Marco Aguilera and Sandro Pérez, winners of the two GR Cup Spain 2026 races at Jarama Circuit

The GR Cup Spain, the single-make championship organized by Toyota España and Motor & Sport Institute (MSi), kicked off its 2026 season this weekend at the Circuito de Madrid Jarama-RACE, hosting two independent races on Saturday and Sunday as the first of six rounds on the 2026 calendar.

After Friday’s free practice sessions, the first qualifying session took place on Saturday, where Joan Vinyes Dabad claimed pole position ahead of Marco Aguilera (Nimo) and Antonio Albacete (Cumaca). The competition was extremely close, with the top six drivers covered by less than one second.

Race 1 (Saturday) – First Victory of the Year for Marco Aguilera

Thus began the first race of the weekend, with Joan Vinyes Dabad making the most of his pole position in the rolling start after the safety car. He held onto the lead in the opening stages, with Marco Aguilera (Nimo), Antonio Albacete (Cumaca) and Marcos de Diego (Comauto Sur) running close behind and applying pressure from the very first laps.


With 14 minutes remaining, the battle for victory became an exciting head-to-head fight between Joan Vinyes Dabad and Marco Aguilera, who made a move to take the lead. The leading quartet continued their intense battle, but Aguilera managed to open up a gap of a couple of seconds that proved decisive, securing the first win of the season.

Antonio Albacete pushed until the final lap but was unable to overtake Vinyes, who finished second. Albacete completed the podium in third place, with Marcos de Diego finishing fourth. The fastest lap* went to Marco Aguilera.

Race 2 (Sunday) – Sandro Pérez takes the win and debutant Miguel Ángel Romero claims a podium

On Sunday, Joan Vinyes Dabad once again secured pole position, ahead of Marco Aguilera (Nimo), with Sandro Pérez (Supra Gamboa) in third place. The qualifying session was red-flagged with more than nine minutes remaining following an accident involving Santiago Castilla (Motor Arjona). Although he was uninjured, the damage to his Toyota GR86 meant he was unable to start the race.

As a result, title contenders such as Antonio Albacete (Cumaca) and Marcos de Diego (Comauto Sur) had to start from the back of the grid after being unable to set competitive times in the early stages of qualifying.

In the race, Joan Vinyes Dabad held onto first place against the challenge from Marco Aguilera. After a strong start, Antonio Albacete and Marcos de Diego quickly gained positions to move closer to the podium places. Ignacio Rodríguez ran off track following a wheel-to-wheel battle with Antonio Albacete, who moved up to fifth position.

From that point on, the race delivered an exciting fight for the podium positions, with constant changes among the front runners. Sandro Pérez first overtook Marco Aguilera and later moved into the lead after passing Joan Vinyes Dabad. At the end of the main straight, Marco Aguilera — who would later receive a five-second penalty — made contact with the rear of Vinyes’ car, sending him into a spin. Vinyes lost all chances of fighting for the podium and eventually retired.

Aguilera later lost further positions, dropping behind Marcos de Diego and Antonio Albacete, who finished third and fourth respectively after a thrilling battle throughout the race. Second place was inherited by debutant Miguel Ángel Romero, securing his first podium of the season, while Sandro Pérez ultimately climbed to the top step of the podium. The fastest lap went to Sandro Pérez.

Following this opening round of the 2026 season, the overall standings already reflect the competitiveness of the GR Cup Spain. Marco Aguilera (Nimo) and Sandro Pérez (Supra Gamboa) are tied at the top of the championship with 41 points, while Antonio Albacete (Cumaca) and Marcos de Diego (Comauto Sur) sit just three points behind.

The next round of the GR Cup Spain will take place at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo in Valencia on April 11–12.