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International GT Open Countdown
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International GT Open
International GT Open is a European GT3 championship with a strong mix of Pro, Pro-Am and Am entries. The 2026 season is built around eight events, with Misano added to the calendar and Spa and Monza using the longer GT Open 500 single-endurance-race format. For FTP, the Aston Martin focus includes Blackthorn Racing in Pro-Am and Good Speed Racing in Am, both giving the Vantage GT3 a visible role in a competitive European GT field.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
International GT Open - Season So Far
Five rounds of the 2026 International GT Open season have now been completed, with Aston Martin represented by Blackthorn Racing’s #97 Vantage GT3 EVO in Pro-Am and the #14 Good Speed Racing Team entry in Am.
Blackthorn established itself as Aston Martin’s principal championship challenger from the opening round at Portimão. Charles Bateman and Henrique Chaves took a Pro-Am victory in Race 2, before Bateman and Jonny Adam added second in class and sixth overall at the Spa GT Open 500.
Blackthorn didn’t compete at Misano, where Aston Martin’s focus switched to Good Speed Racing. Piotr Wira and Tomasz Magdziarz finished third in Am in the opening race before claiming the team’s first class victory of the season in Race 2.
The Hungaroring proved more difficult. Blackthorn returned with Bateman joined by Aston Martin Racing junior Kobe Pauwels, but fifth-place Pro-Am finishes in both races left the #97 just outside the podium positions. Good Speed Racing also finished fifth and sixth in Am, with its second race ending in a late incident from which Magdziarz was reported unharmed.
Paul Ricard then transformed Aston Martin’s season. Jonny Adam placed the Blackthorn Vantage on outright pole position before he and Bateman won Pro-Am in both races. Saturday’s victory required Bateman to protect the class lead during the closing stint, while Adam charged back from more than 20 seconds behind on Sunday and completed the decisive pass as the race entered its final lap.
Those results gave Blackthorn its second and third Pro-Am victories of the season and moved Bateman to second in the class standings, only three points behind championship leader Alexander Fach. Good Speed Racing endured a more difficult weekend, with a late stoppage in Race 1 followed by retirement in Race 2.
Aston Martin has still not taken an outright International GT Open race victory in 2026, but Paul Ricard demonstrated that the Vantage GT3 EVO can compete with the fastest Pro entries on outright pace. With three Pro-Am victories, a Spa class podium and an Am win already secured, Aston Martin’s season has developed from one of encouraging class results into a genuine Pro-Am championship challenge.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Paul Ricard
Circuit Paul Ricard, France | 18–19 July 2026
Round 05 produced Blackthorn Racing’s most complete International GT Open weekend so far. Jonny Adam placed the #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO on outright pole before he and Charlie Bateman completed a clean sweep of the Pro-Am category. Good Speed Racing also represented Aston Martin in Am, although two difficult races prevented the #14 Vantage from converting its early promise into a class result.
Result Snapshot — Paul Ricard
Aston Martin Watch
Championship position following Portimão, Spa-Francorchamps, Misano, Hungaroring and Paul Ricard.
Paul Ricard transformed Blackthorn’s championship position. Charlie Bateman entered the weekend 17 points behind Pro-Am leader Alexander Fach, but two class victories reduced that deficit to only three points. The #97 Aston Martin therefore enters the summer break as a genuine championship challenger. Good Speed Racing endured a more difficult round and lost ground in the Am contest.
Aston Martin Championship Watch
Series Leaders & Aston Martin Positioning
Championship note: Blackthorn’s three-point Pro-Am deficit is based on the positions and championship updates provided during the official Paul Ricard coverage. The GT Open website’s downloadable Paul Ricard standings and race-result links were still displaying outdated 2025 documents when checked, so no unverified post-round points total has been added for Good Speed Racing.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
Round 05 - Paul Ricard | 18th - 19th July 2026
Blackthorn Completes Outstanding Paul Ricard Weekend with Double Pro-Am Victory
Blackthorn Racing delivered its strongest International GT Open weekend of the season at Circuit Paul Ricard, combining an outright pole position with two Pro-Am victories for Charlie Bateman and Aston Martin Racing works driver Jonny Adam.
