Glorious sunshine, a pleasant temperature of 23 degrees Celsius and light winds provided almost perfect conditions for the first major competitive showdown of the Cascais Weekend Grand Finale, the event bringing the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica season to a close.
The historic Autódromo do Estoril welcomed an expanded grid of 15 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, bringing together established drivers, eagerly awaited returnees and newcomers determined to make their mark. And from the very first timed laps, one name stood out above all others: Manuel Alves.
Manuel Alves returns to dominate
The Portuguese driver, at the wheel of LOB Motorsport's #68 Porsche, left no doubt about his intentions. He began by dominating both qualifying sessions, securing both pole positions and confirming that, despite not contesting the full season, he remains one of the leading competitive forces in Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica. In the first session, Manuel Alves set a time of 1m38.653s, securing the coveted pole position for the opening race of the Grand Finale. Alongside him on the front row was one of the weekend's biggest revelations: Argentina's Genaro Trappa, making his championship debut in GT Corse's #27 Porsche.
Having already shown impressive pace in free practice, the young South American confirmed his potential by qualifying on the front row. The second row featured Duarte Camelo in LOB Motorsport's #19 Porsche and Miguel Lobo in RGB Racing Team's #28 Porsche, while Francisca “Kika” Queiroz in LOB Motorsport's #95 Porsche and Tomas Slootweg in AF Motorsport's #22 Porsche occupied the third row of a grid distinguished by the quality and diversity of its competitors.
A commanding victory from start to finish
When the lights went out for the opening 20-minute-plus-one-lap race, Manuel Alves made a flawless start and immediately took control. Genaro Trappa, by contrast, was unable to capitalise on his excellent grid position and lost several places in the opening metres, allowing Miguel Lobo to move into second. At the front, Manuel Alves set a blistering pace. Lap after lap, the Portuguese driver built a lead that exceeded six seconds during the first half of the race, demonstrating his clear superiority.
Behind the leader, the battle was a very different story. Miguel Lobo worked to defend second place against the recovering Genaro Trappa, while Borja García Menéndez, already crowned champion for the season, made an impressive charge through the field in GT Corse's #14 Porsche. The race, however, would ultimately be divided into two distinct phases. An off-track excursion by Tomas Slootweg left his #22 Porsche stranded in the gravel, prompting the deployment of the Safety Car and wiping out the advantage Manuel Alves had built. The intervention continued until the closing moments of the scheduled 20 minutes, leaving the drivers just three laps to settle their battles. At the restart, Manuel Alves was once again faultless.
He defended the lead with authority, gave his rivals no opportunity to challenge and crossed the finish line as the undisputed winner. It was an outright victory, accompanied by wins in Category 2 and the Silver Class, to which he added the fastest lap of the race, a 1m39.430s. It was a commanding display from a driver who returned to the championship determined to make the Grand Finale one of the highlights of his season.
Genaro Trappa impresses on debut as Miguel Lobo claims Bronze victory
The battle for the remaining podium positions delivered excitement right up to the chequered flag. After recovering the places lost at the start, Genaro Trappa confirmed the excellent pace he had shown since free practice. The young Argentine prevailed in the fight for second place and completed his first Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica race just 2.125 seconds behind the winner. Miguel Lobo completed the overall podium in RGB Racing Team's #28 Porsche, simultaneously securing an important Bronze Class victory.
Duarte Camelo took fourth place in LOB Motorsport's #19 Porsche, while Diego Carrascal Vega, in the #15 Porsche, completed the top five. One of the most significant developments of the day came after the chequered flag. Borja García Menéndez, driving GT Corse's #14 Porsche, had crossed the finish line in third place overall following a race marked by an impressive recovery drive.
However, the Spanish driver received three penalties for repeated track limits infringements, adding a total of 70 seconds to his race time and dropping the already-crowned champion to 13th place. The official classification therefore placed Manuel Alves, Genaro Trappa and Miguel Lobo in the top three positions, followed by Duarte Camelo and Diego Carrascal Vega.
Kika Queiroz wins the opening Ladies Cup battle
The fight for the Ladies Cup, one of the titles still to be decided at this Grand Finale, began with a particularly intense contest. Francisca “Kika” Queiroz, driving LOB Motorsport's #95 Porsche, delivered a highly consistent performance, resisting pressure from Flame Airikkala in AF Motorsport's #67 Porsche to claim victory among the female drivers. The Portuguese driver finished sixth overall, immediately ahead of her Finnish rival, who crossed the line in seventh place, just 0.781 seconds behind.
In the GD Class, Kevin King marked his return to Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica with a convincing victory at the wheel of NACentE Racing's #4 Porsche. He finished a creditable tenth overall, ahead of Pedro Martins in the #96 Porsche and Filipe Carvalho in the #23 Porsche. Away from the track, the Cascais Weekend Grand Finale also demonstrated the special atmosphere that characterises this season-ending event.
Large numbers of spectators, motorsport enthusiasts and Porsche owners helped create a genuine celebration, bringing fans closer to the teams, drivers and racing machines at the heart of the championship. With excellent weather conditions and an enthusiastic atmosphere, Saturday offered a taste of what promises to be an even busier Sunday, when the Autódromo do Estoril hosts the final three races of the season. Race 2 will get underway at 11:20, followed by the final two contests at 14:30 and 15:10.