• Japanese marque in red-hot form as competitive order begins to take shape
• Mercedes-AMG, Ford and McLaren also earn wins during opening five rounds
• Defending champion BMW still searching for breakthrough victory
• Manufacturer standings after five rounds
The 2026 GT4 Manufacturer Ranking is up and running – and if the opening five rounds are any indication, the season ahead promises to be fiercely contested.
BMW has reigned supreme since the global competition was launched in 2024, producing a particularly commanding performance to secure last year's title. But the early signs suggest it will be unable to replicate this level of dominance, with a new force emerging at the top of the table.
The car in front is a Toyota. The Japanese marque enjoyed a strong 2025 campaign, banking 20 race wins and finishing third in the standings thanks to an especially strong record in Asia.
Its form has now gone global. The GR Supra GT4 has scored consistently across two rounds in Europe, as well as one each in America, Australia and Asia, indicating that the fight really is on.
The season began on 14/15 March with SRO GT Cup launching its sophomore campaign at the Shanghai International Circuit. The very first GT4 Manufacturer Ranking win of 2026 went to Mercedes-AMG courtesy of Liang Jiatong, who steered his KILOworks by Level machine to victory in the 30-minute contest.
Normal service was resumed in Race 2 when defending series champion Han Lichao triumphed in his TGR China-run Supra. The local team had already finished as runner-up in the opener, helping to put Toyota on top for the weekend with 70 points to Mercedes-AMG’s 54.
The season's first double-header followed two weeks later (28/29 March) with Monochrome GT4 Australia launching at Phillip Island and Pirelli GT4 America getting its campaign going at Sonoma Raceway. Both are in rude health this year, attracting grids of 30 or more cars for their opening events.
Ford was the big winner from the Aussie meeting, continuing the form that it showed throughout 2025. The Mustangs were especially rampant in Race 1, with Multispares Racing duo Aaron Cameron and Lochie Dalton leading a one-two ahead of the sister RM Racing Cars entry.
Defending teams' champion Method Motorsport won Race 2 with Tom Hayman and Jett Murray sharing its McLaren Artura, which was chased home by Miedecke's Mustang. Ford's weekend tally was an impressive 73 points, well clear of McLaren on 49.
Several time zones away at Sonoma, Pirelli GT4 America rolled off for the first time this year. On paper it appeared to be a Toyota walkover with RAFA Racing duo Tyler Gonzalez and Westin Workman taking both victories in their Supra. But on this occasion BMW was a match for its Japanese rival, scoring just one point fewer thanks to podium finishes for Auto Technic and Random Vandals.
Nevertheless, this can be seen as a significant result. BMW was dominant in Pirelli GT4 America last year, finishing more than 100 points clear of its nearest rival. Toyota has unquestionably levelled up.
France was the scene of the following two events. Championnat de France FFSA GT launched its 2026 campaign over the Easter weekend (4/5 April) with its traditional Coupes de Pâques event at Nogaro. With both races won by a non-competing manufacturer, Toyota took full advantage as best of the rest, scoring 80 points to pull more than 100 clear at the top of the table.
The fifth and most recent outing saw the GT4 European Series begin at Circuit Paul Ricard on 11/12 April. In true GT4 fashion the weekend was full of surprises, with the expected front-runners struggling and a pair of championship newcomers claiming the spoils.
Mercedes-AMG won the opener thanks to SR by Schnitzelalm and its rookie crew of Enrico Förderer and Cedric Fuchs. Though new to the series, this is by no means an inexperienced operation: SR by Schnitzelalm and Förderer claimed last year's ADAC GT4 Germany title and were major contributors to AMG's global tally.
Race 2 went to Belgian squad CRT-Sport, which prevailed on home soil with Lucas Cartelle and Hudson Schwartz sharing its Toyota. At just 16, Schwartz is very likely to be the youngest winner in any of the global series; indeed, the American teenager was born two years after the GT4 formula was launched in 2007.
With the first five rounds complete, the stats favour Toyota. The Japanese brand has four wins on the board and a further four podiums, while Mercedes-AMG and Ford have two victories apiece and McLaren has one. It is noteworthy that BMW is yet to get off the mark, though its M4 has notched up three podium finishes.
Toyota tops the standings with 296 points, nearly double the amount of its nearest challenger BMW on 153. There is a considerably smaller margin of 28 points to Mercedes-AMG in third, followed by Ford and last year's runner-up Porsche. Audi, McLaren, Aston Martin and Ginetta complete the early-season points table.
Three series will be in action this weekend (25/26 April). ADAC GT4 Germany kicks off with a pair of races at the Red Bull Ring, while both British GT and Pirelli GT4 America stage long-distance races at Silverstone and Circuit of the Americas respectively.
After a weekend off on 2/3 May, a further four series will be in action on 9/10 May. This includes the GT4 Italia opener at Misano as well as meetings for SRO GT Cup (Zhuhai), Monochrome GT4 Australia (The Bend) and GT4 America (Sebring).
Based on 2025 form, the upcoming run of races should favour BMW and Porsche. If Toyota can maintain its advantage at the top, the Supra will cement its status as early favourite to take the global crown.
