This weekend, Brendon Leitch will return to the scene of his first GT World Challenge Australia win with a new team, a new co-driver, and a new car.
Leitch made an emphatic debut in 2024 at Phillip Island, winning just his second race in Australia with his then-Melbourne Performance Centre teammate Tim Miles.
Leitch and Miles began the 2025 season with a podium at the island, and the Sydney-based Invercargill-born driver hopes he can continue that form into 2026.
After the tragic death of Leitch’s co-driver Miles midway through last year, the 30-year-old sat out the second half of the GT World Challenge Australia season. The March 27-29 meeting will be Leitch’s first start in the series since then.
This weekend, Leitch will join Tigani Motorsport in the No.44 Mercedes-AMG with experienced co-driver Sergio Pires under the Geyer Valmont Racing banner.
“This feels like a long time coming,” said Leitch.
“It was pretty humbling when Nathan Tigani and Matthew Harvey approached me last year and said that they wanted me to be part of Tigani Motorsport.
“We’ve already tasted some success in the Gulf 12 Hours with our Pro-Am class win at Abu Dhabi, and that win was up against some of the world’s best GT teams.
“The level in GT World Challenge Australia is incredibly high, and that shows with the number of Supercars drivers that have entered this year.
“This really is the best opportunity I’ve ever had to win a GT3 championship. We’ve got all the right ingredients with the team, my co-driver Sergio, and the car to take out the Pro-Am title.
“It’s always about execution. We know we’ve got the speed, but even on the days when we’re not the fastest, we just need to be there or thereabouts.”
This year’s GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS season will feature six rounds, beginning at Phillip Island and concluding on the streets of Adelaide.
The series will also visit The Bend Motorsport Park, Queensland Raceway, Hidden Valley Raceway, and Sydney Motorsport Park.
Two of those circuits will be new to Leitch. The first is Hidden Valley, which joins the calendar for the first time. The other is Adelaide, which makes its return for the first time since 2023.
“Finishing the season in Adelaide is going to be pretty sick. I’ve been cutting laps on iRacing ever since it got added, and the commitment needed through Turn 8 is next level,” said Leitch.
“Darwin will be wicked too. The track looks like it’s a bit of a balancing act with such a long straight and some really high-speed and high-commitment corners.”
Round 1 of GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS at Phillip Island takes place on March 27-29.
Header Image: Brock Baldwin Photography
