Maxime Martin clinched the Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers' championship with a fifth-place finish for Team JMF Motorsports in the season-ending race.
Maxime Martin won the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers' title at the Indianapolis 8 Hour. Racing the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Team JMF Motorsports, he ended the race fifth outright and third among Pro entries. His 70 points were enough to beat Maro Engel on 68 at the event's seventh and final edition.
Maxime Martin has won the 2026 drivers' championship in the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC), taking the title at the season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Sharing the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 run by Team JMF Motorsports with Mikael Grenier and Michai Stephens, he ended up fifth overall and third among the Pro entries.
Martin made up an eight-point deficit to finish on 70 points, which makes him only the fourth Mercedes-AMG driver to take the IGTC drivers' title. Previous champions from the marque include Tristan Vautier in 2018, Daniel Juncadella in 2022 and Jules Gounon in 2023.
Final drivers' standings
| Driver | Points |
|---|---|
| Maxime Martin | 70 |
| Maro Engel | 68 |
| Luca Stolz | 61 |
Maro Engel, second on 68 points, did not race at Indianapolis because he was racing in the DTM season finale at Hockenheim. Luca Stolz was third on 61 points. It is the first time three Mercedes-AMG drivers have filled the top three places in the IGTC, and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport is now the only record holder in the drivers' classification.
The race at Indianapolis
Stephens started fifth and was at the front of the Pro class after the first lap. After 45 minutes he briefly led overall, and Grenier and Martin also took turns at the front of the No. 34. As the race went on, the team could not challenge for victory, but it crossed the line fifth overall, one of only eight teams to complete the same 322 laps as the winner.
The Am class went to the No. 11 Mad Joker Racing car with Lone Star Mercedes-AMG GT3, where Marc Austin, Ben Keating and Peter Dempsey held off their closest rival over the race. The No. 9 TR3 Racing car finished 15th overall and inside the Pro-Am top 10, and the No. 999 GetSpeed Team PCX Racing entry, which was making its Indianapolis debut, finished 20th overall.
The No. 80 Lone Star Racing car was out of the race early. Lin Hodenius was at the wheel at the start when a rival spun at Turn 12, and contact followed less than 10 minutes in. That ended Luca Stolz's chance of winning the title. The sister No. 27 JMF car also lost Jason Daskalos to a mechanical issue in the third hour.
What the team says
Simon Wilbers, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, said the top three places and a fourth drivers' title backed up the brand's claim to be the fastest family in the world. He thanked the teams and drivers who competed across five races on four continents this year.
Stefan Wendl, Head of Customer Racing, said the team had aimed to win in every class but lacked the pace on the day, and he regretted the early end for the No. 80 car. Martin said he was grateful to everyone who helped him win the title, having raced with several teams during the season. Grenier said the team had improved on last year but finished as runners-up after leading the championship through the season.
