have three wins to the Ginetta crew’s two, but Tomlinson and Simpson have out-scored the Mercedes-AMG pair at each of the last two events to dramatically close the gap.
Marius Aigner and Reinhard Kofler also cannot be discounted in third, albeit they have 28pts to make up. However, the MZR KTM drivers have won two of the last four races. Nil Montserrat and Alberto de Martin complete the title-challenging quartet, with their NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG needing to score big to overturn a 44pt gap.
Iron Dames drivers Sarah Bovy and Laura van den Hengel will be back in action in their SP Racing Maserati and hunting a strong end to the campaign, while we will also get our first look at a Ligier in action thanks to a new JS2 RS entry from High Class Racing.
The Masters title may be settled in favour of Prette, but there’s still honours available with both Viktor Mraz (RTR Projects KTM) and Petr Lisa/Ondrej Rokos (RTR Mercedes-AMG) in a close fight for second.
HÄRTLING ON VERGE OF ACADEMY GLORY
With a healthy lead in the SRO GT Academy points, Jay Mo Härtling could wrap up the title, and with it land one of the biggest prizes in the sport – a fully funded season in the 2027 GT World Endurance Cup with a Mercedes-AMG Customer Team.
However, he still has work to do as points can be both scored and deducted. Ethan Gialdini has scored superbly in recent rounds to sit second, while Härtling’s Schnitzelalm team-mate Moritz Wiskirchen still retains a hope in third. Njor is fourth while the returning Antoine Potty (i4Race Maserati) and Niccolò Pirri (LP Racing Maserati) round out the Academy runners for the final races of the year.
