The 2026 Michelin 24H SERIES European Series did what endurance racing is supposed to do. Five rounds, different winners every time, leaders changing hands, and a title that stayed open until the last 24 hours in Barcelona.
From Mugello in March to Barcelona in September the series hit some of the toughest tracks in Europe. Teams took turns winning weekends, but the championship was decided by who kept scoring points when things got messy.
No one ran away with it
Saintéloc Junior Team made a strong start at Mugello. The French Audi squad beat Herberth Motorsport by just 5.7 seconds in a tight finish and left Italy with the early lead in GT3.
That advantage didn’t last long.
At Spa-Francorchamps, Optimum Motorsport turned pole into victory with the McLaren 720S GT3 EVO. They managed the race well even as the weather changed late on and gave McLaren its first Michelin 12H SPA win in the series. HAAS RT finished second, GetSpeed Team JR286 third.
Two rounds, two different winners. The same thing happened at Paul Ricard.
The middle of the season tightens up
By the time the field arrived in France the championship was very close. Three Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO teams sat tied on 42 points.
GetSpeed Team PCX looked strong. Maro Angel set a record lap in qualifying and took pole, but the race didn’t go their way.
HOFOR Racing won it instead. The Swiss Mercedes team used fuel strategy and race management to beat everyone else. GetSpeed PCX finished second and Saintéloc stayed right in the fight.
After three rounds it was clear the title would go to the team that kept collecting points rather than the one that won the most races.
Nürburgring shakes things up
The Nürburgring was new to the European calendar and hosted the penultimate round.
GetSpeed Team PCX arrived as championship leader and took another pole. Saintéloc lined up alongside them on the front row.
In the end it was the other GetSpeed car that took the win. GetSpeed Team JR286 scored its first overall Michelin 24H SERIES victory, winning the first Michelin 12H Nürburgring by a full lap. That result also put them top of the GT3 standings heading to Barcelona.
Behind them, newcomers Up2Race produced one of the surprises of the weekend. Their Porsche 911 GT3 R finished second overall, just 0.4 seconds clear of Viper Niza Racing.
Everything was still open when the series reached Spain.
Barcelona decides it
The Michelin 24H Barcelona was the championship decider for this 24H SERIES
Up2Race came in with momentum after the Nürburgring podium. Saintéloc, the GetSpeed teams and others were all still in the mix.
The 24-hour race threw up another twist. Up2Race took its first Michelin 24H SERIES win with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. HOFOR Racing and HAAS RT stayed near the front throughout. Saintéloc crossed the line fourth overall.
That was enough.
The French Audi team won the GT3 PRO-AM class and, more importantly, the 2026 European Series title. They had started the year with a win at Mugello and stayed competitive all the way through. In Barcelona they didn’t need to win the race — they just needed to finish ahead of the teams chasing them.
Final GT3 standings
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saintéloc Junior Team | 134 |
| 2 | HOFOR Racing | 120 |
| 3 | GetSpeed Team JR286 | 106 |
| 4 | Viper Niza Racing | 102 |
| 5 | GetSpeed Team PCX Racing | 101 |
| 6 | Ajith RedAnt Racing | 100 |
| 7 | Up2Race | 96 |
| 8 | HAAS RT | 88 |
| 9 | Proton Competition | 80 |
| 10 | Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport | 68 |
The gap behind the champion was tiny. Five points separated GetSpeed JR286 from Viper Niza. GetSpeed PCX, Ajith RedAnt and Up2Race were all within ten points of fourth place. Saintéloc simply opened the gap when it counted.
How the main contenders finished
HOFOR Racing ended up second after a strong season. Their win at Paul Ricard was the highlight, but steady points across the year left them 14 points behind Saintéloc.
GetSpeed Team JR286 was one of the stories of the season. A podium at Spa was followed by the breakthrough win at the Nürburgring that put them into genuine title contention. They finished third.
GetSpeed Team PCX had the speed — poles at Paul Ricard and the Nürburgring, and a spell at the top of the standings — but Barcelona didn’t go their way. They finished fifth, one point behind Viper Niza.
Viper Niza stayed consistent all year and ended fourth, right on the edge of the podium places.
Ajith RedAnt collected points at almost every round and finished sixth on 100 points.
Then there was Up2Race. The German Porsche team only joined the series late but made an immediate impact: second at the Nürburgring, then an outright win in Barcelona on only their second appearance.
Titles beyond GT3
GT3 wasn’t the only championship settled in Barcelona.
Mühlner Motorsport took the 992 title with its third class win of the season. HRT Performance became 992-AM champions. Vortex claimed GTX, and Not Only Motorsport finished top in TCE-TCX. CP Motorsport left Barcelona with a double, winning both GT4 and TCE-TCX.
Every class had its own story, but the message was the same across the board: endurance rewards the teams that get through the hard weekends as much as the ones that win them.
Five rounds, one champion
No single team dominated the 2026 European Series from start to finish.
Saintéloc won at Mugello.
Optimum Motorsport won at Spa.
HOFOR Racing won at Paul Ricard.
GetSpeed JR286 made history at the Nürburgring.
Up2Race won the biggest race of the year in Barcelona.
When the points were added up, though, it was Saintéloc Junior Team at the top.
Five rounds. Different winners. Plenty of strategy and survival. One champion.
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