The #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo demonstrated genuine front-running speed throughout the meeting. Adam placed the car on outright pole for Saturday’s opening race before the team overcame two very different contests to complete a clean sweep of the Pro-Am category.
Good Speed Racing’s #14 Vantage GT3 Evo also represented Aston Martin in the Am class, although its promising weekend ultimately ended without the result its early pace had suggested.
Qualifying - Adam Puts Aston Martin on Outright Pole
The weekend began with a major result for Blackthorn when Adam secured outright pole position for Race 1.
His final qualifying lap of 2:02.112 placed the Pro-Am Aston Martin ahead of every professional entry in the 30-car field. Ben Tuck’s Al Manar by Dragon Ferrari finished just 0.041 seconds behind, while the six fastest cars were covered by less than four-tenths of a second. It was Blackthorn’s first outright International GT Open pole position and clear evidence that the Vantage GT3 Evo was particularly well suited to Paul Ricard’s fast layout.
Race 1 - Pole Converted into Pro-Am Victory
Adam made a clean start and retained the overall lead as the field entered the opening corners, but a major accident erupted further back. Dexter Müller’s Mercedes spun in the middle of the pack, triggering several collisions and leaving damaged cars and debris across the circuit. A separate mechanical problem also stopped championship leader Tom Emson’s Elite Motorsport Ferrari during the opening lap.
The resulting Safety Car period lasted seven laps and worked against Blackthorn. With Adam already installed in the Aston Martin, the neutralisation prevented him from building the advantage that would have helped Bateman against the professional drivers during the second half of the race. Adam controlled the restart and continued to lead Ben Tuck, Dominik Baumann and the remaining front-runners before completing the driver change at the end of his stint.
Bateman briefly remained at the front of the contest after leaving the pits, but the quicker professional drivers began to close. Al Faisal Al Zubair passed the Aston Martin at Virage du Pont, before Alex Fontana and several other Pro entries also worked their way through. The outright victory eventually went to Pietro Armanni and Alex Fontana in the ZRS Motorsport Porsche. Bateman, however, maintained a strong and controlled pace under sustained pressure, bringing the Blackthorn Vantage home seventh overall and first in Pro-Am. Axcil Jefferies and Xolile Letlaka finished second in the category for Into Africa Racing by Dragon, with the PTT Racing BMW completing the Pro-Am podium.
For Blackthorn, it was a disciplined victory. The long Safety Car period had removed much of the advantage created by Adam’s outright pole, but Bateman still protected the class lead throughout the decisive closing stint.
Race 2 – Adam Charges Through for a Dramatic Second Win
Sunday’s race presented Blackthorn with a very different challenge. Bateman started the #97 Aston Martin from 17th overall, while the ten-second success handicap earned through Saturday’s victory added further time to the compulsory pit stop. The opening part of the race was much calmer than Saturday’s incident-filled contest. Bateman kept the Aston Martin in contention before handing the car to Adam, but after the driver changes Blackthorn was well behind the leading Pro-Am runners.
Marcin Jedliński led the category in the Olimp Racing Ferrari, followed by Dexter Müller’s CBRX by SPS Mercedes. Adam initially found himself more than 20 seconds from the class lead and with several cars between the Aston Martin and its principal rivals. What followed was one of the strongest individual stints of the Paul Ricard weekend.
Adam began closing at around two seconds per lap. He moved into third in Pro-Am when Axcil Jefferies spun, then continued to reduce the gap to Müller and Jedliński as the race entered its final minutes. Approaching the end of the penultimate lap, Adam passed Müller for second on the section following Signes. He then closed rapidly on Jedliński and attacked at the final corner, Virage du Pont. The Aston Martin moved to the inside and completed the decisive pass as the cars accelerated towards the start and finish line. Adam began the final lap in the class lead and remained ahead to the chequered flag.
Blackthorn finished 11th overall and first in Pro-Am, with the Olimp Ferrari second in class and the Müller and Yannick Mettler Mercedes third. The overall race was won by Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson’s Elite Motorsport Ferrari.
A Difficult Weekend for Good Speed Racing
The second Aston Martin entry was the #14 Good Speed Racing Vantage GT3 Evo, driven solo at Paul Ricard by Piotr Wira.
