One entry will be driven by a familiar tandem, Leandro Martins and Dieter Svepes. The highly-successful duo have routinely won races and championships in Porsche machinery at a domestic- and European-level. In the 2024 GT Winter Series, the pair secured five Cup 2 victories on the way to second in the overall GT Winter Series standings, and first among the class entrants. During a partial 2025 GTWS schedule, Martins and Svepes won two races in the Cup 2 class.
Ahead of the six-hour race, Leandro Martins is making a return to the GT Winter Series. He will contest the season-opener – also held at Portimão – alongside Pablo Bras.
The second LMR Motorsport 6H of Portimao entry will be driven by an all-Brazilian line-up. Josimar Junior, Daniel Neumann and Sérgio Ramalho are all regular Porsche competitors in their native country, and 2025 champions. Josimar and Ramalho secured a Porsche Endurance Challenge Brasil championship in the Carrera Sport class, and were joined by Neumann at the Interlagos finale.
Neumann was a championship winner in karts prior to 2025, and stepped up to cars in spectacular fashion within Porsche Sprint Challenge Brasil, winning the Rookie class.
All three drivers have experience of the Portimão circuit, courtesy of Porsche Brasil’s visit to the venue in June. Therefore, this highly-decorated entry will certainly be contenders in the Cup 2 class, along with Svepes and Martins in the sister car.
The second edition of the 6H of Portimão will take place from 6-8 February, and is once again set to feature a range of high-level GT3, GT4 and Cup teams, as well as high-performance touring cars in the TCX class. The full race will be streamed live on the Winter Series YouTube channel, while fans trackside can once again experience the thrill of endurance racing. Alongside the six-hour main event, the second round of the Formula Winter Series will also take place, as well as the inaugural races for the Sports Prototype Winter Series.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
A full-season entry will be fielded for Kenneth Heyer and Jay Mo Härtling, who previously secured the overall GT Winter Series championship together in 2024. Heyer won the GT3 class of the GT Winter Series in 2025, and was also vice-champion in the overall standings along with co-driver Moritz Wiskirchen.
Heyer had a great continuation of his season over summer, in his 15th anniversary year racing with Mercedes-AMG. A particular highlight came on the 30-31 August weekend, as Heyer was part of the overall winning team at the 24 Hours of Zolder. During the weekend, Heyer was travelling between Zolder and Spa; at the latter venue, he was able to secure a Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy win in the midst of the victorious 24hr race effort.
Jay Mo Härtling started his 2025 with vice-championship status in the GT4 Winter Series, in an SR Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4. He and teammate Enrico Förderer continued their partnership into ADAC GT4 Germany, where they would clinch the overall championship. As a previous championship-winning pairing, Härtling and Heyer will be ones to watch in the 2026 season.
A second SR Motorsport Mercedes GT3 is also set to appear in the series at Portimão, Valencia and Barcelona, in the hands of Michael Sander and Mortiz Wiskirchen.
Both drivers have notable previous successes in the GEDLICH Racing paddock. As noted, Wiskirchen joined Kenneth Heyer to win the GT3 class of the 2025 GT Winter Series. The 23-year-old talent has also scored memorable results elsewhere, including Nürburgring 24 Hour class podiums and front-running appearances in ADAC GT Masters.
Sander made select appearances in a GT3-spec Mercedes during the 2025 Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy season, and is also a former overall champion in the GT Winter Series, winning his title in the 2021/2022 season.
The first event of the 2026 GT Winter Series will take place from 15-18 January at Portimão. Every moment of the action will be broadcast live-and-free on the Winter Series YouTube channel, while spectators will be able to attend the 2026 events from just €10 for a weekend ticket.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
For the first time, the team will run Mercedes’ in two classes for a band of familiar faces. Enrico Förderer and Joel Mesch will share the #11 car in the PRO class, while a PRO-AM #111 entry will be piloted by Cedric Fuchs and Willi Kühne.
Enrico Förderer kicked off his 2025 season in the GT4 Winter Series, and achieved vice-champion status along with Jay Mo Härtling. Then, the pairing moved into ADAC GT4 Germany, and scored four victories in the first four races, ultimately winning the championship for SR Motorsport with a race to spare.
