Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Virtual Championship Season 02

The Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Virtual Championship is back for its biggest season yet. Season 02 has gone live on SimGrid, and this time it spans four sim racing titles with over 500 driver slots up for grabs across the whole championship. If you race Gran Turismo 7, you can qualify right now.

We've covered this championship since the inaugural Season Zero, and each year it's grown. Season 02 is the biggest expansion yet, adding Le Mans Ultimate to the existing lineup of Assetto Corsa Competizione, iRacing and GT7.

What is the AMG Virtual Championship?

It's a multi-platform, single-car championship built around the Mercedes-AMG GT3. The clever bit is the format: you pick one title to compete in, race against the drivers on that platform, but also earn points toward an overall cross-title leaderboard that ranks everyone across all four sims. So you're fighting for your division and contributing to the bigger championship picture at the same time.

For Season 02 you can choose from:

- Gran Turismo 7 (PlayStation)

- Assetto Corsa Competizione (console or PC)

- iRacing (PC)

- Le Mans Ultimate (PC) — newly added this season

How to Qualify in Gran Turismo 7

Qualifying is refreshingly simple. You need to set one valid Hot Lap at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in the in-game Hot Lap competition during the qualifying window.

The qualifying window runs from 19 June 2026, 14:00 CEST through to 19 July 2026, 23:59 CEST.

Here's how the GT7 qualifying shakes out:

- The fastest 36 drivers in GT7 advance to Division 1

- All remaining drivers who set at least one valid lap go into a raffle for the Division 2 slots

Because of GT7's lobby size limits, the divisions are split further into three 12-driver splits each (Div 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 2.1, 2.2, 2.3) So even if you're not quick enough to land a top-36 time, simply setting a valid lap gets you into the raffle for a Division 2 seat. That's the whole appeal of this championship — it's built to give drivers of all skill levels a fair shot, not just the aliens.

The Championship Format

Once qualifying closes on 19 July, the racing proper kicks off in August 2026 across six Race Days. 

Each title runs on different tracks that play to that sim's strengths, and you score points in your division that feed into the overall Virtual Championship leaderboard. Previous seasons have included mid-season promotion and relegation between divisions, so a strong run in Division 2 can earn you a bump up to Division 1.

The headline prizes in this championship have always been about real-world Mercedes-AMG experiences rather than just hardware, and the top of the overall leaderboard is where the big rewards sit. On top of that, the top three drivers in each division receive a prize for their result. 

How to Sign Up

Register via the SimGrid Virtual Championship page.

If you already have a SimGrid account, it syncs automatically. If not, you'll create one during registration. Set your best lap at Spa-Francorchamps before the window closes on 19 July and also worth noting: the GT7 Hot Lap also pays out the usual in-game Time Trial rewards, so you're earning credits while you qualify either way.

Final Thoughts

The AMG Virtual Championship has become one of the most accessible big-brand sim racing competitions out there, and Season 02 looks like the most ambitious version yet. Four titles, 500+ slots, and a format that genuinely rewards casual and competitive drivers alike thanks to the raffle and division system.

If you race GT7, there's no real reason not to enter. One clean lap at Spa gets you into the mix, and you've got a month to set it. Get your Hot Lap in before 19 July and you're racing in August.