• Curtain falls on thrilling season with three-hour Endurance Cup contest in Portugal
• Max Verstappen joins the grid to take on the best GT drivers in the world
• Stacked support line-up, open paddock and fan activities for closing event of 2026
ENTRY LIST: PORTIMÃO
Portimão will welcome some of the biggest names in global motor racing on 16–18 October when GT World stages its spectacular season-closing event.
An incredible field featuring more than 60 GT3 cars and 10 manufacturers will contest the three-hour race on Saturday evening, with a host of titles to be decided at the Portuguese venue. The event will see Max Verstappen join GT World with his own Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing squad, facing off against the very best in global GT talent.
The GT World Challenge race takes place at 17:00 on Saturday evening, but thanks to a trio of high-level support series there will be a full programme of action on Sunday. With the familiar array of fan activations and opportunities to see behind the scenes, this promises to be a season finale like no other.
The Endurance Cup drivers’ title was settled last time out at the Nürburgring where Maro Engel, Lucas Auer and Luca Stolz secured the crown with Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter. So, for the Pro crews, Portimão is purely about race victory – and there is no shortage of elite talent going for this win.
Indeed, some of the biggest names in sports car racing will be on the grid in Portugal: winners of the 24 Hours of Spa, Le Mans, Nürburgring and Daytona; champions from Formula 1, GT World, MotoGP, and DTM; all will be on-track in this star-studded finale.
Nicki Thiim (Aston Martin), Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini), Thomas Preining (Porsche), Valentino Rossi (BMW) and Arthur Leclerc (Ferrari) are just some names vying for glory. Joining them for his hotly anticipated series debut, four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen will take the controls of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 with his own team and face the best GT drivers on the planet.
A raft of titles remain up for grabs. Overall, Gold Cup and Bronze Cup champions will be crowned in Portugal, with only the Silver Cup decided in advance. As such there will be plenty of celebrations – and a few broken hearts – when the chequered flag falls at 20:00.
Like every GT World event, Portimão will place a major emphasis on the fan experience. There will be an open paddock in which the public can soak up the race weekend atmosphere; pit and grid walks that bring them closer than ever to the action; and a full fan zone which includes food and drinks options, merchandise stalls, expositions, and live music from a DJ. With this year’s Portimão event a one-off, fans should make absolutely certain to visit the track and take in the GT World experience.
As well as the deciding GT World Challenge round, there will also be a full line-up of high-level support series on track at Portimão. In total, this event will comprise more than eight hours of racing, including a full programme of action on Sunday.
It promises to be a true festival of GT racing, with the GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli, GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy Europe all set to crown their champions in Portugal. Of particular importance, the GT2 European Series will decide its inaugural SRO GT Academy winner, who will earn a GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup berth with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport in 2027.
Access to the grandstands, paddock, and pit walk are all included in the price of a general admission ticket. A full weekend pass (Friday to Sunday) costs just 25€, while a Saturday ticket (which includes the headline Endurance Cup race) costs only 15€. In each case, kids aged 16 and under can attend for free.
Access to the grid can be added with an additional "Gridwalk" ticket.
If you can’t make it to the track, all GT World Challenge action is streamed live around the world on the GT World YouTube channel. This is absolutely free in multiple languages, allowing fans total immersion no matter where they are. Live coverage from Portimão begins on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 08:45, followed at 12:45 by Free Practice 2 and then Qualifying at 17:55. The main event begins at 17:00 on Saturday evening. GT2 Europe, GT4 Europe and McLaren Trophy will also air live on GT World. Click here for more information.