XRacing made its first appearance with GEDLICH Racing at the 2025 6H of Barcelona, utilising a Clubsport-spec Porsche Cayman to win the Club class, and challenge the GT4 field throughout the race.
For the 6H of Portimão, the team is stepping up to the Cup 2 class, which has proven to be one of the most intense battles in the GEDLICH Racing endurance races. The Porsche 992 Cup car is a familiar vehicle to the team, as it is routinely campaigned by the squad in Porsche Sprint Challenge Central Europe (PSCCE).
XRacing’s line-up for the race will consist of three experienced drivers; Peter Brunner, Günter Benninger and Andreas Heiniger. Brunner, one of the team’s co-founders, won the PSCCE Sprint & Endurance AM titles in 2024, while Benninger secured the PSCCE Masters title this year. Heiniger, meanwhile, has most recently appeared in Porsche Sports Cup Suisse, driving a Porsche Cayman and managed to get third place overall in the PSCS-GT4 championship in 2024.
The Cup 2 class for the 6H of Portimão is expected to be searingly competitive once again, and XRacing will be looking to leave with a first-place class trophy for the second GEDLICH 6H race in a row.
The 6H of Portimão will take place from 6-8 February at the ever-popular Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. All of the endurance racing action will be streamed live, alongside the second round of the Formula Winter Series, and the inaugural pair of races for the new-for-2026 Sports Prototype Winter Series. Great value tickets are also available, for fans who want to experience the thrilling competitions trackside!
6 FEB – 8 FEB PORTIMÃO /P
The Renauer team – based in Neunkirchen – made its debut in the Formula Winter Series in 2025, fielding a single-car full-season entry for Austrian racer Simon Schranz. The best finish of the campaign was an eighth-place finish in the wet at Aragon, in a race where a bold tyre strategy call briefly elevated Schranz to the interim race lead.
Renauer Motorsport’s first driver has been revealed, in the form of Lithuanian rising star Tomas Rudokas. The 16-year-old will be driving in Formula Winter Series with backing from the Formelaustria Race Academy, Austria’s only official junior formula racing programme. Rudokas’ driving career has taken a compelling path following his graduation from the Rotax karting ladder; his debut year in car racing has seen him race a Porsche 992 GT3 Cup in numerous championships, as well as Lithuania’s biggest racing event, the Palanga 1006km.
The second driver will be announced in the near future.
Renauer Motorsport’s history in motorsport has taken in the highest levels of sportscar, GT and junior single-seater competition, since the team’s establishment in 1997. With two cars on the grid, both set to be driven by well-regarded young talents, Renauer will be a competitive presence on the 2026 Formula Winter Series grid.
In June 2024, Renauer Motorsport and the international sports consulting agency HM Sports, which has been active in Formula One for more than two decades, joined forces to launch the Formelaustria Race Academy.
Austria’s first-ever junior racing academy is a two-year programme supporting karting talents and top sim racers in their transition to becoming thoroughbred Formula 4 drivers. Riccardo Patrese, Alex Wurz and Franz Tost are supporting our programme with their expertise as ambassadors. More F1 know-how is contributed by former FIA F1 press spokesperson Alexandra Schieren and ex-Sky Sports F1 presenter Maren Braun, who facilitate the academy’s media training. The academy also offers a post-F4 career ladder in Formula 3, Indy NXT, LMP3, GT or TCR racing.
The upcoming Winter Series season will once again be broadcast live, with an enhanced presentation curated by GEDLICH Racing and live-stream partners Alpha Live. Spectators can attend all Winter Series events, with tickets available from just €10.
22 – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
5 – 8 FEB PORTIMAO /P
12 – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
The British team made its first appearances in the GT Winter Series at Aragon and Barcelona in 2025. Simon Orange and Marcus Clutton performed extremely well in the GT3 McLaren, regularly fighting at the front and securing an overall race victory at Motorland Aragon.
Over the summer, Orange Racing’s 2025 continued in the British GT arena. The team had a strong season, securing six top-ten finishes including second overall at Oulton Park.
Simon Orange will celebrate his tenth anniversary in racing during 2026, and will no doubt look to start off the year with a successful GT Winter Series campaign alongside Marcus Clutton. With support from leading race team and road-going supercar specialist JMH Automotive, the British pairing will be ones to watch throughout the season.