Wira was competitive in the Am category during Race 1 and briefly appeared to be in contention for victory after a time penalty was awarded to class leader Adrian Lewandowski. The Good Speed Aston Martin was only around five seconds behind on the road and would have inherited the lead once the penalty was applied. However, the #14 stopped late in the race at Turn 11, ending its podium challenge. Wira was eventually listed 23rd overall in the broadcast classification.
Race 2 also ended in disappointment. After receiving a five-second penalty for an earlier off-track overtake, the Aston Martin returned to the pits during the closing stages and did not complete the race. No confirmed technical explanation was provided during the broadcast, so the reason for the retirement remains unverified.
Championship Impact
The Paul Ricard double gave Blackthorn its second and third Pro-Am victories of the season, following the team’s success at Portimão with Bateman and Henrique Chaves.
More importantly, the two victories transformed Bateman’s championship position. He left Paul Ricard only three points behind Pro-Am leader Alexander Fach, whose Fach Auto Tech Porsche finished sixth in class on Sunday.
Blackthorn therefore enters the summer break with genuine championship momentum. The #97 Vantage has now demonstrated that it can win through outright speed, controlled defensive racing and a recovery drive through the field.
International GT Open • Round 05 • Aston Martin Focus
Result Snapshot — Paul Ricard
A focused summary of the Aston Martin entries at Circuit Paul Ricard, where Blackthorn Racing secured outright pole position and completed a perfect two-race sweep of the Pro-Am category.
| Session | Overall | Car / Team | Drivers | Class result | FTP note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying 1 | Pole |
#97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Blackthorn Racing |
Jonny Adam | Outright pole | A 2:02.112 lap placed the Pro-Am Aston Martin at the front of the entire 30-car field |
| Race 1 | 7th |
#97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Blackthorn Racing |
Charlie Bateman / Jonny Adam |
1st Pro-Am | Adam led overall from pole before Bateman protected the Pro-Am advantage during the closing stint |
| Race 2 | 11th |
#97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Blackthorn Racing |
Charlie Bateman / Jonny Adam |
1st Pro-Am | Adam recovered from more than 20 seconds behind the class leader and completed the decisive pass on the final lap |
| Race 1 | 23rd |
#14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Good Speed Racing Team |
Piotr Wira | Late stoppage | A possible Am podium challenge ended when the Aston Martin stopped at Turn 11 during the closing stages |
| Race 2 | DNF |
#14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Good Speed Racing Team |
Piotr Wira | Retired | The #14 returned to the pits during the closing stages; no confirmed cause was provided during the broadcast |
FTP Summary
An outright pole position and two Pro-Am victories made Paul Ricard Blackthorn Racing’s most complete International GT Open weekend so far. Jonny Adam established the Vantage’s outright pace before Charlie Bateman protected Saturday’s class lead, while Adam’s dramatic late charge on Sunday completed a perfect two-race sweep and moved Blackthorn firmly into the Pro-Am championship fight.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
Round 04 - Hungaroring, Budapest, Hungary | 4th - 5th July 2026
Aston Martin Stays in the Fight on a Chaotic Budapest Weekend
The International GT Open moved to the Hungaroring for Round 04 of the 2026 season, with two Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO entries in action. Blackthorn returned to the championship with Charles Bateman joined by Aston Martin Racing junior Kobe Pauwels in the #97 Vantage, while Good Speed Racing Team continued its Am-class campaign with Piotr Wira and Tomasz Magdziarz in the #14 Aston Martin.
The Hungaroring delivered exactly the kind of weekend International GT Open has become known for: heat, traffic, strategy, penalties, safety cars, late incidents and championship swings. For Aston Martin, it was a useful but frustrating round. Both Vantage entries stayed in the class story, but neither came away with a podium.
Race 1 was held in fierce conditions, with the track heavily baked by the Budapest sun. The start immediately shaped the race. Tom Lebbon launched the Elite Motorsport Ferrari into the lead, but the start was placed under investigation and the car was later given a five-second penalty. Behind him, Alex Fontana made early progress in the #911 ZRS Motorsport Porsche, while Maxi Götz moved the Team Motopark Mercedes into the lead group.
