Aaron Debattista won round one of the GT3 category at the Malta National Sim Racing Championships 2026, leading every lap of the 30-minute race at Spa-Francorchamps and holding off a persistent Dean Vella to the chequered flag. Debattista denied Vella by four tenths of a second in one of the closest finishes the category has produced, while defending champion Brandon Bonello’s race ended early after a starting grid issue, retiring after a single lap.
Qualifying: Debattista Edges Vella for Pole
In a 10-minute open qualifying session, Debattista set the pace with a 2:17.366 to take pole position, with Vella slotting in alongside him on the front row after a session that came down to hundredths. Jake Sammut (Project Eversio) qualified third, ahead of Jayden Ellul and Ilan Dimech Ghirxi, both driving for Intercomp VMD Simsport. Sheldon Scott Muscat and Mikhail Mercieca completed the top seven, while Bonello missed the start of the session and was forced to set his times from pit lane. Krisztian Kavai and Neil Gauci, both racing as independents after coming through the championship’s last chance qualifier in a BMW before switching into the championship spec Mercedes, rounded out the top ten.
Race: Debattista Leads Lights to Flag Under Pressure
A starting grid issue brought Bonello’s race to an early end, the reigning champion retiring after completing just a single lap. Vella ran wide at the Campus corner in the opening exchanges but recovered to keep pace with Debattista at the front, the pair breaking clear of the field and trading fastest laps for the rest of the race without either driver able to make a decisive move.
Behind them, Sammut ran a clean, lonely race in third. The battle for fourth turned physical when Ellul, attempting a move on Sammut into the chicane, went in too deep and made contact with his own Intercomp VMD Simsport teammate Dimech Ghirxi on the exit. Ellul lost his rear spoiler and pitted for repairs, eventually finishing a lap down in ninth, while Mercieca inherited fourth. Dimech Ghirxi fought back from the contact, reeled in Mercieca and completed a clean pass around the outside in the closing laps to reclaim the position.
At the front, Debattista and Vella went to the wire covered by just twelve thousandths of a second on their respective fastest laps of the race. Vella threw everything at the closing stages, but Debattista held the line to take the win by four tenths of a second at the flag.
Round One Result
- Aaron Debattista – Intercomp VMD Simsport (#26)
- Dean Vella – Intercomp VMD Simsport (#54)
- Jake Sammut – Project Eversio (#53)
- Mikhail Mercieca – Project Eversio (#333)
- Ilan Dimech Ghirxi – Intercomp VMD Simsport (#4)
- Sheldon Scott Muscat – Intercomp VMD Simsport (#114)
- Krisztian Kavai – Independent (#16)
- Neil Gauci – Independent (#412)
- Jayden Ellul – Intercomp VMD Simsport (#21), one lap down
- Brandon Bonello – Project Eversio (#1), retired
Debattista takes the points lead into round two, which heads to Imola.
Watch the Full Broadcast
You can rewatch the full GT3 round one broadcast from Spa-Francorchamps below, with commentary from Jake Sparey and Rhys Gardiner.