2026 marks the seventh edition of the GT Winter Series, and it promises to once again deliver an eclectic, international grid filled with leading teams and drivers. The series will once again be live-streamed throughout the season, with the most comprehensive broadcasts yet, delivered by GEDLICH Racing’s partners at Alpha Live.
The spectacular field of high-performance racing supercars will begin the season at Portimão from 15-18 January. Local fans will be able to enjoy the thrilling GEDLICH Racing Winter Series action from just €10, at the first round and all subsequent events.
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
Markas Silkunas, from Lithuania, will be 17 by the start of the season at Portimão. During his tenure in karting, Silkunas has marked himself as one of the brightest young talents in the region. During 2024, he won a gold medal for his country at the FIA Motorsport Games, in the Karting Senior Sprint event. In the same year he won the Baltic Cup, and finished runner-up in the Champions of The Future Academy (COTFA) OK-N Senior division.
While the Lithuanian prospect has been testing formula cars in preparation for his car racing debut, he has continued to thrive in international karting. He is the midst of a COTFA UAE Series campaign, where he won the first event overall.
Levi Arn shares his Swiss heritage with the Jenzer Motorsport team, and will be looking to carry momentum from a successful 2025 in his home country. The 15-year-old secured the national KZ2 title, which marked the culmination of a successful career as one of the nation’s top kart racers. In 2024, he was third in the Swiss OK-Senior Karting championship, while also competing at World- and European-level.
Arn’s progress since starting his competitive karting journey in 2021 has turned heads in Switzerland, and he will certainly be one to watch in his car racing debut.
Additional drivers will be announced by Jenzer in the coming weeks.
Jenzer’s two karting champions and single-seater debutants will be among a strong class of 2026 in the Formula Winter Series. The new season will begin from 15-18 January at Portimão.
22 – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
5 – 8 FEB PORTIMAO /P
12 – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
At all five events of the upcoming Winter Series, as well as the GEDLICH Racing 6H of Portimão, teams running Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport and 992 Cup cars will be able to utilise Manthey’s support truck. Over 1900 spare parts are available, from the smallest nuts and bolts to brake, suspension and body panels: Even complete engines and gearboxes will be on-site!
On request, Manthey will also be able to offer spare parts or accessories for other Porsche racing cars, delivered to the venues (subject to availability and sufficient delivery time).
The continued support from Manthey for the Winter Series paddock’s Porsche teams will be an invaluable tool throughout the 2026 GEDLICH Racing Winter Series campaign.
Additionally, At selected GEDLICH events, the Manthey developed Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport Leichtbau will be available for a test drive. Manthey will welcome interested parties like Porsche veterans, serious racing drivers and trackday enthusiasts alike to this not-to-be-missed opportunity to drive a bespoke track car, with support from one of the world’s most revered GT racing teams. More details of this test drive opportunity will be published in the coming days.
The individual series will run on the dates specified.
Clausen, 17, is a familiar name in the Winter Series paddock, having shown great pace and consistency with Mücke in the 2025 GT4 Winter Series. Along with Axel Bengtsson, he scored five top-five finishes in six race appearances. The Dane then competed in ADAC GT4 Germany with Mücke, finishing sixth in the rookie standings, while also gaining mileage in the German team’s Duqueine LMP3 cars during the summer.
Mads Kjelde Larsen, also hailing from Denmark, is a newcomer to racing closed-wheel cars, having come from the world of karting and Nordic F4. He has worked hard alongside the Mücke team in a training programme, to ensure he is competitive from the start of the PTWS season. Undoubtedly one of the youngest pairings on the grid, this Danish duo will aim to be one of the most competitive too.
Team boss Stefan Mücke commented: “For many years, our job has been to find young talent, train them, and support them on their journey. There’s more to come [in 2026]; for now, we’re happy to be able to confirm our winter programme and line-up this early.”
The two juniors have further test days scheduled in December, ahead of the season opener of the Prototype Winter Series at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, which will take place from 15-18 January. The third season will once again comprise of four race weekends, with two 50-minute races per event. Following the season opener, the action moves to Estoril, then on to a Spanish double-header in Aragon and Barcelona. The season finale will take place from 12-15 March at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
15 JAN – 18 JAN PORTIMAO /P
22 JAN – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
5 MAR – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 MAR – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
The German team is set to bring yet another collective of competitive drivers to the grid, at the wheel of its Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport fleet. A driver confirmed to return is the American racer Tim Horrell, one-half of the 2025 GT4 Winter Series PRO-AM drivers’ champions. Horrell continued a successful 2025 with W&S, and is now eager to defend his crown in the GT4 Winter Series.