Blackthorn started in the midfield with Kobe Pauwels at the wheel of the #97 Aston Martin, the car running in a distinctive new pink-and-yellow “rhubarb and custard” livery requested by Charles Bateman’s daughter. Pauwels kept the Aston in the Pro-Am contest before handing over to Bateman during the pit window. The #97 carried extra pit-stop handicap, but still remained in the class points picture.
At the front, ZRS Motorsport played the race well. Fontana extended his stint, giving Pietro Armanni a platform to defend after the pit stops. A safety car later compressed the field and gave Christian Mansell’s Team Motopark Mercedes and Zac Meakin’s Greystone GT McLaren a chance to attack, but Armanni held firm after the restart.
The race also unravelled for some major championship contenders. The Elite Motorsport Ferrari, already carrying its start penalty, retired with a reported engine-related issue, while Pro-Am front-runners were hit by penalties and late drama. That opened the door for ZRS Motorsport to claim a second win of the season with Armanni and Fontana, ahead of Christian Mansell / Maximilian Götz and Zac Meakin / Dean Macdonald.
In the classes, AF Corse enjoyed a strong Race 1. Laurent De Meeus and Vincent Abril took Pro-Am victory, while Marcelo Hahn and Galid Osman won in Am. For Aston Martin, the result was steady rather than spectacular: Blackthorn finished 12th overall and fifth in Pro-Am, while Good Speed Racing came home 21st overall and fifth in Am.
Race 2 began with Elite Motorsport trying to recover from Saturday’s disappointment. The team had changed the engine overnight after the Race 1 problem, and Tom Emson rewarded that effort by taking pole position. Emson led from the start, with Dominic Baumann initially giving chase in the Team Motopark Mercedes and Philippe Salacarda leading Pro-Am for Team ISR.
Blackthorn’s second race began with Bateman in the #97 Aston Martin before Pauwels took over for the closing stint. Good Speed’s race was more troubled. The #14 Aston Martin spun early at Turn 4 and later received a drive-through penalty for not respecting the start procedure, making the team’s afternoon even more difficult.
The pit window changed the shape of the race. Emson handed the Elite Ferrari to Lebbon, while Dean Macdonald took over the Greystone GT McLaren and immediately began closing the gap. The final phase became a tense fight between Elite and Greystone, with Macdonald pressuring Lebbon in traffic and the two British-run teams separated by less than a second.
Behind them, Blackthorn briefly looked as though it might force its way closer to the Pro-Am podium fight. Pauwels was quick in the closing stint and gained places, but contact with Suellio Mazour’s car brought a 10-second penalty for causing a collision. That penalty ultimately dropped the #97 Aston Martin back out of podium contention.
The race ended dramatically. With only moments remaining, the Good Speed Aston Martin hit trouble at the final corner. Tomasz Magdziarz lost the #14 Vantage at Turn 14 and hit the pit-lane wall, leaving debris on the track and bringing out the red flag. The race was not restarted. The official race report noted that Magdziarz was unharmed.
That red flag confirmed victory for Tom Emson and Tom Lebbon in the Elite Motorsport Ferrari, their third win of the season. Greystone GT’s Zac Meakin and Dean Macdonald finished second, just 0.4 seconds behind, while Rafael Durán and Tommaso Mosca completed the podium for AF Corse. In Pro-Am, Team ISR’s Libor Milota and Philippe Salacarda took victory, while Krystian Korzeniowski won Am for Olimp Racing.
For Aston Martin, the Race 2 classification was again frustrating. Blackthorn finished 13th overall and fifth in Pro-Am after the penalty, while Good Speed Racing was classified 22nd overall and sixth in Am after the late red-flag incident.
The weekend therefore leaves a mixed picture. Blackthorn’s return was useful, and Pauwels gained valuable International GT Open mileage alongside Bateman, but fifth in Pro-Am in both races was not the result the #97 Aston Martin needed to regain class momentum. Good Speed Racing, meanwhile, remained part of the Am story after its Misano victory, but Hungary was a harder weekend: fifth in Am in Race 1, sixth in Race 2, and a damaged car at the end.
