24 Hours of Dubai – Dubai Autodrome
Christian Mansell and the Team Motopark squad finished the day long Dubai Enduro P8 in the Pro-Am class, successfully bringing the car home despite some technical issues in the first half of the race.
Trying to capitalise on a strong start, the vehicle encountered an issue with the fuelling system, which affected several other teams.
Driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, Mansell and company got through 566 laps of the circuit before crossing the finish line in 28th outright.
The Grove Racing team also enjoyed a strong weekend behind the wheel.
Brenton and Stephen Grove, as well as Supercars driver Kai Allen, were able to secure P7 at the flag, while also encountering mechanical problems of their own.
Starting 16th on the grid after Qualifying (10th in class), the #4 Mercedes-AMG GT3 went through the first 20 hours of the race in good form, but eventually became unstuck.
For the last four hours of the session, the team was limited to gears three, four and five. The drivers remained composed and were able to get the car all the way to the finish line inside the top 10 after 597 laps.
The 24 Hours of Dubai was the third and final round of the Michelin 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy.
Dakar Rally – Dakar
Toby Price has made history by tallying the best-ever cars result by an Australian at the iconic Dakar Rally.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing vehicles had to settle for the final three spots in the top 10, with Price finishing eighth at 52 minutes off the winner’s pace.
A two-time motorcycle winner at Dakar, Price joined Armand Monleón on the Dakar Rally together for the first time. The pair showed pace and consistency in their #204 DKR GR Hilux as Price reached his event goal of a top 10 finish.
Despite his teammates challenging for overall honours early on and battling tyre issues throughout several stages, Price ended up being the leading factory Toyota for the event.
Bike competitor Luciano Benavides edged out Ricky Brabec by two seconds to win the overall event, the narrowest margin in the history of the rally and decided on a navigation error seven kilometres from the line.
The battle for four-wheel honours ended with Nasser Al-Attiyah cruising to his sixth Dakar Rally victory.
Formula Regional Oceania Trophy – Taupo
Formula 3 driver James Wharton has taken a major step forward in his Formula Regional Oceania Trophy campaign, claiming his first win of the series and the year during Round 2 of the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy in Taupo, New Zealand.
Wharton began the weekend with a sixth-place effort, meanwhile Jack Taylor closed out Race 1 in 15th after an early retirement from action last weekend in Round 1.
Beginning P3 for Race 2, Wharton sailed to his first win of 2026 while engaging in tyre saving preparation for the third race of the weekend. Taylor, who started Race 2 in 15th, rose three positions to finish the session in 12th.
Wharton then added a top five result in the third race of the round, as Taylor finished 15th again for a second time in Round 2.
Taylor proved to be master of the wet conditions in qualifying for the Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy feature race to secure pole position for Race 4. Taylor finished the session in sixth to end the weekend on a positive note, while Wharton closed out the round with a 16th.
Wharton now sits ninth in the Drivers’ Standings with 113 points. Taylor’s 47 points has him 16th overall. Round 3 will be held this coming weekend in Invercargill at Teretonga Park.
GT4 Winter Series – Portimão
Jayden Kelly returned to winning ways in Portugal, securing his first P1 of 2026 at the opening round of the GT4 Winter Series.
Kelly took home the win in the second of three race sessions at Portimao by more than six seconds following a flawless drive.
The Australian clocked the third-quickest lap in Qualifying with a 2:03.804 time to line up on the second row in Race 2.
Kelly and Greystone GT teammate Hugo Bac managed to finish fourth in Race 3, 19 seconds off the race win pace to conclude the round’s proceedings.
The second round runs from 22-25 January in the Portuguese town of Estoril at the Autódromo Fernanda Pires da Silva.
Formula Regional Middle East Trophy – Yas Marina
2025 GB3 Champion Alex Ninovic was back in the driver’s seat competing for the first time in 2026 to commence his Formula Regional Middle East Trophy campaign at Yas Marina Circuit.
Ninovic got the year underway with a P8 and P2 in each of the respective qualifying sessions.
Ninovic kept the momentum going by crossing the finish line in seventh after 17 laps in Race 1.
The Rodin Motorsport driver then notched up his first podium of the year, taking the top step of the podium in Race 2. Soon after, Ninovic obtained a P12 in Race 3.
A four-round series, drivers return to Yas Marina Circuit for Round 2 from 23-25 January for three more race sessions.
