In the final round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and run over three hours, the number 74 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 driven by Dustin Blattner, Conrad Laursen and Dennis Marschall claimed the title. Victory in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ championships capped an outstanding season for the Swiss team, adding to the Sprint and Combined titles in both classifications secured by Blattner and Marschall just a few weeks earlier in Spain at Valencia. The number 50 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3, crewed by official drivers Arthur Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco alongside Eliseo Donno, finished fourth overall after a fiercely contested race with 60 starters.

Pro. Setting off from seventh on the grid, the number 50 car dropped to around 20th position after the first driver change. Fuoco delivered a brilliant comeback drive during his stint, rising to third place before handing over to Leclerc. The Monegasque then held his ground, even mounting a challenge for second place, before eventually crossing the finish line in fourth. It was an unlucky race for the second AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors entry, the number 51 Ferrari 296 GT3 piloted by official drivers Yifei Ye and Alessio Rovera alongside Vincent Abril. Starting from third on the grid, the trio ran fifth during the opening stint. After the first pit stop, the car rejoined in 14th place. In the final hour, with Rovera at the wheel, the number 51 managed to climb back to ninth, but a puncture to the left-rear tyre halted its progress, leaving it 33rd at the finish.

Bronze Cup. Following last year’s triumph with the number 93 Sky Tempesta Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, the combined Endurance–Sprint title again went to a car from the Maranello manufacturer, the number 74 Kessel Racing entry. This also earned the team an automatic invitation to the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans. Blattner, Laursen and Marschall celebrated their title triumph with a third-place finish in class at the Catalan circuit. 

The number 93 Ziggo Sport Tempesta Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Eddie Cheever, Christopher Froggatt, and Marco Pulcini, finished eighth after a protracted battle for the podium. Ninth place went to the number 52 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3 of Jef and Louis Machiels and Tommaso Mosca, which led the race for several laps before being forced to retire due to a pit stop caused by a problem with the right-hand door.

Following Andrea Bertolini’s retirement after the Monza round, another member of the number 52 crew has now concluded his career: Louis Machiels has decided to retire from racing. His achievements include four GT3 Pro Am titles with Ferrari in the Blancpain Endurance Series (2011 and 2012), the Blancpain GT Series Europe (2020) and the GT World Challenge Europe (2022). 

The second Kessel Racing Ferrari, number 8, driven by Nicolò Rosi, Niccolò Schirò, and David Fumanelli, had to retire after just 45 minutes despite starting from pole position. While leading with Rosi at the wheel, the car made contact with a rival and hit the barriers, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car, which remained on track for ten laps.

Silver Cup. The number 12 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, crewed by Rafael Duran, David Perel, and Fabrizio Crestani, finished 11th in its class after starting 15th.

Ferrari and Kessel Racing. Kessel Racing and Ferrari once again demonstrated the strength of their successful partnership by winning the combined Endurance and Sprint Cup titles. This repeats a feat first achieved in 2016 when the championship was still called the Blancpain GT Series and the team competed with the Ferrari 488 GT3. In recent years, the Swiss outfit has also celebrated Drivers’ and Teams’ crowns in the Michelin Le Mans Cup in 2019 and in the GT class of the Asian Le Mans Series in 2021, along with numerous race wins and podium finishes. Furthermore, this year, number 74 won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in the Bronze Cup.

Next year. The new GT World Challenge Europe season will begin in 2026, with the opening round from 10 to 12 April at Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France.