How the 24 Hours of Spa and the Sprint Cup differ from a three-hour race

A three-hour race is the standard format in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, but the season also has a 24-hour race at Spa and a Sprint Cup with one-hour races. Each has its own rules for drivers and pit stops. Here is how they differ, under the 2026 Sporting Regulations.

Which race formats are there?

The regulations name four cases (article 4.2): Case A, three-hour races; Case B, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa; Case C, the six-hour race; and Case D, Sprint weekends with two races of up to one hour. Cases A, B and C make up the Endurance Cup, Case D the Sprint Cup.

How many drivers race at Spa?

Pro cars race with exactly three drivers. Cars in the other classes may use three or four (article 212). Spa also has a Pro-Am class, which runs for the race result only and scores no championship points (article 211.5).

What is the technical pit stop at Spa?

Spa has no fixed number of mandatory stops, and drivers and tyres do not have to change at every stop (article 218.5). Instead, each car must make one technical pit stop of at least five minutes, started between the beginning of the 12th hour and the end of the 22nd hour. The regulations allow brake changes during this stop under a set procedure (article 223.4). A car that skips it gets a stop-and-go of at least the same length (article 218.5.1).

How long may one driver drive at Spa?

Each driver must drive at least two hours and at most eleven, unless their class sets a lower limit (article 218.5.2). One driver may stay in the car for at most three times the maximum stint time, after which a rest of at least one hour is required. The provisional maximum stint for Spa is 60 minutes, or 65 when an FCY or Safety Car falls in the stint (article 218.4). In the Bronze Cup, the Bronze driver must drive at least four hours, including one hour in the first six (article 218.6).

How does a Sprint race work?

Sprint cars have two drivers (article 412). Each race has one mandatory pit stop with a driver change and four new tyres (article 418). The pit window opens 25 minutes after the start and closes just before 35 minutes. With a big grid it can be split: one group of classes pits between 25 and 30 minutes, the other between 30 and 35 (article 418.2). A stop outside the window brings at least a stop-and-go penalty. Bronze Cup cars must respect a minimum pit stop time, set per event (article 418.6).

How do the points compare?

Spa awards points after six hours, after twelve hours and at the finish, and the six-hour race at Paul Ricard pays 33 points for a win. A Sprint win is worth 16.5 points. All scales are in How GT World Challenge points and titles work.

More guides: GT World Challenge explained · three-hour races · qualifying

Source: 2026 GT World Challenge Europe Sporting Regulations.