FUKUOKA, Japan — The long road that defines every Gran Turismo World Series season reached its conclusion this weekend along the Hakata waterfront at the World Finals. For one decisive stretch in Fukuoka, the abstractions of points tables and regional qualifiers fell away, replaced by something far more elemental. What remained was the purest expression of competition—speed measured under pressure, execution without margin, and performance delivered precisely when it mattered most.

The International Congress Center Fukuoka was reimagined as a purpose-built Esports arena. Twelve of the world’s finest Gran Turismo drivers took their places, knowing that this was it, there were no second chances left.

With the echoes of a dramatic Manufacturers Cup finale where Porsche became the first non-Japanese manufacturer to win the championship, attention turned to the Nations Cup. This championship pit driver versus driver, nation versus nation, featuring the top three finishers from the 2024 Series alongside the highest-ranked qualifiers from each global Region. After three fiercely contested rounds, Spain’s Jose Serrano arrived in Fukuoka carrying a commanding advantage with 17 total points, but history has shown that leads are fragile things when going into the World Finals when so many more points are in play.

The Nations Cup World Finals was structured around three races: two preliminary races where championship points were awarded and the grid order progressively set. Race 1 determined the starting order for Race 2, while the results of Race 2 established the grid for the Grand Final, ensuring that every lap carried consequence. Double points were awarded for the first two races and another double for the Grand Final, so it was still anyone’s championship to win…or lose.

As the capacity crowd buzzed with anticipation, the arena was virtually transported to Belgium and the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. There, the drivers strapped themselves into an eclectic mix of prototype Le Mans machinery—machines drawn from past and present, alongside a pair of them existing only in the digital realm—setting the stage for a Nations Cup showdown that blended motorsport history with Gran Turismo’s unique vision of the future.

Race 1: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, 8 Laps

With no pitstops required, the sprint format demanded commitment from the opening lap. Drivers wasted no time, unleashing their Le Mans prototypes at full throttle, and the spectacle was immediate. Classic Group C machinery thundered alongside modern LMPs, eras colliding in a way that felt almost unreal, yet perfectly at home on a Gran Turismo circuit.

The Netherlands’ Kaj de Bruin (R8G_Kajracer) led the field away from pole in the Toyota GT-One. Alongside him on the front row sat Canada’s Samuel Cardinal (PRiMA_Quartz) in the Sauber Mercedes C9, with championship leader Jose Serrano (JoseSerrano_16) of Spain lining up close behind in the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP.

The race turned dramatic at the first corner. Japan’s Takuma Miyazono (ZETA_Miyazono), aboard the 4-rotor Mazda 787B, made contact with de Bruin, sending the pole-sitter off track. The incident opened the door for Serrano and France’s Kylian Drumont (R8G_Kylian19), in the Nissan R92CP, to surge into the lead. Miyazono was later handed a one-second penalty for the move, but by the time the opening lap was complete, Serrano and Drumont were already beginning to edge away from the field.

While the leaders settled into a high-speed duel of their own, the battle behind them erupted. Third place became the focal point, with Miyazono, Spain’s Pol Urra (PolUrra) in the Jaguar XJR-9, Chile’s Angel Inostroza (Veloce_Loyrot) in the Audi R18, and Japan’s Takuma Sasaki (SZ_TakuAn22) in the Porsche 919 Hybrid locked together, separated by less than a second. For several laps, positions changed corner by corner, each driver displaying bold moves, late braking, and no shortage of nerve.

In the closing laps, Drumont mounted his final challenge, probing for a way past Serrano. But “El Rayo de Granada” was unyielding, defending with precision and authority. When the checkered flag fell, Serrano crossed the line first, Drumont secured 2nd place, and Miyazono capped a turbulent race with a hard-earned 3rd place.

Race 2: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, 17 Laps

The scene shifted to Canada for the second race of the day, and with it came a very different challenge. This contest required a tire change, with every driver mandated to complete at least one lap on both medium- and soft-compound Dunlops. The field was strapped into the Gran Turismo F3500-B, a machine inspired by 1990s Formula 1, powered by a naturally aspirated V10 that rewarded precision and sang a delightful song when it was pushed to high rpm.

Jose Serrano of Spain led the field through the opening corner on soft tires, immediately asserting control of the race. But behind him, chaos erupted. Spain’s Pol Urra, starting 4th, misjudged his braking and slammed into the rear of Kylian Drumont’s car, sending the Frenchman’s formula racer skating off the circuit. The contact was unintentional, but the consequences were severe. Drumont rejoined the race in 9th place, a nightmarish opening for the usually composed Frenchman. Urra was assessed a three-second penalty for the incident, which he served later in the race.

