Wimmer Werk Motorsport has announced its first driver for the 2026 TCR European Endurance campaign, which will take place alongside the new GTC Endurance Challenge. Maximilian Kochendörfer will make his debut with the Austrian team in the endurance series promoted by RIZA International. Kochendörfer will compete in the TCR cars equipped with DSG gearboxes, the category in which the team run by brothers Max and Felix Wimmer will be called upon to defend the title won in the 2025 TCR European Endurance with Senna Summerbell. This is no easy task for a driver born in 2003 and entering only his third season as a circuit racer; however, Wimmer Werk Motorsport already proved last season its ability to develop young drivers with confidence and efficiency.
In addition to securing a race seat, Maximilian will join the Driving Program by Wimmer Werk Motorsport, a structured initiative designed to provide maximum support to the Austrian outfit’s drivers on their path toward becoming professionals. The Berlin native already took part in a test last October, where he impressed the team with his high level of concentration and professional mindset. These qualities are complemented by his background in karting and later in sim racing, a field in which he stood out during the COVID-19 pandemic and which ultimately opened the door for him to compete in real-world racing, notably in the DMV BMW Challenge.
Kochendörfer also holds the licence required to race on the legendary Nordschleife. In the famous “Green Hell,” the ability to manage traffic is crucial, both when lapping slower cars and when yielding to faster categories. This aspect will be particularly relevant in the inaugural season of the GTC Endurance Challenge, which will feature two different car classes on track: TCR cars—where Kochendörfer will make his debut—and the newly introduced GT4 class. These elements, combined with the Austrian team’s track record, suggest that Maximilian Kochendörfer could be a promising prospect on the international racing scene. His development journey on the GTC Endurance Challenge stage will begin at Vallelunga on April 19, with the opening round of the championship.
Maximilian Kochendörfer
“I am very happy to join Wimmer Werk Motorsport and to take on this new challenge in the TCR European Endurance alongside the GTC Endurance Challenge. I can’t wait to drive the new car and to learn as much as possible within both the GTC series and the Driving Program. After the very positive test we completed together, I am excited to work closely with the team and I will give my all to be fully prepared for the 2026 season”.
