TEXACO Team AMS to Represent Türkiye at the GT Grand Finals

GT Grand Finals Istanbul is the name of the international GT race to be run at TOSFED Istanbul Park on Sunday, November 8, 2026; and the first Turkish team to announce its participation in this event is TEXACO Team AMS. Starting with a Ferrari 488, the team, with its lineup of Turgut Konukoğlu, Barkın Pınar and Sinan Çiftçi, will represent Türkiye at the circuit that is once again hosting international GT cars after twenty years. The event, running for three days between November 6-8, will feature three separate one-hour races on race day.

The Twenty-Year Wait Is Over: When and How Will GT Grand Finals Istanbul Be Run?

Istanbul Park is once again hosting top-level GT cars after a long hiatus. The three-day organization, taking place on November 6-8, 2026, is organized by Driving Force Events, which we know from the Gulf 12 Hours. The framework of the event, announced by TOSFED in July, is as follows: the event's races are being held with the aim of increasing the regional international appeal of motorsports at the circuit and contributing to sports tourism.

Those who have been in this business for years will remember: national championships in Türkiye have always been vibrant, but getting into the center of the international GT calendar is a separate challenge. In the past, months of negotiation were required for a circuit to enter the international calendar; now the agenda is built on the regular use of the circuit with back-to-back events. TOSFED's statements also paint an expectation in this direction.

• Friday, November 6: Free practice sessions.
• Saturday, November 7: Official practice sessions and qualifying.
• Sunday, November 8: Race day; three races of one hour each.

Exact start times have not yet been announced; at this stage of the program, things have become clear at the level of days. Further details and the list of other participating teams are also awaiting announcement.

Race Format: A Balance Between Sprint and Endurance

The format of the GT Grand Finals is not a classic endurance race, but it is not a full sprint event either. Three separate one-hour races will be run, and the total race time will come to approximately three hours. This setup combines the pace of sprint racing with the strategy of endurance racing in a single weekend: it is a structure that tests the drivers' speed, endurance, tactical intelligence and consistency repeatedly over three days.

As someone who has spent long years at the racetrack, I can say this: a one-hour race sits exactly halfway between a pure sprint and a six-hour endurance race. Tire and fuel management are factored in, but the entire weekend is not tied to a single result; three races mean three separate opportunities and three separate risks. A driver who crashes or suffers a technical failure is not out of the weekend.

Categories: GT3 and GTX1 on the same starting line

Three categories will run in the event: The main category GT3 featuring FIA GT3 specified cars, along with GTX1 Class A and GTX1 Class B. These three groups will start together from the same starting line. In other words, cars with different performance levels will race on the same track at the same time; this is a format that especially highlights traffic management and the strategy of overtaking slower cars while lapping. Those who grew up in the Pirelli infrastructure and have seen classification-mixed grids know: the real job is to keep an eye on the mirror at all times while putting in clean laps within your own category.

TEXACO Team AMS: A Driver Lineup of Three Championships

TEXACO Team AMS, the first Turkish team to announce its entry, will compete with a Ferrari 488. The team is not an unprepared name for this task: it won the Türkiye Circuit Championship in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 seasons consecutively, as champions in both the teams and the maxi group drivers' classifications. It also passed the first rounds of the 2026 season as the teams' leader; it was reported that it won both races in the third round at Istanbul Park in early September. In other words, the team enters the event right in its own backyard, on the back of an ongoing run of form.

The driver lineup matches this picture: three names, carrying three different championship histories. Maxi group experience and Caterham Cup background come together in a single squad; this kind of diversity is exactly the kind of accumulation that works in a format where the categories run together.

The team's main sponsor TEXACO has a one hundred and twenty year history on the lubricants side. Its long-term sponsorship experience in Formula 1 and NASCAR is an added bonus. Such a background is the typical profile of a brand standing behind a long-term team project and aligns with the team's goal of international visibility.

Level of Competition: The Rivals Are Not Yet Known

To be transparent, the level of competition of this event is currently unknown. The list of international participating teams and drivers has not yet been announced; who will be on the grid will become clear with the entry list to be announced later. Therefore, making a prediction such as "where will the Turkish team finish" at this stage would be contrary to professional honesty.

On the other hand, there is another value the event carries: the measurement of lineups racing in domestic championships on the same track, in the same format, against international teams. Such comparisons were only possible in Europe for many years; now it is right around the corner. How a Turkish crew with three different championship titles will respond to this scale is one of the most anticipated questions of the event.

International Visibility Growing in Turkish Motorsport

TEXACO Team AMS's participation should be read not on its own, but as part of a broader picture. It is being reported that in the same period Istanbul Park has entered the Porsche Supercup 2027 calendar; this is the clearest sign that the circuit is being reevaluated as an international racing hub. Initiatives such as the Kocaeli Rally and Racing Team Türkiye competing in the World Endurance Championship are also among the steps increasing the visibility of Turkish teams and drivers on the international stage.

In the past, a team from Türkiye being invited to an international event was newsworthy; now the agenda is about local teams moving toward being spontaneous participants in events rather than invited guests. The difference seems small but is in practice significant: the invited party is a visitor, the participating party is an established player. Of course, whether this trend will last will depend on the participation numbers and results of the first events.

Sunday, November 8: What to Expect?

For the event, which will open its doors in about two weeks, the expected schedule is clear: the weekend opens with free practice on Friday, official practice and qualifying sessions on Saturday, and on Sunday three races of one hour each. There are also open questions: exact session times, ticket information, and the list of international participants are still awaiting announcement. Once these three pieces become clear, the true character of the event will be revealed.

Still, the framework is already drawn: after twenty years, international GT cars taking the start at Istanbul Park, with three Turkish champions burdened with the duty of representing, in their own home ground, with a Ferrari 488. Looking at the history of this business, the progress Turkish drivers have shown on international grids has always begun at home circuits. The first start to be made at Istanbul Park on Sunday, November 8 looks like the latest link in exactly that tradition.

Sources

• GT Grand Finals at TOSFED Istanbul Park – TOSFED
• TEXACO Team AMS to represent Türkiye in the International GT race returning to Istanbul Park after 20 years – Motorsport.com TR
• GT Grand Finals Istanbul: TEXACO Team AMS – AutoBond
• TEXACO Team AMS Instagram post
• GT excitement at Istanbul Park – Ralli Ajans
• GT Race Finals to Be Held at Istanbul Park on November 6-8 – SportsCompany
• GT Races Return to Türkiye with GT Grand Finals Istanbul – Lastikcim Blog