Brendon Leitch and Sergio Pires have become the first drivers to confirm their GT World Challenge Australia entry for 2026.
Leitch will join Pires at Tigani Motorsport in the Geyer Valmont Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
The news comes after winning the Gulf 12 Hours Pro-Am class alongside Tigani Motorsport regulars Jayden Ojeda and Marcel Zalloua in the team’s first race outside of Australia.
It marks a full-time return to GT World Challenge Australia for Leitch, who suspended his 2025 program after the sudden and tragic passing of his teammate Tim Miles.
In the wake of Miles’ passing, Tigani Motorsport made its intentions clear: Leitch was a driver it wanted on its roster.
“It was actually the Sandown weekend after Tim sadly died that Nathan Tigani (team principal) and Matt Harvey (technical director) said they were interested in meeting,” said Leitch
“They said they were pretty impressed with how Tim and I had gone to that point, and made it clear that I’d made their life a bit hard for them,” Leitch laughed.
“It was very reassuring to have Nathan and Matt show that much interest in having me on board so early on. I’m big on loyalty, and because they were so committed to me from the outset, I wanted to commit myself to them too.
“I’m really looking forward to working closely with Sergio and the Tigani team. We’ve started that relationship off the best way possible by winning our class at the Gulf 12 Hours. That’s a statement of intent.
“I’ve got unfinished business in Australia. I know that with the Tigani crew, Sergio and I can be race winners and vying for that championship come Adelaide.”
Pires this year moved from an Audi R8 LMS GT3 into a Mercedes-AMG GT3, but had his 2025 season cut short by a knee injury that required surgery.
The Sydneysider said he is looking forward to the new season.
“I’m super excited to team up with Brendon for the season next year with the Tigani Motorsport, who I know and love,” said Pires.
“We kicked off our racing relationship in the best way possible with a huge win in Abu Dhabi, and I think a championship win is a realistic target for us next year.
“Brendon is a world-class driver and, most importantly, a good bloke. I will be working hard to hold up my end of the bargain.”
Tigani Motorsport team principal Nathan Tigani said Leitch brings a wealth of experience and versatility to the team.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing what Brendon will bring to the team. We got a glimpse of it at Abu Dhabi, helping us to win our class at the Gulf 12 Hours,” said Tigani.
“It was impressive how quickly he was able to get up to speed in the Mercedes-AMG, which should come as no surprise considering how many different cars he has driven over the past two or three years.
“I firmly believe that other teams should be looking at Brendon and Sergio as a serious threat for the title next year. I know I can’t want for the first round at Phillip Island.”
Tigani Motorsport technical director Matt Harvey added, “I’ve been following Brendon’s progress since he first joined Liepert Motorsport in European GT.
“He’s gone on to hold his own and even outperform some of the best in Europe, USA and Asia and for us to have customers who instantly recognised his value made the decision seamless.”
The 2026 GT World Challenge Australia season begins on March 27-29 at Phillip Island as part of the Shannons SpeedSeries program.
Header Image: Supplied
