Marco Giltrap has opened his 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season with a promising round result at Shanghai International Circuit, leaving China third in the championship standings after a weekend that mixed adversity with genuine pace.
Competing as part of the Chinese Grand Prix support programme, Giltrap piloted the #66 Giltrap Group Team Porsche New Zealand entry across two races at one of Asia’s most demanding circuits. The Shanghai weekend also marked his first competitive outing in the newly introduced Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992.2) — the latest evolution of Porsche’s iconic racing car — adding an additional layer of development to an already high-stakes campaign opener.
“A lot of preparation went on behind the scenes from both myself and the team to get the car ready for the first round. Personally, I spent a lot of time on the simulator in the lead-up to the event, just trying to be as sharp and prepared as possible when we arrived in Shanghai.”
Giltrap qualified eighth overall — seventh in the Pro class — to secure a competitive grid position for both races.
Race 1 – Cancelled at the Start
Race 1 was not without promise. Giltrap launched well, moving up to fifth position by Turn 1, before a major start-line incident caused significant barrier damage and brought an early end to proceedings. With the race unable to be restarted, officials awarded half points based on qualifying positions.
“It was disappointing not to get the chance to race again after the start, because we had a really strong launch and moved up to fifth by Turn 1. The car felt good in those opening corners and it looked like we had the potential to move forward from there.”
Race 2 – Points and Progress
Race 2 proved a more complete showcase of Giltrap’s ability. Starting sixth in the Pro class, he made immediate progress — advancing to fourth in the early stages and remaining in close contact with the leading group throughout. He ultimately crossed the line fourth overall, a strong recovery result that underlined both his race craft and the pace of the Team Porsche New Zealand package.
“We had another good start and gained a position straight away, then managed to pick up another spot later in the race. We probably lacked a little bit of outright pace compared to the front runners, but we stayed in the fight the whole time and it was good to come away with a strong result. There are definitely positives to take and we will keep building from here.”
First Impressions of the New 992.2
Shanghai also gave Giltrap his first extended running in the new-generation 911 GT3 Cup, and the feedback was encouraging.
“Overall the new car feels quite similar to the previous model, but there are some noticeable improvements. The front-end grip is definitely stronger with the aero updates, which gives you more confidence on turn-in. We are still learning how to get the most out of it and how to tune the setup around those changes.”
After two rounds of racing in Shanghai, Giltrap sits third in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship — a strong early-season platform as the series heads to Zhuhai International Circuit for Rounds 3 and 4 on 11–12 April.