Horrell commented: “Last year helped me get to know the GT4 Winter Series, so I want to be even more successful this year and prepare myself optimally for the 2026 season. I’m also delighted to be back with my team W&S. With them, I want to build on last year’s performance.”
Another familiar entry to the GT4 Winter Series is Joachim Bölting, who drove to a PRO-AM vice-championship in the 2025 GT4 European Series along with W&S and Hendrik Still. Bölting will drive solo in the GT4 Winter Series, in order to defend his AM championship from the 2025 season.
The Ofterdingen-based squad will once again arrive to Iberia as top contenders. During the summer, highlights included teams’ championship glory in ADAC GT4 Germany, and a sweep of the driver and team standings in the GT4 European Series AM division. W&S drivers also secured vice-championships in both the GT4 European Series’ PRO-AM category, and the overall standings of ADAC GT4, among numerous other 2025 accolades.
W&S Motorsport is still offering ambitious drivers the opportunity to join its GT4 Winter Series line-up aboard the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. Interested drivers can contact the team directly for further information: info@ws-motorsport.de
The 2026 GT4 Winter Series will kick-off at Portimão’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, 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
Rodin will return to GEDLICH Racing’s F4 category in a three-car effort, with drivers to be announced closer to the season opener in Estoril.
While 2025 programmes for the junior single-seater giant are still ongoing, the year can already be considered a success. Numerous race victories have been secured across all disciplines, alongside a drivers’ vice-championship and teams championship in British F4, and a sweep of the teams and drivers’ GB3 Championship titles.
Rodin Motorsport will add yet more depth and intrigue to the 2026 Formula Winter Series, which will once again feature a capacity grid of young stars and leading teams, as well as an expanded five-round calendar and enhanced broadcast production. Every moment of the 2026 racing action will be streamed live on YouTube, while fans can experience the racing at an accessible price point, with tickets available from just €10.
22 – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
5 – 8 FEB PORTIMAO /P
12 – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
2025 marked the first fully-fledged Van Amersfoort entry into GEDLICH Racing’s single-seater category, and the black-and-orange cars often fought at the front. Their highest classified driver – Maksimilian Popov – finished fifth in the FWS standings, and carried that momentum into successful Italian F4 and E4 campaigns with VAR.
The Dutch team’s other full-time 2025 FWS drivers also had successful summer campaigns; Dante Vinci finished 11th in the E4 standings, while also securing six rookie podiums in Italian F4. Payton Westcott had a promising first car racing season, including stand-out performances in F1 Academy testing.
Beyond F4 competitions, VAR celebrated 50 years in motorsport with a typically busy campaign, securing podiums and victories at every level of junior single-seater racing.
The Van Amersfoort Racing FWS line-up will be revealed in the coming weeks, and will look to draw inspiration and motivation from the team’s modern all-star graduates such as Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman.
The 2026 Formula Winter Series will begin at a new venue to the series, the Circuito Estoril, from 22-25 January. Every moment of the racing action will be streamed globally on YouTube, while tickets to attend the race weekend are available from just €10.
22 – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
5 – 8 FEB PORTIMAO /P
12 – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
2025 marked Jenzer’s strongest winter campaign to date, finishing third in the Formula Winter Series teams’ championship, while concluding the year with three drivers in the top ten of the final points classification. For the fourth season of FWS, the team will compete with four cars, set to be driven by a strong mix of young talents who will be announced in the coming weeks.
Beyond the GEDLICH Racing paddock, it has been another excellent year for Jenzer Motorsport, having focused its resources on Formula 4 competition in 2025. This paid particular dividends in the F4 CEZ Championship, where the Lyss-based squad secured the teams’ championship. Remarkably, its pilots swept the top three in the drivers’ standings, with FWS alumnus Gino Trappa winning the points battle.
Jenzer Motorsport will join yet another capacity grid for the Formula Winter Series, which once again features the leading F4 teams from across Europe, and visits the most prestigious circuits in Portugal and Spain. Estoril hosts the season opener from 22-25 January, marking the first time the former Grand Prix venue has featured on the FWS calendar.
22 – 25 JAN ESTORIL /P
5 – 8 FEB PORTIMAO /P
12 – 15 FEB VALENCIA /E
5 – 8 MAR ARAGÓN /E
12 – 15 MAR BARCELONA /E
