The team from Drees, Germany will be making numerous GT Winter Series appearances, adding the spectacle of the 5.4-litre naturally-aspirated V8 to the grid. In preparation for the team’s ADAC GT Masters campaign, Alain Valente, Kiano Blum, Emil Gjerdrum and Max Cuccarese will share driving duties for Portimão.
Alain Valente returns to HRT in 2026, having previously driven a Mercedes from the team to vice-champion status in the 2023 ADAC GT Masters. The 29-year-old Swiss will use a wealth of experience across multiple GT3 platforms to quickly find the best from the Mustang. He will share a car with Max Cuccarese, who joins the Haupt fold after forging a unique path in motorsport so far, having spent the previous two years racing Formula 2 machinery in BOSS GP. Moving into GTs marks a significant change for Cuccarese, who aims to learn an entirely new discipline of racing while fighting for GT Winter Series results.
Kiano Blum will make his first race appearances in a GT3 car during the GT Winter Series. The 18-year-old Austrian graduated from karting into Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland at the start of 2024, and now makes the step up to premier-spec GT machinery. In what will be his first races in any front-engined machine, the Winter Series will prove to be a valuable experience.
Alongside Blum at Portimão will be Emil Gjerdrum. The 2024 GT4 Winter Series PRO-AM champion spent the 2025 season in ADAC GT Masters, and returns to the GEDLICH Racing paddock for his first taste of wheel-to-wheel action in the thunderous Ford.
Haupt Racing Team’s return to the grid marks the GT Winter Series debut of the Mustang GT3, as well as the iconic Ford blue oval itself. 2025 saw HRT secure the ADAC GT Masters overall teams and drivers’ titles, as well as the Silver Cup classification. Additional successes included an SP9 PRO-AM victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours and an overall NLS victory. As the Ford Mustang continues to hit its stride in GT3 trim, fans can expect to see HRT running at the front during the 2026 GT Winter Series.
The fans trackside will be in for an auditory treat from the Ford Coyote V8, while those at home will see all of the action live on the Winter Series YouTube channel. The 2026 GEDLICH Racing Winter Series calendar begins from 15-18 January at Portimão.
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 15-year-old arrives to Europe after an F4 season in his native Brazil, where he secured two race victories and nine podiums on his way to third in the points standings. Lima will partake in a full Formula 4 schedule with VAR, including the E4 Championship and Italian F4, as well as the Formula Winter Series.
Lima has moved into single-seater racing as a highly-touted prospect, having previously been a World Karting Championship finalist and the 2024 Copa Brasil de Kart champion. While Iberia’s leading racing venues will present a new challenge for the Brazilian each weekend, his record to date marks him as a contender in the 2026 Formula Winter Series season.
Brad Joyce, Van Amersfoort Racing Team Principal, said: “We are happy to welcome Pedro to Van Amersfoort Racing. He is entering an important stage of his career, with Formula 4 being a key step in a driver’s development. Pedro has shown the right mindset and attitude in both his karting career and his Brazilian F4 season. We look forward to working with him as he steps into the three competitive European Formula 4 championships, continuing to gain experience and build his single-seater career.”
Pedro Lima added: “I am ready for all the challenges and extremely excited to race for Van Amersfoort Racing, a team with a victorious history that has been home to great names in motorsport. It is an honour and pride to be on the grid this year.”
The upcoming Formula Winter Series will begin at a new-for-2026 stop on the calendar, as the Tatuus F4-T421 grid joins the Winter Series programme at Estoril for the first time from January 22-25. With an expanded five-round calendar and a capacity grid, the 2026 Formula Winter Series is set to thrill. Local fans will be able to watch a full weekend of international motorsport from just €10, while fans across the world can see every moment of the action live and free on the Winter Series YouTube channel.
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
Teodor Borenstein, from Czechia, will compete in the full Formula Winter Series season for a second consecutive year. In the 2025 season, he secured a best race result of 12th at Portimão. Borenstein’s season continued in the F4 CEZ series, where he scored two top-five finishes in the final four races of the season.
