While it is still early in the season, let this be another reminder that there is truly no room for error in the GT World Challenge Global Manufacturers Championship.
Following the previous update post-COTA, there were rounds held at Brands Hatch, Mandalika, Tailem Bend, and most recently in Sebring. In all these battles across continents, the margins have tightened significantly, showcasing that every race and every point will matter at the end of the year.
Porsche has remained at the top of the leaderboard, now sitting on 392 points, but Mercedes-AMG is only 10 points behind and not backing down without a fight. Meanwhile, the prancing horse has galloped into third place, with Ferrari holding on to 286 points. While the gap may still seem large, this championship has proven that everything can change in the blink of an eye.
There are multiple events coming up very shortly, with more opportunities for gains to be made across the board. But one thing is for sure, the door is open for more points, but any misstep could see it come back swinging and close shut.
Porsche
Sebring was another strong weekend for Porsche, leaving Florida with 44 additional points in the bag, the second-largest points haul out of the competing manufacturers.
Tom Sargent and Kyle Washington paved the way in their No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3-R (992) EVO, winning in Pro-Am following a highly entertaining and spirited battle over the bumps that truly had them putting it all on the line. It was their second victory of the season, and they were joined on the podium by RS1’s JP Martinez and Jan Heylen, who notched their third consecutive podium finish.
Mercedes-AMG
There were both highs and lows for Mercedes-AMG in Florida. While the No. 27 JMF Motorsports entry of Jason Daskalos and Lorcan Hanafin earned a P2 finish in the Pro-Am category, a result that has been a long time coming for the pairing, on the other side of the garage there was heartbreak.
Michai Stephens and Mikaël Grenier were having a dominant run in the Pro class with their No. 34 machine. They scored their third pole position and led the majority of the race, but a mechanical failure in the final 45 minutes saw it go up in smoke, figuratively and literally. The manufacturer still earned 24 points, but this one will sting.
Ferrari
The Italian marque got the jump on BMW M, slotting themselves into third in the standings after Sebring with a 30-point advantage.
AF Corse USA took home some hardware, with the No. 12 Ferrari of Matias Perez Companc and Frederik Schandorff finishing third in the Pro class after having to battle back from an early setback in the three-hour event. In the Am class, their AF Corse USA counterparts Jay Schreibman and Oswaldo Negri secured an uncontested victory in the No. 163 machine.
Up Next
The global championship will look ahead to Monza on May 31st before a doubleheader weekend in Shanghai on June 5th and 6th. After that, Queensland is up next in mid-June for two races on the 13th and 14th, respectively.
GT World Challenge America will head to Road Atlanta for their next round, taking place from June 12th to 14th. It will be the first time that SRO America returns to the Georgia track in over a decade, opening the door for a highly unpredictable and thrilling weekend of action to come.
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