Maxime Martin Clinches 2026 IGTC Title at Indianapolis
Maxime Martin won the 2026 Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers’ championship after bringing the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 home fifth overall at the Indianapolis 8 Hour. The result erased an eight-point deficit entering the October 8–10 finale and lifted Martin to 70 points.
Martin shared the car with Mikaël Grenier and Michai Stephens. They completed 322 laps and finished third in the Pro class, a result that was enough for the Belgian driver to claim the title even though the crew did not win the race.
A championship decided through consistency
Mercedes-AMG’s account says Stephens moved from fifth on the starting grid to the Pro-class lead on the opening lap and briefly led the race overall after about 45 minutes. As the strategy unfolded, the No. 34 car dropped behind its main GT World Challenge America rivals and was unable to rejoin the fight for the overall victory during the second half.
The fifth-place finish still completed a strong IGTC season for Martin. He had already won the Bathurst 12 Hour with Grenier and Maro Engel in February, then added the Nürburgring 24 Hours alongside Engel, Luca Stolz and Fabian Schiller in May. Martin became the fourth Mercedes-AMG driver to win the IGTC drivers’ championship, following Tristan Vautier in 2018, Daniel Juncadella in 2022 and Jules Gounon in 2023.
Mercedes-AMG drivers swept the top three positions in the final standings. Maro Engel finished second with 68 points after missing Indianapolis because he was competing in the DTM finale at Hockenheim, while Luca Stolz placed third with 61 points. Mercedes-AMG says the fourth drivers’ crown makes it the record holder in that IGTC classification.
A difficult race behind the title result
The championship did not mean the Indianapolis weekend went smoothly for every Mercedes entry. The No. 80 Lone Star Racing car, which included Stolz and IndyCar champion Álex Palou, retired after Lin Hodenius was caught in an incident involving a spinning car on lap four. JMF Motorsports’ second Mercedes-AMG GT3 also retired after a technical problem while leading the Pro-Am class.
MAD Joker Racing delivered another bright spot for the brand: Marc Austin, Peter Dempsey and Ben Keating won the Am category in the No. 11 Mercedes-AMG GT3 after also taking class pole.
What comes next
The 2027 Intercontinental GT Challenge season is scheduled to open with the Bathurst 12 Hour from February 11–14. GT World Challenge America is due to begin its next season at Sonoma Raceway from April 2–4.
For more racing coverage, see the 2027 Corvette Racing GTD PRO lineup and the FIA’s survey on the future of touring cars.
Sources and image credit
Primary reporting: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport release, October 11, 2026. Race organizer reference: Indianapolis 8 Hour results. Featured image: Maxime Martin, Mikaël Grenier and Michai Stephens with the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3, supplied by Mercedes-Benz Media for editorial press use; image and source page.