Verstappen Sim Racing handed IMSA Esports win
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← Esports • News26 October 2026 — 3 minute read
By Ewan O'Leary
As the IMSA Esports Global Championship headed to Watkins Glen for its third round of five, both GTP and GTD championships were becoming two-horse races. Bleu Mercure Esport had the lead in both, heading Grid and Go-backed efforts by 13 and 23 points, respectively.
In GTP, Grid and Go were really able to take it to them in Qualifying, as Issac Phelps set the best time in his Aston Martin Valkyrie, while Daniel Lafuente took GTD pole for BS+ Turner. Both class leaders held their lead on a relatively clean start – only Maniti Racing in GTP went off on the front straight.
The first big moment of contact came after five minutes for the GTP championship leaders, as BME hit BS+ Competition going into the Bus Stop, effectively ending the latter’s race. Meanwhile, Bleu Mercure’s rivals Grid and Go were crafting a strategy that saw them stop first after 37 minutes, allowing the #8 (2nd in points) to jump into the lead.
BME also briefly led in GTD, though BS+ regained it before their first stops, where the lead remained unchanged. At half distance, Grid and Go made their second stops where they held on to their one-two, just ahead of BME and Verstappen Sim Racing, who lurked in fourth.
Not long after, the window for GTD’s final stops was open, a cycle started by championship leaders Bleu Mercure. This allowed them to take the lead by four seconds, ahead of MOUZ , who got into second place, and polesitter BS+, in third.
GTD would also have a role in the GTP race, as Bleu Mercure’s GTP edged a BMW off the road at the final turn, sending them into the wall. As a result, they’d receive an extremely costly drive-through penalty with 39 minutes to go. #8 would make its final stop just after, and once VSR made their stop with 35 minutes to go, they were second and chasing Jake Denehan in the leading Aston Martin.
But just five minutes later, disaster struck for the leaders. Denehan seemed to disconnect from the session, allowing VSR to make their easiest-ever pass with less than half an hour to hold on.
They would make no mistake, taking the opportunity to win by five seconds in the end, while behind, BME were really put under pressure by MOUZ in the final laps. Moritz Lohner got to within a second, but fell short, as the championship leaders extended their advantage.
Their lead is up to 174 points now with just two rounds to go, while their teammates in GTP hold a 113-point lead. Bleu Mercure Esport are in a brilliant position in both classes now, but they’ll still have to close it out at Laguna Seca in a fortnight, and at the endurance finale at Daytona.
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