GT2: Without their Porsche, the Iron Dames show up in a pink Maserati; another Maserati forces a Mercedes to retire

After the first race at Monza, which was dominated by The Maserati vs. Mercedes-AMG Showdown, the second round of the GT2 European Series The race at Spa-Francorchamps confirmed one thing: the 2026 season is far from being smooth sailing. Between a Maserati sporting the Iron Dames’ new livery, two more podium finishes for Antoine Potty, and a collision that ended a Mercedes-AMG’s race prematurely, the Belgian weekend offered its fair share of twists and turns.

Antoine Potty confirms that Maserati is in the running for the title

Having already won at Monza in the season opener, Antoine Potty arrived at Spa determined to prove the excellent performance of the No. 6 Maserati GT2 entered by i4Race. Mission accomplished.

In the first race, the Belgian driver held his own for a long time against particularly strong competition before securing a solid second place overall, beaten only by the Ginetta G56 GT2 driven by Ethan Gialdini and Mikkel Njor. This performance was all the more remarkable given that the Maserati was the only car in the Maserati-Mercedes rivalry to be in contention for the win.

The next day, Antoine Potty did even better. After taking the lead in the Silver class, he found himself in a fierce battle for the overall victory against the KTM X-BOW GT2 driven by Simon Birch and Thomas Andersen. At the finish line, only 312 thousandths of a second separated the Maserati from the winner.

A victory even seemed possible right up until the very end. But a Mercedes-AMG GT2 that had slowed down on the track following a flat tire complicated the approach to the final chicane and prevented Potty from launching a decisive attack. With two consecutive second-place finishes, the Belgian has nonetheless made excellent progress in the championship.

The Iron Dames' pink Maserati turns heads

Beyond the race results, one of the weekend’s most memorable moments came from the Iron Dames pit. Without their usual Porsche—which was competing in another race that same weekend—Sarah Bovy and Laura Van den Hengel took the wheel of a Maserati GT2 sporting the women’s team’s famous pink livery. It was a combination that was as unexpected as it was visually striking.

This appearance also had symbolic significance. Maria Teresa De Filippis was the first woman in history to qualify for a Formula 1 Grand Prix, behind the wheel of a Maserati 250F in 1958.

Unfortunately, the results did not live up to the buzz the car had generated. In Race 1, an incident in the pit lane cost the team precious seconds. In Race 2, a collision with a Lamborghini jeopardized their chances of a strong finish, relegating them to the bottom of the standings.

A Maserati–Mercedes Showdown That Goes Wrong

While Monza had already set the tone, Spa confirmed the growing tension between Maserati and Mercedes-AMG. The proof came right from the first race. Philippe Prette, competing in the Masters class in the No. 1 Maserati GT2, found himself in a fierce battle for second place in his class. On the long Belgian straight, he made contact with a direct rival.

The Monegasque driver managed to stay in the race and ultimately finish second in the Masters class. His rival was much less fortunate. The No. 294 Mercedes-AMG GT2 driven by Ondrej Rokos and Petr Lisa retired after just six laps, despite having been among the frontrunners in the class. Footage from the weekend shows a heavily damaged Mercedes stranded on the side of the track, with its hood open and smoke billowing from the engine compartment. While not a decisive incident in the battle for victory, this retirement perfectly illustrates the intensity of the rivalry that now exists between the two manufacturers on the GT2 grid.

Maserati Is Still in the Running

Unlike at Monza, where Maserati and Mercedes had largely dominated the front of the pack, Spa saw other contenders emerge. Ginetta won the first race, while KTM took the win in the second. Nevertheless, Maserati leaves Belgium with a very positive result: two overall podium finishes thanks to Antoine Potty, a Silver class victory, two Masters class podium finishes for Philippe Prette, and a remarkable debut by the Iron Dames behind the wheel of the Trident’s GT2.

After Monza and Spa, one thing is clear: the Maserati GT2 is one of the top contenders in the 2026 field. And even though Ginetta and KTM have temporarily disrupted the anticipated head-to-head battle between Maserati and Mercedes-AMG, the rivalry between the two brands continues to unfold race after race.

The next race is in Misano, on Maserati’s home turf. This round could very well add a new dimension to the battle that’s already heating up the GT2 European Series championship.