Gran Turismo World Series 2026 heads to Abu Dhabi for opening round

The Gran Turismo World Series has announced that the opening round of the 2026 season will take place in Abu Dhabi.

Taking place at the Space42 Arena, 24 drivers will compete in the Nations Cup and the Manufacturers Cup to begin the four-round championship running throughout the year.

The first event taking place in Abu Dhabi coincides with the addition of the Yas Marina Circuit as part of Gran Turismo 7’s recent Spec III update. The Manufacturers Cup will see drivers represent the highest-ranked manufacturers from online qualifiers alongside Toyota and Mazda, the championship’s official partners.

One driver from each manufacturer will compete in each race. For round one, the top-ranked competitors from the Americas will compete for a chance to earn World Series Points.

The Nations Cup involves the top three players from 2025’s Gran Turismo World Series points standings, and the nine fastest drivers from this year’s online qualifiers. Four drivers from EMEA will earn a place, along with two from Central and South America. North America, Asia, and Oceania will have one driver representing their respective region.

Unlike other sim racing titles, the Gran Turismo World Series offers drivers opportunities to represent some of the largest car manufacturers in the world. Last year’s event saw Spanish driver José Serrano lift the Nations Cup, while Porsche won the Manufacturers Cup. Notably, the World Series doesn’t offer a monetary prize pool.

Launched in 2018, the event has seen some of its drivers transfer their skills into real-world motorsport. 2018’s Nations Cup champion Igor Fraga scored his first victory in the Japanese single-seater series, Super Formula.

Fraga isn’t the only sim racer to move from the virtual racetrack to the real thing. March 2025 saw four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen launch his own racing team, recruiting British sim racer Chris Lulham as one of the team’s three drivers.