Verstappen Sim Racing and Bleu Mercure Esport Triumph at Watkins Glen in IMSA Esports

Round 3 of the 2026 IMSA Esports Global Championship brought multi-class sim racing action to Watkins Glen International. The two-hour and 40-minute contest on the track's Boot layout proved to be a strategic masterclass, with both class victors charging from third on their respective starting grids.

In the premier GTP category, the No. 33 Verstappen Sim Racing BMW shared by Enzo Bonito and Sam Kuitert secured overall victory. The entry benefited from disciplined pit stop cycles and clean track position, executing shorter stops after saving fuel earlier in the race. While the pole-sitting Grid-and-Go.com eSports entries paced the early proceedings, the No. 8 car was sidelined from contention due to computer disconnect issues for Jake Denehan, forcing co-driver Sean Campbell back into the seat and dropping the team three laps down. Isaac Phelps and Darius Andrei took second in the No. 7 Grid-and-Go.com Aston Martin, finishing 5.143 seconds behind the winners, while Edoardo Leo and Chris Lulham completed the GTP podium for BMW M Verstappen Sim Racing.

Bleu Mercure Esport made history in the GTD class by securing the first repeat win of the campaign. Drivers Vasilios Beletsiotis and Thibaud Prevot guided the No. 132 Porsche to the top step after spending the opening stint conserving fuel in the slipstream of the No. 196 BS+TURNER BMW. Although intense traffic and late fuel-saving allowed the No. 171 BMW M Team MOUZ BMW of Maximilian Benecke and Moritz Löhner to close within a second by the chequered flag, Prevot managed the margin to seal the win. Daniel Lafuente and Oskari Rinne brought the No. 196 home in third.

Following three rounds of the championship, Bleu Mercure Esport sits atop both classifications. Their No. 31 Acura squad leads the GTP standings with 990 points despite serving a drive-through penalty for contact at Watkins Glen, while the No. 132 Porsche commands the GTD title race on 1048 points.