Dani Juncadella Driver Profile: Spain’s Endurance Ace Living His Best Season in 2026

Dani Juncadella during the 2026 season, captured as Mercedes‑AMG endurance ace in action. Focus keywords: Dani Juncadella – Mercedes‑AMG – endurance ace – 2026 season. — Dani Juncadella continues to shine as Mercedes‑AMG’s endurance ace in the 2026 season, delivering standout performances across GT3 and long‑distance events.

Dani Juncadella is one of the most complete endurance drivers in the world right now.A Formula 3 champion, Macau Grand Prix winner, and Spa 24 Hours winner, the Spaniard never made it to a full-time F1 seat. But in 2026, he is arguably having the richest season of his career, racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar class and teaming up with Max Verstappen at the iconic Nürburgring and Spa 24 Hours.

Dani Juncadella: Fast Facts

Full name: Daniel Juncadella Pérez-Sala
Date of birth: 7 May 1991
Nationality: Spanish
Series: FIA World Endurance Championship

Who Is Dani Juncadella?

Daniel Juncadella Pérez-Sala was born on 7 May 1991 and is a Spanish racing driver who currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship for Genesis Magma Racing. He is from Barcelona, and motorsport runs deep in his family. He is the son of Xavier Juncadella and the nephew of José María Juncadella, Alex Soler-Roig, and Luis Pérez-Sala, all racing drivers.

His family background in motorsport only adds to the narrative.

A Macau Grand Prix winner and Formula 3 champion in his youth, he was a test driver in Formula One before moving on to sports car racing. His debut in a Formula 1 car came at the wheel of a Ferrari F60 at Vallelunga as a prize for winning the European FIA Formula 3 Championship. His other big achievement was winning the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in Formula 3, something no other Spanish driver had achieved in history.

F1 Connection and Early Career Highlights

Juncadella tested with Williams F1 during the Young Drivers test at Silverstone, setting the fifth best time on the first day. On 24 January 2014, he joined Force India as a reserve driver, attending all races and taking part in Friday practice sessions. In December 2024, he also joined Aston Martin as a simulation driver for the 2025 season.

He never secured a full race seat in Formula 1, but Juncadella found his true home in GT and endurance racing. As a Mercedes-AMG factory driver, he won the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, the Intercontinental GT Challenge, and the Spa 24 Hours. During 2022, he also drove in all four events of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, adding a victory at Indianapolis and finishing second at the Bathurst 12 Hours to win the IGTC drivers’ championship.

Dani Juncadella in 2026: Hypercar Debut and Team Verstappen

Genesis Magma Racing signed Juncadella to join the driver lineup for the team’s debut season in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026. The pair will make their Hypercar class debut in the Genesis Magma Racing GMR-001. The #19 Hypercar is shared by Paul-Loup Chatin, Dani Juncadella, and Mathieu Jaminet.

The honour of starting Genesis Magma Racing’s first race was given to Dani Juncadella in the #19 car. The debut at Imola was cut short by a sensor issue, but Juncadella was upbeat: “A lot of positives to take from the week. We’ve been seriously competitive considering it’s been our first weekend.”

Away from WEC, Juncadella has been a key part of Team Verstappen in GT3 racing. He is part of the #3 Mercedes-AMG entry for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, sharing the car with Max Verstappen, Jules Gounon, and Lucas Auer, in one of the most anticipated lineups of the event. Heartbreak followed when the team came within three hours of victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, only for a driveshaft issue to end the chances of Verstappen, Juncadella, Auer, and Gounon.

Now, Juncadella says that Team Verstappen Racing is gunning for glory at the Spa 24 Hours, bidding to make up for its “cruel” near miss at the Nürburgring. He lines up in the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing car alongside Chris Lulham and Jules Gounon, starting from fourth on the grid. You can follow all the latest from Spa in our live update from the 24 Hours of Spa 2026.

What Makes Juncadella Unique

Juncadella holds an FIA Platinum rating, the highest available to a racing driver. He is a versatile winner in both GT and prototype machinery. Few drivers can say they have raced in the Hypercar class, won a 24-hour GT race, and been trusted by Max Verstappen as a team-mate all in the same season.

Despite his huge success in his GT racing career, Juncadella feels this season has been one of his most interesting and rewarding yet. Having won Spa before in 2022, the Spaniard thinks another win there would top off a special year. He has been clear on his mindset: “I won’t have made it to F1, but being able to race alongside possibly the greatest driver in history is a dream for me.”

With the WEC season continuing and the 24 Hours of Le Mans still on the horizon, Dani Juncadella is proof that the path to greatness in motorsport does not always run through a Formula 1 grid. Sometimes, it runs through Spa at 3 in the morning. For more on Formula 1 from the Austrian GP weekend, check out our coverage of Russell’s controversial Austrian GP pole and the latest on Verstappen’s qualifying crash in Spielberg.