The wider Aston Martin story remains positive enough to follow, but honest enough not to oversell. The Vantage GT3 EVO has already taken a Pro-Am win with Blackthorn and an Am victory with Good Speed Racing this season. Hungary, though, showed how tight the class battles have become. The next step is clear: turn solid class finishes back into podiums.
International GT Open • Round 04 • Aston Martin Focus
Result Snapshot — Hungaroring
A focused FTP result summary from Round 04 at the Hungaroring, highlighting the overall podiums, class winners and the two Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO customer-racing entries.
| Race | Pos | Car / Team | Drivers | Class result | FTP note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 | 1 |
#911 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO ZRS Motorsport |
Pietro Armanni / Alex Fontana |
1st Pro | Overall winner; second victory of the season for the ZRS Porsche pairing |
| Race 1 | 2 |
#71 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Team Motopark |
Christian Mansell / Maximilian Götz |
2nd Pro | Strong overall podium for the Motopark Mercedes |
| Race 1 | 3 |
#33 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Greystone GT |
Zac Meakin / Dean Macdonald |
3rd Pro | Completed the overall podium and kept Greystone in the title story |
| Race 1 | 4 |
#55 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO AF Corse |
Laurent De Meeus / Vincent Abril |
1st Pro-Am | Pro-Am class winner after a lively class fight |
| Race 1 | 12 |
#97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Blackthorn |
Charles Bateman / Kobe Pauwels | 5th Pro-Am | Solid return for Blackthorn; just outside the Pro-Am podium places |
| Race 1 | 13 |
#16 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO AF Corse |
Marcelo Hahn / Galid Osman |
1st Am | Am class winner |
| Race 1 | 21 |
#14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Good Speed Racing Team |
Piotr Wira / Tomasz Magdziarz | 5th Am | Good Speed kept the Aston Martin in the Am class points picture |
| Race 2 | 1 |
#17 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO Elite Motorsport with Entire Race Engineering |
Tom Emson / Tom Lebbon |
1st Pro | Overall winner; bounced back from Race 1 retirement |
| Race 2 | 2 |
#33 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Greystone GT |
Zac Meakin / Dean Macdonald |
2nd Pro | Second overall and another strong weekend for Greystone GT |
| Race 2 | 3 |
#51 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO AF Corse |
Rafael Durán / Tommaso Mosca |
3rd Pro | Completed the Race 2 overall podium |
| Race 2 | 4 |
#75 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II Team ISR |
Filip Salaquarda / Libor Milota |
1st Pro-Am | Pro-Am class winner |
| Race 2 | 11 |
#5 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO Olimp Racing |
Krystian Korzeniowski | 1st Am | Am class winner |
| Race 2 | 13 |
#97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Blackthorn |
Charles Bateman / Kobe Pauwels | 5th Pro-Am | Second fifth-place Pro-Am finish of the weekend for the #97 Aston Martin |
| Race 2 | 22 |
#14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Good Speed Racing Team |
Piotr Wira / Tomasz Magdziarz | 6th Am | Late red-flag incident; Tomasz Magdziarz reported unharmed |
FTP Summary
Hungary was a busy but frustrating International GT Open weekend for Aston Martin. Blackthorn’s #97 Vantage GT3 EVO finished fifth in Pro-Am in both races, with Kobe Pauwels making his GT Open appearance alongside Charles Bateman. Good Speed Racing finished fifth and sixth in Am, but its Race 2 ended with a heavy late incident that caused the red flag. No Aston Martin podium this time, but both Vantage entries remain worth tracking as the season moves on to Paul Ricard.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
Round 03 - Good Speed Gives Aston Martin Am-Class Victory at Misano
The International GT Open made its first visit to Misano, and while the overall story of the weekend belonged to Elite Motorsport’s Tom Emson and Tom Lebbon, Aston Martin still had silverware to celebrate. The British pairing in the Elite Motorsport Ferrari won both races, turning Race 1 into a last-lap thriller before controlling the weekend again in Race 2 to leave Italy at the head of the overall standings.
For Fuel the Passion, however, the Aston Martin interest centred on a slightly different story. Blackthorn’s #97 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO did not race at Misano, with Jonny Adam away on Le Mans Test Day duties. That was significant because Blackthorn had been one of the main Pro-Am stories of the season so far, with Charles Bateman tied with Fach Auto Tech on 31 points in the Pro-Am standings heading into the weekend.
