The fourth round of the 2016 Ferrari Challenge Europe is over. The 43 Ferrari 458 EVOs provided a great show even though the 40-minute race had several safety car interruptions.

Japanese manufacturer Toyota has introduced the world to the newly developed GR GT3. After a long development phase, the car will be ready for the track in or around 2027.

The Toyota GR GT3 embodies the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) philosophy of continuous improvement in racing car design. Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Akio Toyoda, also known as Master Driver Morizo, oversaw the GR GT3&rsquo;s collaborative development process. Professional drivers Tatsuya Kataoka, Hiroaki Ishiura and Naoya Gamou, amateur driver Daisuke Toyoda, and the company&rsquo;s inhouse test drivers worked closely with the project engineers. The approach was to listen, understand and respond to drivers&rsquo; needs. The result is the GT GT3.

<h2>A racing car made for drivers</h2>

The GR GT3 has inherited the GR GT&rsquo;s three major advantages: a low centre of gravity, lightweight with high rigidity, and fine-tuned aerodynamics. Designed according to FIA GT3 standards &ndash; the top category of production vehicle racing cars &ndash; it is a car for winners, yet driveable by anyone.

The Toyota Driver First Philosophy behind the GR GT&rsquo;s design is just as important for GT3, where professionals and amateurs compete together. Alongside the GR GT3 improvement process, TGR is rolling out a comprehensive customer service to ensure all drivers feel like racing drivers at the wheel.

All parts were tested on simulators and then tested at the company test centre in Shimoyama and at international circuits Fuji and N&uuml;rburgring. 
Development is expected to continue until around 2027, with the intention of replacing the Lexus RC GT3 entry in the LMGT3 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Toyota introduces the GR GT3

For its return to the top level of endurance after 14 years away from the scene, the Aston Martin THOR Team knew that 2025 would be a season-long learning curve. The Valkyrie, driven by its naturally aspirated V12 engine and the support of fans, has laid down the foundations of an ambitious programme for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. All eyes are now focused on 2026 where the margin for progress is huge.

The Aston Martin THOR Team entered two&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-aston-martin-valkyrie-under-the-microscope-when-the-road-leads-to-le-mans-59692" target="_blank">Valkyries</a>, numbered 007 and 009, for its d&eacute;but FIA WEC campaign. The #007 was placed in the hands of Harry Tincknell, Tom Gamble&nbsp;and Ross Gunn, while Alex Riberas,&nbsp;Marco S&oslash;rensen&nbsp;and Roman De Angelis&nbsp;lined up in the #009. The three watchwords for this inaugural season were clear: learn, understand and progress. The US-based team followed the plan to the letter.

<h2>An upward trajectory</h2>

From the opening laps of the Prologue, the Valkyrie earned a reputation as one of the most emblematic machines on the grid. The roar of its naturally aspirated V12 engine delighted hardcore petrolheads and this popularity offered a powerful lever in supporting the competitive development of the programme.

In finishing in eighth place in the Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers&rsquo; Championship, Aston Martin hardly pulled up any trees but the lessons learned from the campaign abound. The #009 Valkyrie put in the best performances with a P5 at the 6 Hours of Fuji before signing off with a P7 at the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain, to conclude the season on an encouraging note. Both Hypercars showed reliability at the&nbsp;24 Hours of Le Mans by reaching the chequered flag in 12th and 14th position respectively. Grounds for satisfaction for Marco S&oslash;rensen:&nbsp;&quot;Finishing the race was our mission. Of course, we would have liked more. But the most important thing is that we made it to the end with both cars, without any issues. They ran all the way through, even if not very fast. I&rsquo;m proud of the team. For a first Le Mans, it&rsquo;s a success. And honestly, I wasn&rsquo;t expecting that.&quot;

Aston Martin at 24 Hours of Le Mans 2025

C'était Aston Martin aux 24 Heures du Mans 2025

In the final race in Bahrain, the #009 delivered a tremendous battle for pole position and a potential podium. A performance hailed by Team Principal Ian James:&nbsp;&quot;To come to a place here where we&rsquo;re genuinely competing for pole position and the podium shows what a good job everyone&rsquo;s done and I can&rsquo;t wait for 2026 to come around so we can keep up that momentum.&quot; Alex Riberas&nbsp;added:&nbsp;&quot;We are getting better in the small details and when we learn how to race against the competition more, we will be even better. Whether the car will be ready to fight for victories at the beginning of next year is not for me to say, but I know that it is more a matter of when than if.&quot;

<h2>Stepping up a gear in 2026</h2>

Aston Martin will be ready to step up a gear next season. The battle will be even more intense against Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Peugeot, Toyota and newcomers Genesis. The car has shown its reliability, but performance must now follow. The task is a huge one, but there is a positive dynamic and obvious potential.