Joel Mesch previously competed in the 2024 GT4 Winter Series, and also achieved the vice-champion accolade. More recently, Mesch competed in the 2025 ADAC GT4 Germany season in an SR Motorsport Mercedes. Förderer and Joel Mesch are good friends off-track, and will make a very strong tandem during the 2026 winter campaign.
Cedric Fuchs made his first appearances in GT racing during the 2025 GT4 Winter Series, and managed to win the Cayman Trophy standings along with Willi Kühne. Fuchs then got his first taste of Mercedes machinery in GT4 Germany, sharing a car with Mesch. Fuchs and Kühne will now reunite, with the aim of repeating their previous Winter Series success, this time within the PRO-AM class.
The 2026 GT4 Winter Series will once again bring together the strongest teams from across the European GT4 scene. The championship will begin at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, from 15-18 January.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
The former and recently-confirmed future home of the Portuguese Grand Prix is a true modern classic, earning comparisons to rollercoasters and a place in many drivers’ shortlists of favourite circuits.
The season-opener for 2026 is looking set to produce intense battles in both GT-based Winter Series grids, with entries from across Europe, driving talent from across the world, and a great variety of manufacturers.
GT Winter Series: Over 30 cars on the grid, 15 GT3s fighting at the front
A deluxe 32-car GT Winter Series entry will kick-off the 2026 season, featuring one of the largest GT3 class grids in series history.
Defending GT3 champions SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Racing will field a pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evos. Kenneth Heyer will once again be looking to fight for the title in a full-season effort, joined by the rapid Jay Mo Härtling in the #11 entry. The second car – the #111 – will be campaigned by two more familiar names to the GEDLICH Paddock; 2021/2022 GT Winter Series champion Michael Sander, and Moritz Wiskirchen.
Elsewhere among the Mercedes GT3 fleet, another full-season entry can be found at PTT Racing. Przemyslaw Bienkowski hopes to fight for the 2026 GT Winter Series honours, having clinched Poland’s domestic GT title in 2025. Additional Mercedes participation at Portimão comes courtesy of CBRX by SPS (Dexter Muller), Grupo Prom Racing Team (Alfredo Hernandez) and the GT2-spec machine from NM Racing Team (Alberto De Martin, Branden Oxley).
Another team looking to fight for the overall championship is Orange Racing by JMH, following a race-winning cameo in the 2025 season. The British team’s McLaren 720S GT3 Evo will be piloted by Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton. While this entry is the British marque’s only representation in the class, Ferrari has a quartet of entires; AF Corse and Olimp Racing will each bring a pair of 296 GT3s.
Additional GT3 participation comes courtesy of Haupt Racing Team (x2 Ford Mustangs), AF Motorsport (Porsche 991.2) and Juta Racing (Audi R8). Meanwhile, LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler will also be a regular presence throughout the 2026 GT Winter Series in the GT3 class, running a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2 for several driver combinations. For the first round, Jonas Karklys and Tim Hütter will be at the helm.
The Engstler team will also be present in the Cup 1 class for Ferrari 296 Challenge cars, with Friedrich Müller at the wheel. Competition in the class will come from a pair of AF Corse entries, as well as single-car efforts for Araújo Competição’s Alvaro Ramos, and Kessel Racing’s Lukas Azzato and Alberto Cola.
Cup 2 is reserved for Porsche 992 Cup cars, and will feature a strong six-car fight featuring entries from PTT Racing, MS Racing, Nacente Racing, Team Steiner Racing, LMR Racing and Up2Race. Meanwhile, the Cup 4 class for Lamborghini Super Trofeo machinery will be populated by a battle among Auto Sport Racing’s Alessio Ruffini and Miloš Pavlović, and the sister car of Petar Matić.
Finally, in the GTX class for cars outside of the regular class structure, a BMW Z4 GT3 will be entered by Classic & Speed for Marcus Oeyenhausen.
GT4 Winter Series: The battles resume for 2026
The GT4 Winter Series will once again be a thrilling duel among Europe’s top GT4 teams, with a healthy grid of over 15 cars expected for the first round.
SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm will once again be one of the leading forces, in both the PRO and PRO-AM classes. The PRO class entry will be piloted by Joel Mesch and ADAC GT4 champion Enrico Förderer, while the PRO-AM car’s line-up consists of Cedric Fuchs and Willi Kühne.
