MOTORSPORT – Bahraini-British motor racing team 2 Seas Motorsport secured a sensational victory to headline an outstanding sixth round in the 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe, where they had multiple more reasons to celebrate with their two-car entry.
2 Seas’ win came in the first of two hour-long sprint races that highlighted the meeting, which concluded last night at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France.
2 Seas’ number three Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, driven by Andorran-French Jules Gounon and Spaniard Daniel Juncadella, secured first place from pole to earn the first overall win for Team Verstappen Racing – owned by four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen – with whom 2 Seas operate the car.
Meanwhile, 2 Seas’ number 222 Mercedes-AMG of teammates Kiern Jewiss and Charles Dawson claimed an incredible double podium in class over the weekend.
Jewiss and Dawson were originally Bronze category winners on the road in the opening sprint, but a time penalty in a post-race update demoted them to third.
Jewiss and Dawson then put in another strong drive in yesterday’s second sprint, finishing as runners-up amongst Bronze runners for their back-to-back podium appearances.
“It’s never easy, sprint racing is hectic – you need to be spot-on with everything,” said Juncadella after steering the number three car to the chequered flag in night conditions at the end of the round’s first race.
“Eighty per cent of the job was done by Jules – he did an amazing qualifying and an amazing first stint. He built a very comfortable gap, and it just made things easier and we could chill a bit more at the pit stop. I could just manage it a bit after that and it’s amazing to get the first proper win.”
Gounon added: “I’m just so happy for the whole team. I know they are working so hard – we have the good life, we come and we push, but they are working night and day to give us a car like this.
“Hats off to them and I’m very happy to win also with Daniel – it is very special.”
Gounon and Juncadella triumphed in sprint one 2.597 seconds ahead of overall runners-up AF Corse in their number 50 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.
Taking third to complete the overall and Pro class podiums were Comtoyou Racing’s number seven Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo.
In the Bronze class, Jewiss and Dawson started alongside Gounon and Juncadella from the overall front row.
Following their penalty, they were joined in the top three by Winward Racing’s number 87 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, who were promoted to first, and second-placers Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing’s number 93 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo.
In last night’s second sprint, Gounon and Juncadella finished in the overall top 10 while taking sixth in the Pro class.
Lionspeed GP in their number 80 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo were the overall winners and first in the Pro field.
Jewiss and Dawson, on the other hand, charged to the runner-up classification in the Bronze category, where they were narrowly beaten by Paradine Competition’s number 991 BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
Dinamic GT’s number 55 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo finished third in class.
The GTWC Europe returns at the end of this month with action in the seventh round, an endurance meeting, to be held in the Nurburgring in Germany.
The championship’s 2026 calendar features 10 meetings in all – split between five sprint and five endurance weekends.
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