Rolex 24 At Daytona 2026: Mercedes-AMG announces its line-up for endurance classic

 The 64th edition of the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona will take place on 24 and 25 January 2026. The endurance classic at the Daytona International Speedway traditionally marks the start of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Mercedes-AMG will be represented with five Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GTD Pro and GTD classes. For the performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach, this marks the start of another title defence mission – with the chance of a hat-trick after championship successes in 2024 and 2025.

Mercedes-AMG is entering the 24-hour race with a strong line-up

Four Customer Racing Teams are fielding a total of five Mercedes-AMG GT3 – three of them in the GTD Pro class and two in the GTD category. Team 75 Express, led by Kenny Habul, is already contesting its seventh outing in the endurance classic. Winward Racing has been a regular competitor in the 24 Hours of Daytona since 2021. In 2026, the team will field two cars for the first time. Lone Star Racing is making its third consecutive start. Following its successful IMSA debut last year, which saw the team finish fifth in the GTD Pro class, GetSpeed is competing at Daytona International Speedway for the second time. With Indy Dontje (NED), Philip Ellis (SUI), Maro Engel (GER), Jules Gounon (AND) and Russell Ward (USA), five of the 20 drivers in this year's Mercedes-AMG line-up have already won the Rolex 24 At Daytona. For 19-year-old Lin Hodenius (NED), this is his first time competing in the prestigious race.

The race will start on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 7:35 p.m. CET (1:35 p.m. local time). Points for the championship will be awarded after 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours. The starting positions will be determined in qualifying on Thursday, January 22. The traditional three-day “Roar Before The Rolex 24” test will take place one week before the race, from January 16 to 18. Due to a scheduling conflict between this test and the 24-hour race in Dubai, Maro Engel, Jules Gounon, and Luca Stolz will not be able to participate. The three Mercedes-AMG Performance drivers will therefore compete in two endurance races on two consecutive weekends.

“The Rolex 24 At Daytona is an absolute highlight at the start of the new racing calendar. Our Customer Racing Teams are entering the race with strong line-ups in the GTD Pro and GTD classes. We have shown in recent years that the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is absolutely competitive at the Daytona International Speedway. Our goal is clear: we want to compete for victory again in the 24-hour race and also play a leading role in the IMSA championship in 2026. The chance of a hat-trick gives us additional motivation.”

Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing

“The 24-hour race at Daytona is always a highlight. A rule change adds to the excitement: from 2026, all bronze drivers in the GTD Pro class will have to complete the same stint time as in the GTD class – a total of four and a half hours. Our line-up in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #48 is very motivated, and I think we have a realistic chance of competing for victory in the GTD Pro class. The test in November was particularly important for me personally, as I will miss the Roar Before The Rolex 24 due to a scheduling conflict with the 24-hour race in Dubai."

Luca Stolz, Winward Racing #48

"A new Michelin tyre will be used in the 2026 IMSA season, which definitely feels different to drive and requires corresponding adjustments to the setup. But we are strong in all positions at Winward Racing and will quickly adapt to this. That's why we are heading to Daytona with a lot of confidence. Another victory in the 24-hour race would of course be great, but our goal is to be competitive throughout the season and win the IMSA championship for the third time. I believe that we are considered the ones to beat to a certain extent and that the competition will be watching closely to see how we approach the whole thing, especially strategically." 

Philip Ellis, Winward Racing #57

"The Rolex 24 At Daytona is something very special. I won the race in 2023 and received the winner's watch. It's an extraordinary feeling to own something that you can only earn by winning this race. Daytona is my second 24-hour race in two weeks. I'm very happy with our line-up. We drivers and the team know each other very well, which is extremely helpful. The key will be to get the car through the first 23 hours without contact or incidents. Experience shows that a lot happens in the last hour, with several safety car phases, and that's often when the chances of victory open up."

Jules Gounon, Bartone Bros with GetSpeed #69

"Daytona is one of the most difficult and exciting races on the calendar. The ‘American way of racing’, with its many yellow flag phases and special handling, means that the field always stays close together. Even cars that are several laps behind can return to the leading lap during the yellow flag phases. In the end, it's often a real sprint that decides the winner. I'm proud to have won this race twice with Mercedes-AMG. In 2026, I'll be competing in the endurance classic for the eighth time, and the goal remains the same: we want to fight for victory. To do that, you need a consistent car, a team that has mastered the set-up and strategy, and a driver quartet who remain flawless until the very end."

Maro Engel, 75 Express #75

"This will be my first race at the International Speedway in Daytona, and I am very excited about it. After Le Mans 2025, this will be only my second 24-hour race ever. An endurance race like this is an enormous physical and mental challenge for any driver. That's why I'm going to prepare myself optimally with intensive simulator sessions and a clear plan for hydration and nutrition – even though I always attach great importance to that anyway."

Lin Hodenius, Lone Star Racing #80