The Spanish driver secured his first victory of the season at the wheel of GT Corse’s No. 14 Porsche, in a race marked by intense battles and a dramatic conclusion to the fight for second place. Miguel Lobo overtook Patrick Cunha virtually on the finish line, while Francisca Queiroz strengthened her lead in the Ladies Cup.
The Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica kicked off its fifth and penultimate round of the 2026 season with a race that lived up to every expectation of excitement and competitiveness at Circuito de Navarra. Over 12 laps, the Los Arcos circuit witnessed intense battles, moments of tension and a truly surprising finish, as Alejandro Barambio claimed his first victory of the season. The Spanish driver, who shares GT Corse’s No. 14 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup with Borja García, had started the day in the best possible way by securing pole position for the opening race.
He confirmed that pace on track, withstanding constant pressure from Patrick Cunha to take an important victory for the team’s championship ambitions. Barambio’s victory strengthened the No. 14 Porsche’s bid to secure the overall, Category 2 and Silver class titles ahead of schedule, objectives the Spanish team could achieve during Sunday’s action.
Patrick Cunha loses second place in the final metres
The race began with an incident that brought out the Safety Car in the opening stages. Flame Airikkala, driving AF Motorsport’s No. 67 Porsche, came to a halt before even reaching the first corner, unable to complete a single lap. The neutralisation was brief and, following the restart, Alejandro Barambio had to withstand repeated attacks from Patrick Cunha.
The Portuguese Veloso Motorsport driver, who had started from second position, stayed close to the leader for virtually the entire race, searching for an opportunity to challenge for victory. However, just as Cunha appeared set to finish second, a technical problem with the No. 8 Porsche compromised his performance on the final lap. The Portuguese driver lost speed and was overtaken by Miguel Lobo virtually on the finish line.
The gap between the two was just 25 thousandths of a second, with Miguel Lobo, driving RGB Racing Team’s No. 28 Porsche, securing an excellent second place, while Patrick Cunha had to settle for third after a race in which he had been the winner’s main challenger.
Intense midfield battles and a winning Category 1 debut
There was no shortage of excitement behind the leading trio either. Tomas Slootweg, of AF Motorsport, finished fourth after a race featuring several battles throughout the field. Asier Gorostiza, in the No. 15 Porsche, completed the top five, ahead of Henk Van Zoest of Skualo Competición, who finished sixth. Among those involved in the battles was Morten Stromsted, one of the new arrivals at the Navarra round.
The Danish driver, making his PSCI debut at the wheel of a 991.2- generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entered by Club Deportivo Plemar Sport, was involved in the fight for positions close to the top five. Contact during the race caused him to lose places, but Stromsted recovered to eighth overall, securing victory in Category 1 and marking both his own and his team’s championship debut with a win.
Kika Queiroz strengthens her Ladies Cup lead
Francisca “Kika” Queiroz was once again among the standout performers. The Portuguese LOB Motorsport driver delivered a consistent and effective race, finishing seventh overall and claiming another Ladies Cup victory. The result allowed her to extend her lead in the Cup standings, taking another important step towards defending her title. Meanwhile, Flame Airikkala endured a particularly unfortunate start to the racing action at Navarra, with her No. 67 Porsche coming to a halt immediately after the start, forcing her into an early retirement.
GT Corse’s #14 Porsche also dominated qualifying
Before the opening race, GT Corse had already delivered an outstanding performance across both qualifying sessions. Alejandro Barambio was fastest in Q1, setting a lap time of 1m47.111s to secure pole position for Race 1. The Spanish driver also recorded the fastest second-best lap of the session, earning the top grid position for Sunday’s Race 3. In Q2, Borja García confirmed the No. 14 Porsche’s excellent form by topping the timesheets with a lap of 1m46.530s.
The Spanish driver also secured pole position for Race 4 thanks to his second-fastest lap of the session. With all four pole positions of the weekend and victory in the opening race, the No. 14 Porsche further strengthened its status as one of the season’s leading contenders. Barambio’s triumph also brought the number of different race winners in the 2026 PSCI season to six: José Barros, Manuel Alves, Borja García, Álvaro Bajo, Jordi Fuset and now Alejandro Barambio.
A demonstration of the competitiveness of a season in which consistency and the ability to deliver top results have been crucial in the championship battles. The Navarra round continues on Sunday, 18 October, with three races that could prove decisive in settling titles ahead of schedule. Race 2 is scheduled for 08:30, followed by Race 3 at 15:10 and Race 4 at 15:45, all in local Spanish time.
With GT Corse moving ever closer to its objectives, the Ladies Cup still to be decided and several drivers showing the pace to fight for the leading positions, an intense conclusion is expected to the penultimate round of the 2026 Porsche Sprint Challenge Ibérica, ahead of the Cascais Weekend Grand Finale on 31 October and 1 November at the Autódromo do Estoril.