That left Good Speed Racing Team’s #14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO, driven by Piotr Wira and Tomasz Magdziarz, to carry the Aston Martin flag at Misano. They started Race 1 from the rear of the Am field but kept themselves in contention and finished third in the Am class, joining Baron Motorsport and Fach Auto Tech on the class podium.
Race 2 then delivered the weekend’s Aston Martin highlight. While Emson and Lebbon completed their overall double, Good Speed Racing produced a strong Am-class performance to claim their maiden class victory in the Aston Martin, ahead of Target Racing’s Huilin Han and the Lewandowski pairing in the Baron Motorsport Ferrari. The #14 Aston Martin was classified 12th overall and first in Am, giving the Vantage GT3 EVO a proper customer-racing success from the Misano weekend.
So, while Blackthorn’s absence meant Aston Martin was missing from the Pro-Am fight this time, Misano still ended with a positive Vantage headline. Good Speed’s Am-class win showed the breadth of Aston Martin’s GT3 presence in the International GT Open: not just through Blackthorn’s Pro-Am challenge, but also through customer teams capable of taking class victories when opportunity and execution come together.
International GT Open • Round 03 • Aston Martin Focus
Result Snapshot — Misano
A focused FTP result summary from Round 03 at Misano, highlighting the overall podiums, class winners and the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO customer-racing entry.
| Race | Pos | Car / Team | Drivers | Class result | FTP note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 | 1 |
#17 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO Elite Motorsport with Entire Race Engineering |
Tom Emson / Tom Lebbon |
1st Pro | Overall winner after a last-lap battle |
| Race 1 | 2 |
#33 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Greystone GT |
Zac Meakin / Dean Macdonald |
2nd Pro | Narrowly missed out on the overall win |
| Race 1 | 3 |
#9 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO GetSpeed |
Anthony Bartone / Fabian Schiller |
3rd Pro | Completed the overall podium |
| Race 1 | 4 |
#11 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO Fach Auto Tech |
Lucas Wolf / Alexander Fach |
1st Pro-Am | Pro-Am class winner |
| Race 1 | 12 |
#12 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO Fach Auto Tech |
Joel Monegro Reyes | 1st Am | Am class winner |
| Race 1 | 17 |
#14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Good Speed Racing Team |
Piotr Wira / Tomasz Magdziarz | 3rd Am | Aston Martin Am-class podium |
| Race 2 | 1 |
#17 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO Elite Motorsport with Entire Race Engineering |
Tom Emson / Tom Lebbon |
1st Pro | Completed the Misano double |
| Race 2 | 2 |
#33 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo Greystone GT |
Zac Meakin / Dean Macdonald |
2nd Pro | Second overall for the second race running |
| Race 2 | 3 |
#911 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO ZRS Motorsport |
Pietro Armanni / Alex Fontana |
3rd Pro | Completed the Race 2 overall podium |
| Race 2 | 8 |
#11 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO Fach Auto Tech |
Lucas Wolf / Alexander Fach |
1st Pro-Am | Repeated Pro-Am class victory |
| Race 2 | 12 |
#14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Good Speed Racing Team |
Piotr Wira / Tomasz Magdziarz | 1st Am | Maiden Am-class win for the Good Speed Aston Martin |
FTP Summary
Round 03 of the International GT Open took the championship to Misano, where the overall weekend belonged to Elite Motorsport’s Tom Emson and Tom Lebbon, who completed a superb double victory in the #17 Ferrari 296 GT3. But from an Aston Martin perspective, this was very much a weekend for Good Speed Racing Team to take the spotlight.
With Blackthorn’s #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO absent from Misano, Good Speed’s #14 Vantage carried the Aston Martin flag. Piotr Wira and Tomasz Magdziarz delivered a strong Am-class podium in Race 1, finishing 3rd in class, before going one better in Race 2 with a superb Am-class victory. It was a positive reminder that Aston Martin’s customer-racing presence in the International GT Open is not limited to one team or one class.
For Fuel the Passion, the key takeaway is simple: while Blackthorn’s Pro-Am campaign paused for the weekend, the Vantage GT3 EVO still left Misano with silverware. Good Speed’s Race 2 class win gives Aston Martin another strong result in European GT racing and keeps the Vantage firmly in the International GT Open story as the season moves on.