Borenstein will compete with Jenzer for the first time in the 2026 Formula Winter Series, and will be looking for top-ten finishes and further progression after his first full season in single seaters.
Swiss racer Georgiy Zasov will turn 15 just before new year, in time to make his first F4 starts in the Formula Winter Series. The talented youngster secured the 2025 Swiss OK Karting championship in October, represented Switzerland at the Rotax Grand Finals 2024, while also showing strong performances in WSK competition during the year. Zasov will race in FWS at Estoril, Valencia and Barcelona, while the driver of the car at Portimão and Motorland Aragon is to-be-determined.
Borenstein and Zasov join the already-announced Markas Silkunas and Levi Arn in the quartet of Jenzer entries. The 2026 Formula Winter Series will begin at the Circuito Estoril from January 22-25.
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 headline-grabbing entry from the Polish team’s stable is a full-season effort utilising a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, which is sure to be a title contender in the overall and class standings.
Przemyslaw Bienkowski utilised the Mercedes to win the top GT class of Poland’s national championships in 2025, and will now take on an international competition in GT3 machinery for the first time. He will be joined in the GT Winter Series by PTT’s resident hotshoe, the vastly talented and experienced Mateusz Lisowski.
Alongside the familiar faces in the Mercedes is another returnee, Igor Klaja. After missing the 2025 GT Winter Series season, Klaja will return to the Cup 2 category, fielding his familiar and formidable Porsche 992 GT3 Cup.
Additional PTT entries may also join the grid, including a potential second Mercedes GT3 entry. As always, the well-prepared and competitively-driven fleet of vehicles from Krapkowice County will be a welcome addition to the GT Winter Series field.
The 2026 GT Winter Series promises to be yet another high-adrenaline variety show, showcasing the fastest GT racing cars prepared by teams from across Europe. The season begins at Portimão from January 15-18, and will proceed to offer a spectacle for live crowds and livestream viewers on a five-date tour across Iberia’s premier racing facilities.
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 familiar line-ups of Krystian Korzeniowski and Stanisław Jedlinski (#5) plus Karol Basz and Marcin Jedlinski (#777) will take on the season opener at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. As regular class podium contenders within International GT Open in 2025, the Podkarpackie-based team will be vying for a competitive start to 2026 in the GT Winter Series.
Olimp Racing has been a consistent presence in international GT racing for upwards of a decade, and has previously taken part in the GT Winter Series as well as GEDLICH Racing’s Race Test professional motorsport testing events.
The 2026 GT Winter Series is set to feature some of the most competitive season-long battles seen since the inception of GEDLICH Racing’s flagship category. With it comes a superb fan experience, featuring enhanced broadcasts of every race in 2026 on the Winter Series YouTube channel, as well as weekend tickets available from just €10 for spectators trackside.
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 from Kerpen will once again be a significant paddock presence, with six cars entered under the US Racing umbrella. The 2026 driver line-up is set to feature a great variety of driving talents, all vying to emulate the 2025 championship-winning performance of Gabriel Gomez. The 2025 season also marked US Racing’s first teams’ title win since the classification was established in 2024; the squad will be keen to hold that accolade for another Formula Winter Series season.
Founded by Gerhard Ungar and Ralf Schumacher in 2015, US Racing quickly established itself as a leading force in F4 categories across Europe. Leading talents have passed through the team’s line-up, including Oliver Bearman, Théo Pourchaire, Alex Dunne and inaugural FWS champion Kacper Sztuka.
The 2026 US Racing drivers will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The upcoming season of the Formula Winter Series will be the biggest yet, with an expansion to five rounds and a first-time outing to the famed Circuito Estoril in Portugal. A capacity grid will vie for glory, while fans are encouraged to join us trackside to see the spectacle unfold. Event tickets are available for just €10, while fans around the world will be able to see every race live and free on the Winter Series YouTube channel.
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
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
