GT World Challenge Europe - Round 4

Round 4 of the GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS brings the Endurance Cup to Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy. This race forms part of the championship's season and features a three-hour endurance contest at one of motorsport's most famous venues. The GT World Challenge Europe series showcases GT3 competition at its finest, with teams and drivers competing across Pro, Gold, Silver, and Bronze classes.

Autodromo Nazionale Monza sits near the city of Monza, north of Milan. The circuit stretches 5.793 kilometers and features 11 turns. Drivers navigate a clockwise layout that includes long straights and tight chicanes. The track earned its nickname "The Temple of Speed" because cars spend roughly 80 percent of each lap at full throttle. The Variante del Rettifilo opens the lap with a hard braking zone from very high speeds into a right-left chicane. Curva Grande follows as a sweeping right-hand corner taken flat out. The Variante della Roggia offers overtaking opportunities through another chicane sequence. The Curve di Lesmo demands precision through fast right-hand bends that require only a brief lift from the throttle.

The circuit was built in 1922, making it the third purpose-built motor racing circuit in the world and the first in mainland Europe. Construction took just 110 days. The venue sits within the grounds of the Royal Villa of Monza park. The track has hosted the Italian Grand Prix almost every year since 1949. Safety modifications have reshaped the layout over the decades, with chicanes added to reduce speeds at key points.

The GT World Challenge Europe race at Autodromo Nazionale Monza requires three mandatory pit stops due to high fuel consumption at this fast circuit. Teams must balance speed with strategy, managing fuel loads, tire wear, and driver changes across the three-hour duration. Each car typically fields three to four drivers who share the driving duties. The endurance format tests both machinery and human performance over an extended period.

GT3 cars from numerous manufacturers compete in this round. Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche all field entries. Teams such as 2 Seas Motorsport, AF Corse, Comtoyou Racing, Garage 59, Rutronik Racing, and Walkenhorst Motorsport participate in the championship. All cars comply with FIA GT3 regulations, which require manufacturers to produce at least 300 road cars of a model before homologation for racing.

The SRO Motorsports Group organizes the GT World Challenge Europe series and manages the Balance of Performance system. This system ensures fair competition between different manufacturers by adjusting weight and power parameters. GT3 cars produce between 500 and 600 horsepower from various engine configurations, including turbocharged V6 units and naturally aspirated V8, V10, or V12 engines. Weight ranges from 1,200 to 1,350 kilograms depending on the car and BoP adjustments. Teams use ABS and traction control, but active aerodynamics are prohibited. Pirelli supplies all tires, providing P Zero slicks for dry conditions and Cinturato wets for rain. All teams use the same 102 RON racing fuel.

The high-speed nature of Autodromo Nazionale Monza creates specific challenges for GT3 racing. Braking stability proves critical as cars decelerate from over 250 kilometers per hour into the chicanes. Traction out of slow corners determines speed down the long straights. The track width varies from 10 to 12 meters, and the layout flows through parkland scenery. The lap record for this configuration stands at 1 minute 18.792 seconds, set in 2025.

Round 4 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza represents a key moment in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season. The combination of historic circuit, modern GT3 machinery, and strategic endurance racing creates compelling competition. Fans can observe how teams adapt their approach to this unique venue and how drivers manage the demands of sustained high-speed running. The race brings together professional and amateur drivers across multiple classes, all competing for championship points and overall victory.