Image © FOTOSPEEDY – GTSPORT. Used for editorial purposes.
Round 02 - Blackthorn keeps Aston Martin in the Pro-Am fight at Spa
The Spa GT Open 500 was the second meeting of the 2026 International GT Open season and the championship’s first longer endurance-format race of the year. For Aston Martin, attention centred on Blackthorn’s #97 Vantage GT3 EVO, with Charles Bateman joined by Jonny Adam, and the #14 Good Speed Racing Team Vantage GT3 EVO of Piotr Wira and Tomasz Magdziarz.
At the front, Team Motopark controlled the race. Christian Mansell and Maximilian Götz converted their qualifying pace into a dominant victory in the #71 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, with GT Open describing the win as an undisputed success after they topped both qualifying sessions and led from lights to flag.
Behind them, the late-race fight for second provided the main overall drama. Tom Emson and Tom Lebbon held on in the Elite Motorsport Ferrari, resisting pressure from the Villorba Corse Lamborghini of Leonardo Moncini and Rodrigo Testa, who completed the podium.
For Aston Martin, the key result was Blackthorn’s sixth overall finish. Bateman and Adam came home just over a minute behind the winning Mercedes, and crucially placed second in Pro-Am, behind the class-winning Fach Auto Tech Porsche. The official GT Open race report shows Adam running inside the upper group after the driver changes and still appearing in the leading pack after the final pit-stop sequence, which fits the final result: not a class win this time, but a strong points-paying Pro-Am finish.
Good Speed Racing’s #14 Aston Martin had a harder race. Wira and Magdziarz were classified 22nd overall, three laps down, which appears to place them fifth in Am based on the final classification order. That keeps the #14 car in the Aston Martin story, but the Spa headline clearly belongs to Blackthorn’s Pro-Am result.
International GT Open • Aston Martin Focus
Result Snapshot — Aston Martin Focus
A focused FTP result summary highlighting the overall podium, class winners and the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO customer-racing entries.
| Pos | Car / Team | Drivers | Class result | FTP note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
#71 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Team Motopark |
Christian Mansell / Maximilian Götz |
1st Pro | Dominant lights-to-flag overall win |
| 2 |
#17 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO / Elite Motorsport with Entire Race Engineering |
Tom Emson / Tom Lebbon |
2nd Pro | Held off late pressure for second |
| 3 |
#63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 / Scuderia Villorba Corse |
Leonardo Moncini / Rodrigo Testa |
3rd Pro | Overall podium |
| 4 |
#11 Porsche 911 GT3 R / Fach Auto Tech |
Alexander Schwarzer / Alexander Fach |
1st Pro-Am | Pro-Am class winner |
| 6 |
#97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Blackthorn |
Charles Bateman / Jonny Adam | 2nd Pro-Am | Strong Aston Martin class result |
| 14 |
#12 Porsche 911 GT3 R / Fach Auto Tech |
Joel Monegro Reyes / Lucas Wolf |
1st Am | Am class winner |
| 22 |
#14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO Good Speed Racing Team |
Piotr Wira / Tomasz Magdziarz | 5th Am | Finished, but outside the Am podium |
FTP Summary
Spa was not an Aston Martin victory, but it was still a useful and credible weekend for the Vantage GT3 EVO. Blackthorn backed up its Portimão Pro-Am win with second in class at Spa, keeping the #97 Aston Martin firmly in the championship conversation. Good Speed Racing finished the race with the #14 car, although outside the Am podium places.
Image © Aston Martin Lagonda. Used for editorial purposes.
Round 01 - Blackthorn gives Aston Martin a Pro-Am win at Portimão
The 2026 International GT Open season began at Portimão, with the championship returning to the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve for its traditional opening round. The official GT Open preview listed 29 cars for the first weekend, with eight full-season brands represented, including Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, McLaren, Lamborghini, Audi and BMW.
For Aston Martin, the weekend centred on two Vantage GT3 EVO entries. Blackthorn fielded the #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO for Charles Bateman and Henrique Chaves in Pro-Am, while Good Speed Racing Team ran the #14 Vantage GT3 EVO for Piotr Wira in Am, with Wira racing solo at Portimão.
