Blog
GT CUP SERIES 2026, RACE WEEKEND 1, RED BULL RING, ENDURANCE RACE:SUMMARY&STANDINGS
AUSTRIAN SUCCESS FOR KONOPKA AND AIGNER
The opening weekend of the GT CUP SERIES ’26 marked a successful merger with the Austrian GT Championship. The idea for the merger was born last year when the promoters of both series began discussions. The result was the first joint weekend at the Red Bull Ring in picturesque Styria.
It featured three spectacular races: Saturday’s one-hour Endurance race and two Sunday Sprints. With full starting grids, a mix of Gran Turismo cars and sports prototypes, and spectators cheering enthusiastically in pleasant spring weather, it served as proof that a high-quality championship for powerful sports cars can thrive on Central European circuits.
Let’s take a look at the current standings after the Austrian weekend. Miro Konopka and Marius Aigner have the most to celebrate. The Slovak legend leads Division 5 in both the Sprint and Endurance classifications following his winning runs in the ARC Bratislava team’s Ligier LMP3. Konopka thus continues his illustrious career, which includes appearances in many world-class races, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The situation is similar for Austrian Aigner, a racer with the build of a basketball player. With his team, MZR Motorsportzentrum Ried, he leads the Sprint and Endurance standings in the GTX category. Just like last year, he is driving a KTM X-BOW in the iconic green-and-black livery. His teammate and compatriot Bob Bau is also celebrating. He leads the GTC/GTC1 category in the endurance standings and also holds second place in the sprint races.
The GT CUP SERIES championship continues next month at the Grobnik circuit in Croatia, near the city of Rijeka. Among other things, the circuit is known for having hosted races in the Motorcycle World Championship and the immensely popular Super Touring category as part of the Central European Championship.
Press release by Martin Straka
Official standings after the 1st race of the season
2026 Standings after Race 1 – Sprint 2026