A massive grid, tight qualifying sessions and dramatic race moments set the tone for the 2025/26 season
The SIMGEAR GT Masters kicked off at the legendary Suzuka Circuit under sunny skies and mild temperatures — perfect conditions for the opening round. A total of 53 drivers from ten countries took part: 36 in GT3 split into PRO, PRO-AM and AM, and 17 GT4 competitors forming a unified class.
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GT4 Qualifying: Hungarian shock at the front
Qualifying in GT4 delivered the first major surprise of the weekend. The two Hungarian drivers from VGTR eSports powered by Hiperspec locked out the front row.
Hunor Horchy took pole with a 2:09.100 in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, followed closely by teammate Daniel Sztrucska, who stopped the clock at 2:09.694 in the Ford Mustang GT4.
Last year’s champion Martin Yankov completed the top three with a 2:09.784 in the BMW M4 G82 GT4 Evo.
GT3 AM & PRO-AM Qualifying: 25 cars fighting for track space
The combined GT3 AM and PRO-AM qualifying session was extremely congested, with 25 cars on track at the same time — creating one of the most intense sessions in recent SIMGEAR history.
In GT3 AM, debutant Hristo Sarkizov (Spark) clinched the top time with 1:58.967, followed by Valentin Stamenkov with 1:59.518 and Animir Georgiev (Spark) with 1:59.570.
In GT3 PRO-AM, championship newcomer Ture Molarin stunned the field with a 1:58.222.
Juliyan Genovski (Negative Delta SRT) came within a tenth with 1:58.308, while Ivan Borimechkov (Negative Delta by iPredicter) secured third in class with 1:58.574.
GT3 PRO Qualifying: Pole position in the final seconds
The PRO class produced one of the most dramatic qualifying finales.
Gabriel Ivanov (Negative Delta by Madness) snatched pole in the final seconds with a 1:57.171, just ahead of FP1 pace-setter Yoan Neshev with 1:57.220.
Third place went to Ventsislav Raychinov, who posted a 1:57.388.
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SIMGEAR GT Masters | Fastest FP GT3 Lap – Velin Vitanov | Suzuka Round 1 #onboard #gt3 #mercedes #suzuka #iracing #bestlap #iracingofficial #negativedelta
Race Start: False start in GT3 and early chaos in GT4
At lights out, pole-sitter Gabriel Ivanov jumped the start, while the rest of the GT3 field launched cleanly with only minor incidents in the back of the pack.
In GT4, the battle began immediately as both VGTR drivers held the lead through Turn 1.
GT3: Strategy drama, fuel issues and a late fight for the podium
Race leader Ivanov encountered more trouble early on, adopting a risky fuel strategy that backfired. Running dry in the final sector, he was forced to coast back to the pits, rejoining P11 and handing the lead to Ventsislav Raychinov, followed by Yoan Neshev and Ivaylo Boychev.
As the pit cycles unfolded, Yoan Neshev emerged as the new race leader, chased by Nikolas Stanev and Velin Vitanov.
The final lap delivered an intense fight between Raychinov and Stanev for third place. After contact, Raychinov crossed the line ahead, while Stanev — carrying accumulated incident points — received a post-race penalty and dropped further down the order.
Final GT3 Overall Top 3:
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Yoan Neshev
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Velin Vitanov
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Ventsislav Raychinov
In GT3 PRO-AM, the win and fifth place overall went to Ture Molarin (Sweden), followed by Juliyan Genovski and Ivan Marinov.
In GT3 AM, victory went to Jack Tolchard (United Kingdom), with Lyubomir Velkov (SL Racing) second and Stanislav Naydenov (SLANK) third.
GT4: Intense battles, leadership changes and a dramatic finish
The GT4 class saw multiple lead changes, especially around the 50-minute mark.
Dylan Stebler (Maffi Racing) led early before pitting, handing the lead to teammate Kevin Aebi.
Shortly after, Martin Yankov launched his attack and forced his way back into contention.
A chaotic final phase ended with:
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Martin Yankov
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Dylan Stebler
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Florentin Hattemer (Switzerland)
Next Round: Watkins Glen, 30 November
The championship continues on 30 November at the fast and flowing Watkins Glen International, promising another intense chapter in the SIMGEAR GT Masters season.