As the laps unfolded, Serrano was showing the world that he was in a different league altogether than the rest of the drivers. Lap by lap, his advantage over 2nd-place Takuma Miyazono grew—by Lap 5, the gap was nearly three seconds; by Lap 11—after every driver had completed their required pitstop—it had stretched to nearly four seconds.

Further back, Drumont mounted a determined recovery. By Lap 11, he had clawed his way from 9th to 6th, a display of resolve befitting a former Olympic Esports champion. Two laps later, former Nations Cup champion Valerio Gallo (OP_BRacer) capitalized on fresh soft tires, muscling past Urra—now on mediums—to claim 3rd place.

At the checkered flag, Serrano’s dominance was undeniable. He secured his second victory of the day, finishing more than five seconds clear of Miyazono and a full ten seconds ahead of Gallo, who completed the podium. The result handed Serrano a commanding advantage heading into the Grand Final. A 6th-place finish or better would guarantee the championship.

On paper, it looked decisive. But motorsports, virtual or otherwise, has a way of reminding everyone that nothing is settled until the final lap is run.

Grand Final: Nürburgring 24h, 7 Laps

The Grand Final was a seven-lap showdown around the Nürburgring 24 Hours layout, a configuration that links the modern Grand Prix circuit with the legendary Nordschleife—a punishing 25-kilometer course featuring more than 170 corners. Strapped into the Red Bull X2019 Competition, liveried in their national colors, the drivers faced a virtual race car without restrictions. With speeds exceeding 300 km/h, it promised to be as demanding as it was spectacular. Two mandatory pit stops were required for tire changes—soft, medium, and hard compounds all had to be used—along with refueling, making strategy every bit as important as outright pace.

The race ignited immediately. Into the opening corner, Takuma Miyazono lunged at Jose Serrano in an attempt to seize the lead, but the Spaniard held firm. As the field flowed onto the Nordschleife, the rhythm settled, with the leading quartet on soft-compound Dunlops pulling away from the mid-pack runners on mediums. Midway through the opening lap, Serrano made a rare mistake, his car stepping out and sliding onto the grass. Valerio Gallo, forced to take evasive action, also ran onto the grass and spun, an incident that handed the race lead to Pol Urra, and knocking the Italian down to P8. Serrano recovered quickly, retaining 2nd place ahead of Miyazono in 3rd. Just a few corners later, Serrano struck back, blasting past Urra along the long back straight to reclaim the lead.

The leaders pitted at the end of Lap 2, where strategies began to diverge. Urra and Miyazono opted for medium tires, while Serrano chose to complete his stint on the hard compound early. With Serrano and others pitting, those remaining on mediums inherited the lead, as Kylian Drumont, followed by Takuma Sasaki and Guy Barbara of Australia (OP_Twitchy), ran at the front before pitting on the following lap.

Despite running the slower hard-compound tires, Serrano maintained a relentless pace, preserving a lead of roughly five seconds over Urra and Miyazono. Behind them, Gallo was on the move once again, charging back into contention. By the midpoint of Lap 4, he had climbed to 4th. Attention then turned to Serrano’s fuel situation. Choosing not to refuel during his previous stop, he pressed on with just 14 liters remaining, while his rivals carried more than 40. Remarkably, he entered the pits with the fuel gauge reading zero. Serrano later insisted it was calculated, although few believed he had intended to cut it that close. Regardless, he made it, taking on nearly a full tank and switching to medium tires for the final three laps. The move all but sealed the race, as his pursuers would be forced onto the slower hard-compound tires for their final stints.

When the final round of pitstops played out, Miyazono and Urra briefly held the lead. Serrano, however, reeled them in methodically and reclaimed 1st place early on the final lap. Behind him, the battle for 2nd erupted. Defending, and two-time Nations Cup champion Takuma Miyazono went wheel-to-wheel with Pol Urra in a tense, high-level duel that showcased both drivers at their best. Speed and precision were traded corner for corner, but Miyazono’s experience ultimately told, securing 2nd place and runner-up honors in the championship. Urra followed closely, his 3rd-place finish placing a second Spanish driver on the overall podium.

But the day—and the season—belonged unmistakably to Serrano. His victory secured the Nations Cup title by an unprecedented 20-point margin, capping a dominant World Finals that also included success in the Manufacturers Cup, making him a double champion for 2026. It was a season defined by control, consistency, and an unwavering ability to deliver when the stakes were at their highest.

The man known as “El Rayo de Granada” (The Lightning of Granada) said after the race: “Honestly, I have no words to describe my feelings right now. I’m super happy for this year—it was almost perfect for me, winning the Manufacturers Cup and the Nations Cup. I made a lot of mistakes early on in this race. Last year, I ran the wrong strategy, so I tried another strategy this year, and it worked out.”