The PRO class is also anticipated to feature last year’s Drivers’ and Teams’ Champions, Elite Motorsport, in a McLaren Artura GT4. Another leading PRO class McLaren entry from 2025, Rafa Racing by RaceLab, will return with Irish brothers Robert and Colin Cronin at the controls. Portuguese squad Speedy Motorsport will also add depth to the Portimão PRO field, entering a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 for Hudson Schwartz and Lucas Cartelle.
After running as an invitational entry last year, Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson will be eager to fight for the 2026 GT4 Winter Series PRO-AM title. This time, the UK-based pairing joins French squad L’Espace Bienvenue in a BMW M4 GT4 Evo. In addition to the SR Motorsport By Schnitzelalm PRO-AM entry of Fuchs and Kühne, the class will also feature the Blue Garage Racing Lotus Emira GT4. The father-son pairing of Pavel and Troy Sovička will be looking to fly the Czech flag high, along with the team from Prague.
The AM class includes a pair of familiar faces, in the form of Tim Horrell and Joachim Bölting, who will both drive solo in W&S Motorsport Porsche 718 Caymans. Another Cayman – entered by Sunder Motorworks – will also be in the AM class, driven by husband-and-wife pairing Jose Garcia and Oana Gratiela. Meanwhile, the sonorous Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 of BWT Mücke Motorsport’s Thilo Goos will be among the entries in the Club class for out-of-homologation GT4 cars. Goos will be joined by co-driver Mattis Pluschkell for the season-opener.
Further entries include Greystone GT (McLaren), GT Corse (BMW) and Team VRT (Mercedes).
Stream live or watch trackside!
For the third consecutive season, every race of the 2025 GEDLICH Racing Winter Series will be streamed in partnership with broadcast specialists Alpha Live. An enhanced broadcast package will bring even more insight and action to the coverage, which will air on the Winter Series YouTube channel.
For fans in the Algarve, weekend tickets are still available for just €10! Fan access and affordable tickets will be a part of every Winter Series event in 2026, and is a prioritised element of the GEDLICH Racing experience.
Drivers, teams and fans: the Winter Series starts here!
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
Alessio Ruffini and Miloš Pavlović will be looking to defend the Cup 4 crown, which they won in the 2025 season. The pairing then went on to finish second in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe PRO-AM class, culminating a very successful year of collaboration with Auto Sport Racing.
Ruffini has been improving continuously in his relatively brief racing career, thanks in large part to the coaching and guidance of Pavlović, a former PRO champion in Super Trofeo Europe and Lamborghini World Finals, both in 2014.
Auto Sport Racing from Bergamo, Italy hope to be the team to beat once more in 2026’s Cup 4 class, with Ruffini and Pavlovic as well as an additional entry to-be-announced.
The GT Winter Series will begin its new season at Portimão from 15-18 January. Tickets will be available for the opening weekend from just €10, while affordable spectator experiences will be available at all five events of the 2026 calendar. Additionally, all races will be broadcast live-and-free on the Winter Series YouTube channel.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
As an older, out-of-homologation car, the Z4 will be placed into the GTX class of the GT Winter Series. It will be a significant point of interest to see how it stacks up against the modern day GT2, GT3 and Cup class machines on the grid. The team is expected to join the GTWS grid for Portimão and Valencia.
Classic & Speed is based at the Bilster Berg circuit in Bad Driburg, Germany. The squad specialises in preparing historic racing cars as well as modern machines, and runs several different makes and models in the emerging classic GT3 racing scene.
Marcus von Oeyenhausen is a prolific enthusiast and historic motorsport figure, routinely competing with cars of all vintages. His son, Christoph, has also been making appearances at historic events in recent times, and has raced this Z4 GT3 several times during 2025.
The von Oeyenhausen Z4 is an ex-Triple Eight chassis, which raced in British GT during a halcyon era for the championship. The Z4 was the first GT3-spec BMW built in-house, and achieved success across the world from 2010-2015. On the historic GT3 scene, the car is popular with paddocks and spectators alike, thanks to its ferocious 4.4-litre V8.
The 2026 GT Winter Series will begin from 15-18 January at Portimão. The five-round calendar will take in all of Portugal and Spain’s finest racing destinations, and fans will be able to join the fun trackside from just €10 per weekend ticket. Additionally, all of the racing action will be aired live on the Winter Series YouTube channel, in partnership with broadcast specialists Alpha Live.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
The powerful grand tourer will line-up on the GTWS grid at Portimão’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, with Alberto De Martin and Branden Oxley at the wheel.
