On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the second race, "Round 2 – Berlin," of the Gran Turismo World Series 2025 (hereafter GTWS2025) took place in Berlin, Germany.
Following the previous London race, this event drew attention from the game and automotive industries alike, with the announcement of new concept cars and collaborations.
Hosted for the First Time in Berlin, Germany, a Home of the Automotive Industry
The GTWS is an official world championship organized by Sony Interactive Entertainment and Polyphony Digital. The opening round was held in London on Saturday, June 7, 2025, and this event in Berlin is the second round (Round 2). The series will then continue with races in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 8, 2025, and Fukuoka on Friday, December 21–Saturday, December 22, 2025. Similar to the London event, this was the first time the GTWS had been held in Berlin.
In Berlin, two divisions of races were held once again: the "Manufacturers Cup," where car manufacturers compete, and the "Nations Cup," where national or regional representatives compete. Points are awarded to the top finishers in each, and the final standings are determined by the cumulative results of all four races.
A winner prediction campaign was also held, offering a chance to win 1 million in-game credits each. Just like the opening round, intense battles and cheering unfolded at the venue.
Dunlop Partnership Announced; Opel's Concept Car Appears
Two announcements were made at this event. The first new Vision Gran Turismo model to appear was Opel's Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo. It is a concept car born from the "Vision Gran Turismo Project," where car manufacturers worldwide design their dream sports cars of the future to be experienced in Gran Turismo. The base Corsa is Opel's best-selling compact car. This Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo is its high-performance EV model, boasting overwhelming specs and a futuristic design, including 800 horsepower and 0-100km/h acceleration in 2 seconds. It's a car that fuses Opel's tradition with next-generation EV technology.
Although this car is a concept model, a show model was unveiled at the IAA International Motor Show, which started in Munich on Monday, September 8, 2025, and the physical car was also exhibited at the Berlin race venue. It is also available to play in the Gran Turismo 7 game, and a race featuring 12 of these cars was held during the pre-event Invitation Race.
A partnership with the tire manufacturer Dunlop was also announced, and various Dunlop content will be added to the Gran Turismo game. First, Dunlop's history, motorsports activities, and technology will be introduced in the museum within Brand Central. Additionally, the DUNLOP logo will appear as trackside signage on circuits. Furthermore, Dunlop tires will be available as parts that players can select in the Tuning Shop. A Dunlop-themed time trial event is also scheduled for the future, so keep an eye out.
GTWS2025 Berlin Race Format
In the Manufacturers Cup, players from nine countries worldwide participated, representing 12 brands. The respective manufacturer and driver nationalities are as follows:
- Subaru (France)
- Toyota (Netherlands)
- Nissan (Poland)
- Ferrari (Portugal)
- Honda (Italy)
- Porsche (Spain)
- McLaren (Ireland)
- Mazda (Spain)
- Mercedes-AMG (Brazil)
- Lamborghini (Saudi Arabia)
- Lexus (Italy)
- BMW (France)
While the drivers in the London opening round were all Japanese, the lineup this time was diverse.
Twelve players represented their country or region in the Nations Cup. The field included Spain's Jose Serrano (@JoseSerrano_16) and Pol Urra (@polurra), who achieved a one-two finish in the opening round, as well as Japan's Takuma Miyazono (@TakumaMiyazono) and Takuma Sasaki (@Taku_110202). In both races, points are awarded sequentially: 6 points for 1st place, 5 for 2nd, and down to 1 point for 6th place. We look forward to seeing the lower-ranked competitors fight hard in this Berlin race.
Manufacturers Cup: Subaru and BMW Secure Consecutive Victories
Attention was focused on Subaru's performance in the Manufacturers Cup, as they had shown great strength in the opening round. Takuma Miyazono handed the drive over to France's Kylian Drumont this time. Thomas Labouteley (@aphelionTL), also from France, appeared for BMW, which had been narrowly defeated by Subaru last time. The course was the Nürburgring 24h, raced for six laps. Tire selection and the timing of pit stops greatly influenced the race. BMW followed Subaru in taking pole position in the qualifying round, and the same fierce battle as last time was anticipated.
The race saw the top two cars, which started on soft tires, pit in after only one lap to switch to medium tires. This tire change strategy significantly impacted the rest of the race, with Honda's Valerio Gallo (@valeriogallo26) jumping into the provisional lead on the third lap. Subsequently, drivers who had switched to hard tires, such as Porsche's Jose Serrano and Mazda's Pol Urra, formed the leading group as the medium tire runners completed their pit stops on the fourth lap.
