The British brand will account for more than 10% of the grid at the opening round of the 2026 season, including an extra Comtoyou Racing entry with Lance Stroll alongside Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya.
Aston Martin will kick off the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season in style — and in numbers. The British manufacturer has confirmed no fewer than seven Vantage GT3 entries for the championship opener, set to take place at the Paul Ricard circuit in France on April 11.
With this, the brand will represent more than 10% of the 60-car grid in the world’s leading endurance competition dedicated to GT3 machinery. In other words, anyone watching the field will have a good chance of spotting a Vantage at nearly every corner of the French track.
This year’s lineup is described by Aston Martin itself as one of the strongest ever assembled in the GT World Challenge Europe. The roster includes six factory GT drivers and two graduates from the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy, reinforcing the company’s strategy of combining factory experience with emerging talent.
One of the highlights of the season opener will be the presence of Lance Stroll. The Aston Martin Aramco Formula 1 driver will be behind the wheel of a fourth Comtoyou Racing Vantage GT3, alongside Spanish driver Roberto Merhi, a former F1 competitor well known in endurance racing, and Mari Boya, a member of the brand’s F1 team academy.
This car will compete in the Pro class and take part in the official Prologue at Paul Ricard on April 8, just days before the traditional opening race, run in a day-to-night format — one of the signature features of the French round.
In addition to Stroll’s extra entry, Aston Martin will field two regular Pro class cars, along with two Vantage entries in the Silver Cup and two in the Bronze Cup.
Comtoyou Racing, the brand’s main partner in this program, arrives with strong recent results. It was with the Belgian team that Aston Martin secured its first modern-era victory at the 24 Hours of Spa in 2024, with Mattia Drudi, Marco Sørensen, and Nicki Thiim. In 2025, the same team also claimed the Sprint Silver Cup title with Jamie Day and Kobe Pauwels.
For 2026, Comtoyou will run the #7 Pro class car with Drudi, Thiim, and Sørensen. In the Silver Cup, the #21 will be driven by Sébastien Baud, Kobe Pauwels, and Oliver Söderström. In the Bronze Cup, the #11 will feature Marcelo Tomasoni, Aaron Muss, and Kyle Marcelli.
Aston Martin’s offensive at Paul Ricard will not be limited to Comtoyou. Walkenhorst Motorsport will also field two Vantage entries. In the Pro Class, car #34 will be driven by Henrique Chaves, Christian Krognes, and Jamie Day. In the Silver Cup, the #35 will feature Ethan Ischer, Mateo Villagomez, and Gaspard Simon.
Another newcomer is Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn. After successful stints in the British GT Championship and the Asian Le Mans Series, the team will enter the GT World Challenge Europe with a Vantage in the Bronze Cup for Jonny Adam, Giacomo Petrobelli, and Tom Wood.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance, highlighted that this is the strongest Vantage lineup ever assembled by the manufacturer in the European championship. According to him, the presence of factory drivers and academy graduates reinforces the growth of the brand’s program and the Vantage’s ability to compete at the highest international level.
The GT World Challenge Europe is currently one of the premier showcases of the GT3 world, bringing together ten manufacturers and some of the biggest names in global endurance racing. The 2026 season will feature five rounds: it begins at Paul Ricard, moves to Monza from May 29 to 31, continues with the 24 Hours of Spa from June 24 to 28, and concludes with three-hour races at Nürburgring from August 28 to 30 and Portimão from October 16 to 18.
Based on the same mechanical architecture as the road-going Vantage, the Vantage GT3 uses a bonded aluminum chassis and a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. It’s the same formula that helped the model win the 24 Hours of Spa in 2024 — more than enough credentials to justify Aston Martin’s confidence and near “real estate dominance” on the Paul Ricard grid.
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Source and images: Aston Martin Racing. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