With solid foundations, a car with a strong identity and an upwardly mobile team, Aston Martin can look forward to 2026 with ambition. The Valkyrie has written its opening chapter. The next could see it move closer to the front of the pack and, in due course, the ultimate dream: racing to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Aston Martin – High expectations after a promising first season

Alpine Endurance Team ends 2025 with one race win, having progressed throughout the FIA World Endurance Championship season. With a logo shaped like an arrow and buoyed with confidence since António Félix da Costa joined the team, Alpine is aiming to hit the top spot more often.

The team&rsquo;s second FIA World Endurance Championship campaign with the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-alpine-a424-hypercar-under-the-microscope-more-precise-more-reliable-more-ambitious-59684">A424</a> saw the French constructor reach new heights. Philippe Sinault and his crews achieved several goals:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/alpine-unleashes-peak-performance-at-fuji-to-win-milestone-100th-race-59998" target="_blank">a win at the 6 Hours of Fuji</a>, the 100th WEC race, and two podium finishes at the 6 Hours of Imola and the TotalEnergies 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. As a result, the team ended the FIA WEC season in sixth place in the Hypercar class, behind Ferrari, Toyota, Porsche, Cadillac and BMW.

<h2>An informative 24 Hours of Le Mans top 10 finish</h2>

The Alpine A424s finished ninth and tenth in round 4, the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans, two and three laps behind the winning Ferrari. Despite several setbacks &ndash; a battery cooling system pressurisation issue, pit lane speeding penalties, a drive-through and a spin off at Mulsanne Corner &ndash; the team proved solid.

&ldquo;The results are mixed. We are really pleased that both cars finished and have managed reliability issues well, despite an alert handled perfectly by the team at the beginning of the race,&rdquo; said Team Principal Philippe Sinault in his post- race declaration. &ldquo;Getting both A424s through 24 hours is no mean feat; it&#39;s a milestone. However, there is also disappointment. Given our level of performance at the end of the race, we could have aimed for a top-five finish without the small mistakes we did and issues we encountered. In this new era, every detail matters, as the gaps are so small. Nevertheless, this frustration is healthy. It motivates us to come back stronger. All the information we gathered was essential and will help us improve and continue to build something strong.&rdquo;

<h2>Exemplary reliability and a solid foundation for 2026</h2>

One of the strong points of 2025 resides in the Alpine A424&rsquo;s irreproachable reliability. The car finishes its races. The sound base, formed by teamwork, will be excellent grounding as the project unfolds.

&ldquo;We&#39;ve also made some big improvements in our performance, scoring three podium finishes, including a win,&rdquo; says Bruno Famin, Alpine VP Motorsport. We also know that there were too many average results to hope for a better championship finish. Our goal for next season will be to keep improving and being more consistent in our performance.&quot; Philippe Sinault adds: &ldquo;The Fuji win was hugely satisfying. It was unexpected and rewarded the entire team. We seized an opportunity. Now we have a recipe for success next season. We have enormous potential to do better.&rdquo;

In 2026, Alpine will continue building on its experience. The arrival of Portuguese driver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/antonio-felix-da-costa-set-to-join-alpine-s-fia-wec-programme-from-2026-60056" target="_blank">Ant&oacute;nio F&eacute;lix da Costa</a>, LMP2 class winner at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022 and Formula E World Champion 2019-2020 adds to the positive team spirit. With a reputation for speed and technical meticulousness, the newcomer adds strategic and sporting value to an outfit that intends to pursue its path to the summit of endurance racing.

