Gran Turismo World Series Kicks Off in Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been selected to host the curtain raiser of the 2026 Gran Turismo World Series (GTWS) in March.

This will be the first World Series event to be held in the Middle East, so it will undoubtedly generate plenty of activity the online betting industry.

As can be seen on impartial comparison website arabswin.com/en/, numerous sportsbooks offer extensive coverage of eSports events.

The Middle East already has a reputation for hosting the biggest eSports tournaments in the world, so betting activity on the GTWS will increase with Abu Dhabi hosting the season opener.

Intriguingly, the GTWS event comes after Abu Dhabi introduced the Yas Marina Circuit with Gran Turismo seven’s Spec III update released in December 2025.

The World Series is set to be held across four live events. After an online qualifier campaign, the best drivers will compete for the championship title alongside their seeded colleagues.

Abu Dhabi Takes Center Stage

Round one of the GTWS is confirmed to take place in Abu Dhabi on March 28. The event will be held at the Space42 Arena, located near the Yas Marina Circuit.

Abu Dhabi has built a reputation as a global hub for elite motorsport events in recent years, and it is now on the cusp of becoming part of Gran Turismo’s global story.

The event will feature 24 of the world’s best drivers competing for the grand prize. Twelve will race in the Nations Cup, while another twelve will represent manufacturers.

The journey to GTWS 2026 starts online, where players across participating regions will have the opportunity to challenge for a spot in the line-up.

The series will consist of six rounds for the Manufacturers Cup, each featuring a qualifying session followed by a final race.

Across these races, drivers earn points and build rankings that will decide which manufacturers and competitors advance to the live events.

The Championships

After the online qualifying stage, the World Series will be split into two equally important championships – the Nations Cup and the Manufacturers Cup – each as demanding as the other.

Drivers represent their countries or territories in the Nations Cup, with each one of them carrying the hopes of fans back home every time they line up on the grid.

There are no restrictions on the cars they can use, so the results depend primarily on how good the drivers are rather than on any other technical advantages a vehicle offers.

That means skill, focus and decision-making matter more than equipment, which makes every race feel more intense as individual brilliance can lift an entire nation.

The Manufacturers Cup is a battle of the brands. Every car brand fields its best talent, and the drivers must work together to score points for the manufacturer. The primary objective is to be the fastest car on the track.

However, drivers also have to perform well across many races, tracks and conditions, so teamwork, consistency and the ability to adapt to different racing styles around the world all matter.

These championships sum up the competitive nature of the GTWS, setting the stage for a riveting racing campaign poised to keep fans from across the world on the edge of their seats.

GTWS Live Events

The World Series live events are held across three rounds. Each live event in the Nations Cup features an individual race contested by 12 players.

These include the top three drivers from the 2025 World Series points rankings, along with nine drivers who earned their places through the online qualifiers.

The highest-ranked competitor from each region’s top league in the online qualifiers is selected. If a driver withdraws, the next highest-ranked competitor steps in.

The live events in the Manufacturers Cup are also individual races, but with each driver representing a different brand. However, only one driver per manufacturer competes at each round.

The representative driver in each round is selected from the region specified for that event. Substitutions may be made in special cases, but they always stay within the rules to keep things balanced.

World Series points are awarded to Nations Cup drivers and Manufacturers Cup teams that finish in the top six of the grand final races at each event in the first three rounds.

These points are calculated at the end of each live event and carried forward as initial points into the world finals, which determine the champions of the 2026 GTWS.

If there is a tie in the Nations Cup, the title goes to the driver who finishes highest in the grand final. The same rules apply to deciding the winner of the Manufacturers Cup.