Alberto De Martin has been a consistent part of the NM Racing Team driver pool since 2021, and has become a versatile and competitive bronze driver with the help of team principal Nil Montserrat. Indeed, De Martin and Montserrat co-drove the GT2 Mercedes during the 2025 GT2 European Series, achieving vice-champion status in the PRO-AM division.
Branden Oxley is familiar to the NM Racing Team line-up as well, having competed with the Spanish squad in the final two rounds of the 2025 GT4 European Series. Along with Marc de Fulgencio, the 21-year-old British driver achieved a second place finish in PRO-AM at the Barcelona season finale. Additionally, Oxley scored a GT4 class podium with NM at the 2025 24 Hours of Barcelona.
As one of the most decorated Mercedes-AMG teams at GT2 level, with a strong driver pairing at the helm, the NM Racing Team entry is an exciting addition to the grid for the GT Winter Series season opener. The teams and drivers will hit the track from 15-18 January, and spectators can attend both days of racing for just €10 in total! Fans further afield will once again benefit from coverage produced by GEDLICH Racing partners Alpha Live, airing on the Winter Series YouTube channel.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
Over the last decade, the Italian team has achieved repeated international and domestic success with Lamborghini Squadra Corse. After a hugely-successful career including an F3000 title, Vincenzo Sospiri founded his team 25 years ago in his home town of Forlì. Initially competing in single-seater contests, the team has become one of Italy’s most prominent GT racing outfits over the last decade.
The VSR team has been a factor in the GT Winter Series previously, entering Super Trofeo-spec Lamborghinis, and will now be looking for overall wins with its GT3 car.
Mattia Michelotto and Ignazio Zanon arrive to the GT Winter Series as a successful and established pairing, having secured the Italian GT Sprint PRO-AM championship together with Vincenzo Sospiri Racing.
Michelotto has been a proven success with both Lamborghini and VSR for a number of years, winning Italian GT Championships and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final during his tenure racing with the Italian marque. Zanon is much newer to the sport, but has shown promise and development from his earliest efforts in UK Ginetta racing, to his recent collaborations with VSR in Italian GT.
Vincenzo Sospiri Racing is one of many prominent international teams preparing to compete in the 2026 GT Winter Series. The season will begin at Portimão from 15-18 January, while the second round will take place at Estoril from January 22-25.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
This all-Czech line-up is a regular presence on GT and Sportscar grids in Czechia and surrounding nations, routinely winning races in the Carbonia Cup with various cars prepared by Blue Garage Racing. Both Pavel and his son Troy have a strong record of racing cars, bikes and karts.
The Lotus Emira GT4 was scheduled to make its GT4 Winter Series debut with the Czech team in 2025, however a significant accident in testing ahead of the Valencia event curtailed this plan. With an expanded programme in GT4WS for 2026, this team will be a competitive force in the PRO-AM class.
The 2026 GT4 Winter Series begins at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão from January 15-18. During the season, every race will be broadcast live-and-free on the Winter Series YouTube channel, while spectators can enjoy a weekend of international motorsport from as little as €10 a ticket.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
The team and Fernandes are both well-known as Porsche specialists, regularly competing in Porsche Sprint Challenge Iberica, Iberian Supercars, Porsche Carrera Cup North America and various contests in the USA. The transatlantic nature of Fernandes’ racing record matches his Portuguese-American heritage.
As an experienced Porsche racer with a lot of miles in this specific car, Fernandes is expected to be a competitive addition to the GT3 class of the GT Winter Series at the opening two rounds.
In addition to the 991.2 GT3 R, the team also has 991 and 992-spec Porsche Cup machinery available to compete in the GT Winter Series. The 992 Cup is available to enter the Cup 2 class reserved for it, while the 991.2 Cup car is eligible for ‘Cup X’, designed for previous-generation single-make cars.
The 2026 GEDLICH Racing Winter Series will kick-off its 2026 tour at Portimão from 15-18 January, with the GT, GT4 and Prototype Winter Series set to take to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. As with all events, the action will be broadcast live on the Winter Series YouTube channel, while spectators will be able to see the thrilling spectacle for just €10 per weekend ticket.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
12 FEB – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
