EDGE Sporting Management driver Mikey Porter secured second place in the overall GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Silver Cup drivers’ standings following an outstanding recovery in the three-hour season finale at Portimao.
Sharing the number five Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo with regular teammate Guilherme Oliveira and fellow Endurance Cup driver Dante Rappange, Porter helped turn a difficult qualifying result into fourth in class, gaining 33 positions overall to finish 19th.
The result confirmed championship runner-up honours for Porter and Oliveira across the combined Sprint and Endurance campaign, marking a significant achievement for the young McLaren GT3 Junior driver against some of the strongest competition in international GT racing.
The final round of the Endurance Cup took place at Portugal’s demanding Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, with a high-profile field that also included Formula One star Max Verstappen competing in the Pro class. For Porter and Optimum Motorsport, however, the focus was firmly on securing the points needed to complete their Silver Cup season on a high.
Qualifying left the number five McLaren 52nd overall and 15th in class, presenting the crew with a considerable challenge heading into the three-hour race.
Their recovery began immediately. By the opening half-hour, the Optimum Motorsport entry had climbed to 37th overall and 12th in the Silver Cup, making up 15 places and beginning to work its way towards the class points positions.
That progress continued as the race developed. At the halfway stage, Porter and his teammates were running 33rd overall and eighth in class, keeping themselves in contention for an important championship result.
With 30 minutes remaining, the McLaren had advanced to 28th overall and seventh in the Silver Cup. There was still work to do, but a strong final half-hour transformed the outcome as the crew gained another nine positions overall and three within their class.
At the chequered flag, fourth in the Silver Cup and 19th overall completed an impressive turnaround from their qualifying position. Crucially, the result delivered the 12 points Porter and Oliveira needed to secure second in the overall Silver Cup drivers’ championship, finishing on 120.5 points and just one point clear of their nearest challengers.
Having already secured third in the Sprint Cup standings with two class victories during the season, Porter’s overall runner-up finish adds another milestone to his developing GT3 career.
For the EDGE Sporting Management driver, the Portimao recovery provided a fitting conclusion to a season of race-winning performances and valuable experience with Optimum Motorsport, underlining his continued progress at one of the most competitive levels of GT racing.
Results: Qualifying – P52 overall / P15 Silver Cup / Race – P19 overall / P4 Silver Cup
Final championship – 2nd GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Silver Cup Driver