It’s finally time to kick off the first live Gran Turismo event of 2026!
The GT World Series makes its Italian debut this weekend at the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber, a beautiful historic theater in the center of Milan, with the Manufacturers Cup and Nations Cup running back-to-back on Saturday.
It’s a later start to the season than anyone expected after the original opener in Abu Dhabi was cancelled back in March, but the wait is finally over. If you need to get up to speed on the field and the format, our Round 1 preview has you covered. Otherwise, the live stream links and reward campaign details are below.
Manufacturers Cup — 15:00 UTC
The Manufacturers Cup starts the weekend off at 15:00 UTC.
BMW topped qualifying for the second straight year, but the more interesting storyline is around them.
Audi qualified second after failing to make the field at all in 2025, with offseason transfer Kylian Drumont arriving from Subaru. Defending champions Porsche have Jose Serrano back in the Manufacturers seat. Ferrari brings German debutant Maximilian Kroll, who set the all-time single-round qualifying record on his way onto the team, and Subaru introduces Callum Moxon, one of very few top-flight GT7 players who races on a controller rather than a wheel.
With each manufacturer fielding only its EMEA representative in Milan, this is a different-looking grid from anything we saw in 2025.
Nations Cup — 17:30 UTC
The main event follows at 17:30 UTC.
Serrano arrives as the most dominant defending champion the series has seen in some time, having swept the Fukuoka World Final last year on his way to a Nations and Manufacturers double (only the second driver ever to manage that). He’s also one of three seeded entries for 2026, alongside two-time champion Takuma Miyazono and Pol Urra.
If anyone is going to break the Spanish stranglehold, it’ll come from a familiar group. Urra was the only driver who could consistently match Serrano’s race pace in 2025, and the EMEA qualifying contingent of Drumont, Valerio Gallo, Kaj de Bruin, and newcomer Samuel Moreno is arguably the strongest regional group on the grid.
Four of the Nations Cup field will also be racing earlier in the day in Manufacturers, so endurance is part of the equation too.
“Predict the Winners” Campaign
Don’t forget: Polyphony’s Predict the Winners campaign is still open. Players can submit a pick for the Manufacturers Cup and Nations Cup winners from the “Winners Campaign” banner in the top-right corner of the GT7 World Map, and each correct prediction is worth 1,000,000 in-game credits, up to 2,000,000 Cr. for getting both right.
Entries for each cup close when the corresponding race starts, so Manufacturers picks need to be locked in before 15:00 UTC and Nations picks before 17:30 UTC. Rewards will be distributed on Monday, May 25, and will be claimable from the Gifts tab in the Garage for a limited time only. The full driver profiles are on the official site if you want a refresher before submitting.
Stealth Cars for Tuning In
Even if you don’t watch the event live, be sure to load the race broadcasts in GT7 to receive the two limited-edition Stealth Models Polyphony has tied to the broadcast.
Watching the Manufacturers Cup stream through the in-game broadcast link nets you a Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) ’22 Stealth Model, and watching the Nations Cup stream gets you a Toyota GT-One (TS020) ’99 Stealth Model. Both wear Stealth black livery and are not (and will not) be available for purchase anywhere else in the game.
To collect them, find the Viewers Campaign banner in the top-right corner of the GT7 World Map, click into the Manufacturers Cup or Nations Cup broadcast link, and watch live. The qualifying window runs through Monday, June 8, with rewards distributed after the next GT7 update. If you miss the broadcast window, that’s it. The Stealth Model badge has historically marked some of the rarest cars in the series and these two are no exception.
Join the Discussion
If you’re watching along on Saturday, drop into the GTPlanet forums for live discussion during both broadcasts. Whether you’re tracking your Predict the Winners picks, comparing Stealth Model collection notes, or just enjoying the racing, that’s where the rest of the community will be. See you there!
See more articles on Gran Turismo World Series.
