Walkenhorst Motorsport to contest entire GT World Challenge Europe

Premiere for Walkenhorst Motorsport: the team will contest the entire GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS for the first time. After a year of learning with the Aston Martin Vantage GT3, the team is now targeting top results.

The GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS has been on Walkenhorst Motorsport’s calendar for many years. This year, however, the team from Melle in Lower Saxony is not only competing in the Endurance Cup, but will also be competing in the Sprint Cup for the first time. The SRO series is considered the largest GT racing series in the world. 59 cars have been entered for the Endurance Cup season, while 41 GT3 cars will compete in the Sprint Cup.

‘In 2018, we won the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps, the world’s biggest GT3 race and the season highlight of the GT World Challenge Europe. At that time, only true insiders knew us. For us, this is the biggest success in the team’s history, which has put us on the radar of many in the international motorsport scene. We have worked hard over the winter and are entering the new season with focus and determination,’ reports team founder Henry Walkenhorst.

Walkenhorst Motorsport will field two Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Endurance Cup. The car with starting number #34 will once again compete for overall victory in the Pro class. As in the previous year, the two factory drivers David Pittard and Henrique Chaves will be at the wheel of the Vantage, where they narrowly missed out on a place on the podium at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. They will be supported by long-standing Walkenhorst Motorsport driver Christian Krognes, who is becoming an official Aston Martin factory driver.

‘I am very much looking forward to the upcoming challenges in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Walkenhorst Motorsport. After several great successes with the team in recent years, I am confident that our combination of drivers and team spirit will create the conditions for a very strong season. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the beautiful Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and start the season,’ said Krognes.

David Pittard, who has also been competing for Walkenhorst Motorsport for many years, adds: ‘It’s great to be back with my Walkenhorst team in what is arguably the most competitive GT3 championship in the world! It’s good that we have a lot of continuity in the team from last year, but we can also welcome former 24h Spa winner Chris into the Aston Martin Racing family and the #34 GTWC car. As a team, we learned a lot in the first year with the Vantage GT3 Evo, so I believe that we can really take off in Paul Ricard in April!‘

’I’m very happy to continue working with everyone at Walkenhorst Motorsport. With the knowledge and experience gained last year, we are very well prepared to meet the enormous challenges of the GT World Challenge Europe. I would also like to welcome Christian in the #34 car and I firmly believe that together with David and WMS we will form a winning team,’ adds the Portuguese Chaves, who will celebrate his 28th birthday shortly before the start of the season.

The #35 car will compete in the Silver Cup. Alongside Romain Leroux, who is entering his second season with Walkenhorst Motorsport, the team will have two new additions: Mateo Villagomez from Ecuador – the reigning champion in the French GT4 championship – and Sweden’s Oliver Söderström – who just missed out on the Lamborghini Super Trofeo title in 2024. With this talented trio of drivers, Walkenhorst Motorsport is aiming for top results in a strong field.

‘I’m very happy to continue the journey with Walkenhorst Motorsport and Aston Martin Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe. After a first year in which we showed strong pace with the new car, the goal now is to build on that and fight for the title. I can’t wait to start the season!’ said Frenchman Leroux, looking forward to the upcoming year.

Ecuador’s Villagomez is looking forward to his first full season in GT3 racing: ‘I’m very much looking forward to competing in the full GTWC Europe Series with the Walkenhorst team. It has felt like a long winter with a lot of preparation, but I can’t wait to get out on track!’

‘I am incredibly excited to compete in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with the Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Sharing the car with my new teammates and competing at this level is the most exciting challenge of my career so far, and I can’t wait to get started,’ concludes Oliver Söderström.

Walkenhorst Motorsport to make debut in GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup

Walkenhorst Motorsport will also be making a special debut, as the team will also be competing in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup for the first time. The race series will contest two one-hour races during the sprint race weekends. The team hopes to be able to build on the experience gained in last year’s ADAC GT Masters.

The team from Lower Saxony will field the #35 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 on the five Sprint Cup weekends. Mateo Villagomez, who made his GT3 debut at the Bathurst 12 Hour this February, and Aston Martin factory driver Henrique Chaves will be competing together in the strong Pro class.

Managing Director Jörg Breuer: ‘We are very much looking forward to the season in the GT World Challenge Europe and are excited about the new challenges in the Sprint Cup. After our debut season with the Aston Martin, we have prepared ourselves as well as possible for the upcoming racing year. Our goal is clear: we want to improve on last year’s performance and consistently achieve top results. I am also very happy with our driver pairings in the Pro class and in the Silver Cup. The combination of established Walkenhorst drivers, some of whom we have been working with for many years, and fast newcomers to the team is, in my opinion, an excellent basis for a successful season. In particular, I would like to take this opportunity to warmly welcome Mateo and Oliver to our team.’

The GT World Challenge Europe will contest ten race weekends this year, five of which are Endurance Cup and Sprint Cup events respectively. The highlight of the season is the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, which is the world’s biggest GT race and in which around 70 GT3 cars will once again take part. The only race in Germany will be held at the Nürburgring on the last weekend in August, where a three-hour Endurance Cup race will take place.

Schedule GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS 2025:

10.03. – 11.03. – Circuit Paul Ricard Prologue (FRA) (Offizielle Testtage)
11.04. – 13.04. – Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA) (Endurance Cup)
03.05. – 04.05. – Brands Hatch (GBR) (Sprint Cup)
13.05. – 14.05. – CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa Prologue (BEL) (Offizielle Testtage)
16.05. – 18.05. – Zandvoort (NLD) (Sprint Cup)
30.05. – 01.06. – Monza (ITA) (Endurance Cup)
25.06. – 29.06. – CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (BEL) (Endurance Cup)
18.07. – 20.07. – Misano (ITA) (Sprint Cup)
01.08. – 03.08. – Magny Cours (FRA) (Sprint Cup)
29.08. – 31.08. – Nürburgring (DEU) (Endurance Cup)
19.09. – 21.09. – Valencia (ESP) (Sprint Cup)
10.10. – 12.10. – Barcelona (ESP) (Endurance Cup)