NEWS
MICHELOTTO AND SPINELLI END SPRINT SEASON WITH GOLD CUP VICTORY
Oct 04, 2026
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2026 GT World Challenge Sprint, Round 5 – Barcelona (Spain)
Michelotto and Spinelli close Sprint season with Gold Cup victory
The GT World Challenge Sprint finale took place at Barcelona this weekend and despite changeable weather and chaotic timetable changes Mattia Michelotto and Loris Spinelli took Gold Cup victory on Sunday, finishing fourth overall in their VSR Lamborghini Temerario.
After a dry Paid Test and dry first practice it was fully wet on Friday afternoon for the second practice session. Despite the weather alerts put out across Spain it was dry for Saturday qualifying and Spinelli was seventh fastest in the Gold Cup. The rain finally started again just as the cars headed to the grid. After two formation laps the lights went green and, starting from the twentieth row, Spinelli was immediately on the move gaining six places on the opening lap. A lap later he was up to fifth in the Gold Cup and a lap later an incident for Fleming on lap five moved Spinelli into fourth in class before the Safety Car came on track for a crash between Levi and Neubauer. Racing resumed four minutes before the pit window was due to open. Spinelli, having made up fourteen places and taken fourth in class from Gachet pitted for Michelotto who took on new wets. The race was then red-flagged and after a short pause restarted behind the Safety Car. Racing resumed with twenty-three minutes left. Michelotto ran fourth in class, sandwiched between two Mclarens before a trip through the gravel sent him back down the order. He recovered, despite the tricky conditions, to take the chequered flag fourth in class.
Heavy rain overnight and a government-imposed lockdown resulted in Sunday morning’s qualifying being cancelled. The grid for race two was therefore decided by the times set in the wet second practice session. The much-delayed race got underway as dusk approached and Michelotto started from row seven on a perfectly dry track. A fantastic start from the young Italian saw him exit the first corner in third overall, slotting in behind Green and Lulham before the Safety Car came out on track. At the restart two cars passed the Lamborghini but Michelotto remained in the lead of the Gold Cup. He spent the rest of his stint defending from Engel’s Mercedes before boxing for Spinelli on lap fifteen. A quick stop from the VSR boys got Spinelli out in fourth overall, still leading the Gold Cup. A Full Course Yellow with twenty-three minutes to go paused racing for two minutes, leaving a twenty-minute, flat-out sprint to the flag. Making no errors Spinelli held on to take Gold Cup victory and fourth overall.
2026 GT World Challenge Sprint Calendar
Brands Hatch: 2-3 May
Misano: 18-19 July
Magny-Cours: 1-2 August
Zandvoort: 19-20 September
Barcelona: 3-4 October
END