With a promising win, proven reliability, and shrewd recruitment, Alpine Endurance Team is fast becoming a star FIA WEC team. The aim now is to go from promising to triumphant, and hoist the arrow-shaped A onto the top step of the podium.

Alpine Endurance Team: one win in 2025. How many in 2026?

After three 24 Hours of Le Mans wins on the bounce since 2023 and a Hypercar world title in 2025, Ferrari is firmly in the driving seat of modern endurance. But a look forward to 2027 is enough to set the pulse racing and the spine tingling! Ford will be returning to the top class, reawakening one of the most famous confrontations in the history of Le Mans. Fans of the American giant and the Italian firm’s ‘tifosi’ are already excited by the prospect of a new duel.

Since Ferrari entered the Hypercar fray in 2023, it has notched up one success after another: three 24 Hours of Le Mans victories with three different 499Ps, nine winning drivers, and the 2025 Hypercar World Endurance Manufacturers&rsquo; and Drivers&rsquo; titles. While the Prancing Horse continues to gallop ahead, fans are beginning to look&nbsp;forward to 2027 and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/ford-in-the-top-class-at-the-24-hours-of-le-mans-in-2027-59293" target="_blank">return of&nbsp;Ford</a>. The embers of a battle between the two carmakers that raged in the 1960s could well be reignited.

<h2>A historic confrontation returns to the fore</h2>

It is impossible to discuss 2027 and Ford&rsquo;s quest to conquer Ferrari without stirring memories of the decade that forged the legend. In the early sixties, Ferrari dominated the French endurance classic with six consecutive wins between 1960 and 1965. In response, Ford developed the iconic GT40 to put an end to Ferrari&rsquo;s reign. In <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/le-mans-66-what-really-happened-55729" target="_blank">1966</a>, the American manufacturer broke the Prancing Horse&rsquo;s winning run with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/24-hours-centenary-the-american-benchmark-ford-gt40-57263" target="_blank">GT40 Mk II</a>, lighting the touchpaper of a historic confrontation. This emblematic chapter in the annals of Le Mans is about to re-emerge with the prospect of Ford returning to the summit of endurance.

At the premiere of the official film retracing the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, Antonello Coletti was asked about the future showdown with Ford. The head of Ferrari&rsquo;s endurance programme, however, refused to budge from his line, but did acknowledge how much the fans were looking forward to it.&nbsp;&ldquo;We treat all our rivals the same,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We have to respect them all. In 2027, Ford will join the manufacturers involved in Hypercar. It&rsquo;s true, nonetheless, that the tifosi are really looking forward to this head-to-head.&rdquo;

First things first, however, and for Ferrari, that means a challenging 2026 campaign. The Italian giant came out on top in 2025, but the competition promises to be even more fierce next season. Coletta warned: &ldquo;It won&rsquo;t be easy in 2026. We need to stay focused as the competition will again be very tough. We shall have to do our utmost to stay at the same level.&rdquo;

Ferrari will have to show technical stability, maintain its performance levels and manage the pressure that comes with its role as the leading Hypercar outfit before turning its thoughts to locking horns with Ford.

Ferrari vs Ford – the fabled face-off set to be revived at the 2027 24 Hours of Le Mans

Bjorn Grossmann quickly took the lead, leaving pole-sitter Alberto Cola a way behind. Cola was also overtaken by Philipp Baron. Unfortunately, there was a safety car intervention in the very first lap when Florian Merckx ended up in the gravel trap at the Forza Motorsport chicane. When race conditions recommenced Grossman was touched by Baron in the Dunlop chicane and from then on the race became a three-man affair.

Baron, Marcello Puglisi and Cola wrangled for the upper hand on the 13.629km circuit. Sam Smeeth crept up behind them, ready to pounce. But another safety car period put a damper on his spirits while Baron was in the pit lane, penalised for his contact with Grossmann. Cola had a close shave at the Karting corner, went into a spin and ended up in the middle of the track. In the meantime, Puglisi, who started in sixth, drove an impeccable race and took a well-deserved victory ahead of Smeeth and Grossman.&nbsp;

Photo: Le Mans hosts a superb round of the Ferrari Challenge Europe 2016, worth double points.

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24H LE MANS

Marcello Puglisi wins the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli

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