Race 1 belonged to ZRS Motorsport, with Alex Fontana and Pietro Armanni taking pole and then winning on the team’s International GT Open debut in the #911 Porsche. The official GT Open race report placed the #71 Team Motopark Mercedes-AMG of Christian Mansell and Maximilian Götz second, with the #33 Greystone GT McLaren of Dean Macdonald and Zac Meakin third.
Blackthorn’s first race was steady rather than spectacular. The #97 Aston Martin finished 10th overall and 4th in Pro-Am, taking useful class points from the opening race. The official championship classification records Bateman and Chaves as 10th overall in Race 1 and fourth in Pro-Am.
Race 2 gave Aston Martin the result it needed. Greystone GT won overall with Macdonald and Meakin, ahead of the Motopark Mercedes of Mansell and Götz, while Tom Emson and Tom Lebbon took third for Elite Motorsport in the #17 Ferrari. Behind them, Blackthorn delivered the key Aston Martin story: Bateman and Chaves brought the #97 Vantage GT3 EVO home sixth overall and first in Pro-Am.
That Pro-Am win was not simply inherited from a quiet class race. DailySportscar reported that Chaves applied pressure to Dexter Müller’s CBRX by SPS Mercedes before taking advantage when Müller spun late on, giving Blackthorn the class win and Aston Martin its first Pro-Am victory of the season.
Good Speed Racing also gave Aston Martin a positive class note. Wira finished 4th in Am in Race 1 and 3rd in Am in Race 2, putting the #14 Vantage on the Am podium during the opening weekend.
The championship picture after Portimão was encouraging for Aston Martin. The official provisional standings placed Charles Bateman and Henrique Chaves at the top of the Pro-Am classification on 15 points, one point ahead of Jim Pla / Michaël Blanchemain and Dexter Müller / Yannick Mettler. Good Speed’s Piotr Wira sat fourth in Am on 10 points after his two class finishes.
International GT Open • 2026
Result Snapshot — Aston Martin Focus
A focused FTP summary of the key Portimão results, with Aston Martin customer entries highlighted.
| Race | Pos | Car | Team | Drivers | Class result | FTP note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 | 1 | #911 Porsche 992 GT3 R Evo | ZRS Motorsport | Pietro Armani / Alex Fontana | 1st Pro | Overall race winner |
| Race 1 | 2 | #71 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | Team Motopark | Christian Mansell / Maximilian Götz | 2nd Pro | Strong start for Motopark |
| Race 1 | 3 | #33 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | Greystone GT | Dean Macdonald / Zac Meakin | 3rd Pro | Overall podium |
| Race 1 | 10 | #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO | Blackthorn | Charles Bateman / Henrique Chaves | 4th Pro-Am | Solid first race; Pro-Am points |
| Race 1 | 20 | #14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO | Good Speed Racing Team | Piotr Wira | 4th Am | Solo Portimão outing for Wira |
| Race 2 | 1 | #33 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | Greystone GT | Dean Macdonald / Zac Meakin | 1st Pro | Overall race winner |
| Race 2 | 2 | #71 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | Team Motopark | Christian Mansell / Maximilian Götz | 2nd Pro | Second runner-up finish of weekend |
| Race 2 | 3 | #17 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO | Elite Motorsport | Tom Emson / Tom Lebbon | 3rd Pro | First podium of the season |
| Race 2 | 6 | #97 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO | Blackthorn | Charles Bateman / Henrique Chaves | 1st Pro-Am | Aston Martin class victory |
| Race 2 | 20 | #14 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO | Good Speed Racing Team | Piotr Wira | 3rd Am | Am-class podium for Aston Martin |
FTP Summary
Portimão was not an outright Aston Martin victory weekend, but it was a very useful start. Blackthorn’s #97 Vantage GT3 EVO scored in both races, took Pro-Am victory in Race 2, and left Portugal leading the Pro-Am standings. Good Speed Racing added an Am-class podium with the #14 Vantage, giving Aston Martin presence in both class battles as the International GT Open season moved on to Spa.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.
Image © Blackthorn Racing. Used for editorial purposes.