The brand new GTC Endurance Challenge is set to feature 14 drivers and five different car manufacturers on the starting grid of its maiden season. After winning four of the five titles up for grabs last year in TCR European Endurance, Wimmer Werk Motorsport is aiming for a similar outcome in the GTC Endurance Challenge too, as the team is set to rely on their experience in GT4-class racing. Racing in the Pro-Am class at the wheel of the team’s Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 will be youngster Jacob Trost and the experienced Hans Peter Eder: the former makes the leap from karting all the way up to GT4 racing, while the latter is a long-time acquaintance of the team. The competition in the Pro-Am class, however, promises to be fierce. Also racing with the same Porsche model is Autorlando, as the Italian outfit makes their debut in the series promoted by Riza International with Adriano Visdomini and Koray Kamiloglu, two former Coppa Italia Turismo drivers who are set to make their GT4 debut in 2026.
Speaking of newcomers, Casals Motorsport is set to join the Pro-Am title fight with Davide Nardilli and Giacomo Maman (BMW M4 GT4 Evo). Nardilli boasts experience in both TCR and one-make series, while Maman is the reigning runner-up of the Italian Prototype Championship. Also joining is Lema Racing, a team that needs no introduction on the GT4 scene after their 2025 title-winning campaigns in both the Italian GT4 championship and the GT Cup Endurance. The team is set to entrust their Mercedes AMG GT4 to Alberto Antonucci and Christian Mancinelli. Antonucci is one of the youngest drivers on the grid, though he has experience in both GT4 and endurance racing; on the other hand, Mancinelli comes back to the racing world after accumulating years of experience in both open-wheel and touring car racing.
Both Lema Racing and Casals Motorsport are also fielding a second car, this time in the AM class. The Slovenians are giving their other Mercedes AMG GT4 to Kornelia Olkucka, a former acquaintance of both Italian F4 and F4 CEZ. On the other hand, Casals Motorsport are fielding another BMW M4 GT4 Evo shared by soon-to-be 17-year-old Luca Esposito and former TCR Italy DSG driver Sebastian Gavazza. Also fighting for the AM title will be Tuder Motorsport: after competing in TCR European Endurance last year, the Italian outfit expand their horizons in 2026, joining the GTC Endurance Challenge with an Alpine A110 GT4 EVO. The car will be entrusted to Emilio Damante and Edoardo Maccari, as the seasoned duo who fell just short of the DSG title in the 2025 TCR European Endurance season gear up for a new challenge. Finally, Gino Motorsport join the series promoted by Riza International with the emphatic Aston Martin Vantage GT4. The Italian team boasts plenty of experience in rallying competitions, but expectations will be high for them in GT4 racing too; joining the AM class with them is Brazil’s Tiago Pinto Bastos, who gears up for his first full racing season.
The schedule for the season opener in Vallelunga sees drivers hit the track for the very first time this season on Friday 17th April, with two 40-minute free practice sessions scheduled at 14:10 and 16:50 local time respectively. Qualifying will instead take place on Saturday 18th April, with the first session scheduled at 9:00 local time and the second at 9:50 – both lasting 15 minutes. Stage-1 is set to begin later that day at 13:55 local time, whereas the second stage takes place on Sunday 19th April, when the green flag will be waived at 15:30 local time.
