It was hardly the start to the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe that Alex Fontana had been hoping for at the Paul Ricard circuit. The #89 Lionspeed GP team was forced to retire a matter of metres after the green flag due to a blameless collision with another car. The Porsche 911 GT3 R driven by Alex alongside Patrick Kolb and Bashar Mardini had nevertheless shown excellent performance during collective testing and free practice, as well as qualifying, giving hope for the upcoming rounds on the calendar.
In line with the series format, each member of the crew was required to drive in a qualifying session. The first session was assigned to Fontana, whose time of 1:54.654 placed him among the fastest drivers in the Bronze Cup category. The combined times from the three sessions allowed the team to secure eighth place in class.
Mardini was tasked with taking the first stint of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe season, but unfortunately he was involved in a collision at the corner leading onto the long Mistral straight, crashing into the barriers at high speed. The Canadian driver did manage to bring the car back to the pits, but the damage sustained was so severe that there was no chance of returning to the track, resulting in the first premature retirement of the season.
Hopes now turn to the next round of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup: the 3 Hours of Monza, scheduled for the weekend of 29–31 May.
Alex Fontana
“It’s such a shame to start our GT World Challenge campaign like this, but I’m convinced the team is capable of achieving excellent results elsewhere this season. I was very pleased with the work we did here at Paul Ricard and it gives us something to build on for the rest of the season. I’d like to thank the whole Lionspeed GP outfit, including my teammates Patrick and Bashar, for the weekend we’ve had. Now I’ll be focussing on the next challenge, which will be this coming weekend at the Portimao circuit for the first round of the GT Open.”