Once Subaru and BMW switched to hard tires on lap 5 and took the lead, the battle for 3rd place became the main focus. Nissan's Mikołaj Sedziak (@mikolajs06) caught up with Mazda and Porsche on the final straight, resulting in a fierce three-wide battle in the final corner. The final standings were 1st Subaru, 2nd BMW, and 3rd Nissan, with Subaru and BMW securing the top spots for the second consecutive round after the opener.
Nations Cup: Serrano's Consecutive Victory; Japanese Drivers Also Score Points
The Nations Cup final race (Grand Final) was 30 laps at the Red Bull Ring. The starting grid positions, based on the sprint race results, were as follows:
- 1st: Kylian Drumont (France)
- 2nd: Thomas Labouteley (France)
- 3rd: Takuma Sasaki (Japan)
- 4th: Kaj de Bruin (Netherlands)
- 5th: Pol Urra (Spain)
- 6th: Valerio Gallo (Italy)
- 7th: Jose Serrano (Spain)
- 8th: Takuma Miyazono (Japan)
- 9th: Adriano Carrazza (Brazil)
- 10th: Angel Inostroza (Chile)
- 11th: Guy Barbara (Australia)
- 12th: Samuel Cardinal (Canada)
The race started under poor conditions with a wet track surface. All cars began the race on intermediate tires.
However, with the track surface beginning to dry out around Lap 4, switching to dry tires became the strategic focus. On Lap 9, most of the leaders, led by Kaj de Bruin and Kylian Drumont, pitted and switched to dry tires. As a result, Jose Serrano, who delayed his tire change by one lap, gained ground the fastest among the cars that pitted and moved up to 2nd place. By Lap 10, Thomas Labouteley and Jose Serrano established a 1-2 formation, with Kylian Drumont and Kaj de Bruin following them.
However, the radar started showing approaching rain clouds around Lap 14, and rain began on Lap 15. The leaders switched to intermediate tires right before the rain fell, a move that proved advantageous.
Takuma Sasaki and Jose Serrano, still running on dry tires, slowed their pace. The Japanese contingent, Takuma Miyazono and Takuma Sasaki, dropped to around 9th and 10th place. The sun returned on Lap 19.
After Lap 20, Jose Serrano, who had switched to intermediate tires later than others, chased down France's Kylian Drumont and the rest of the pack. Jose Serrano took the lead on Lap 21, even after contact with Kaj de Bruin, while Takuma Miyazono switched to dry tires in an attempt to catch up. The French contingent's tires were worn out, causing them to slow down, and they ultimately finished 7th and 8th, out of the points.
The final standings were as follows:
- 1st: Jose Serrano (Spain)
- 2nd: Valerio Gallo (Italy)
- 3rd: Kaj de Bruin (Netherlands)
- 4th: Takuma Miyazono (Japan)
- 5th: Takuma Sasaki (Japan)
Jose Serrano achieved two consecutive victories, starting from the opening race!
Current Standings and Points Heading into the Second Half
- 1st: Subaru 12 points
- 2nd: BMW 10 points
- 3rd: Nissan 6 points
- 4th: Mazda 6 points
- 5th: Porsche 3 points
- 6th: Toyota 3 points
- 7th: Mercedes-AMG 1 point
- 8th: McLaren 1 point
- 9th: Lexus 0 points
- 10th: Lamborghini 0 points
- 11th: Honda 0 points
- 12th: Ferrari 0 points
Having completed the opening round in London and the second round in Berlin, the standings are as follows. Subaru and BMW, having secured consecutive victories, extended their lead with 12 and 10 points, respectively.
- 1st: Jose Serrano (Spain) 12 points
- 2nd: Valerio Gallo (Italy) 9 points
- 3rd: Pol Urra (Spain) 6 points
- 4th: Takuma Sasaki (Japan) 5 points
- 5th: Kaj de Bruin (Netherlands) 4 points
- 6th: Takuma Miyazono (Japan) 4 points
- 7th: Kylian Drumont (France) 2 points
- 8th: Thomas Labouteley (France) 0 points
- 9th: Samuel Cardinal (Canada) 0 points
- 10th: Guy Barbara (Australia) 0 points
- 11th: Angel Inostroza (Chile) 0 points
- 12th: Adriano Carrazza (Brazil) 0 points
Jose Serrano (Spain), who also achieved consecutive victories in the Nations Cup, is leading the standings. The Japanese drivers, Takuma Sasaki and Takuma Miyazono, are also in pursuit, and they still have a chance for the overall championship.
The third race of the World Series, "Round 3 – Los Angeles," will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025. As we head into the second half, it remains to be seen what strategies each team and each driver will adopt to challenge the race and stage a comeback.
▼Photos and Text by Yasuhiro Yamane
Blog: http://www.hkyamane.com/
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