Conquest, Triarsi announce 2026 IMSA line-ups

A pair of Ferrari teams in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class have announced their drivers for the upcoming season.

With Manny Franco already in place, Conquest Racing announced that last year’s IMSA GTD PRO championship runner-up Albert Costa will return to the team to drive the No. 34 Ferrari 296 GT3 for the full season.

Costa returns to Conquest Racing for the first time since 2024, when he and Franco finished fourth in the GTD Drivers’ standings with a win at Motul Petit Le Mans to cap off the season. He transferred to DragonSpeed’s GTD PRO squad for 2025, and helped lead an unlikely title push with a win, six podiums, and second place in the championship behind Corvette Racing’s Antonio García and Alexander Sims.

“I’m very happy to be joining Conquest Racing again,” said Costa ahead of his return to the Indianapolis-based team. “It really feels like coming home. Conquest is the team that gave me my first chance in America and helped me start my career in the United States, so returning to this group means a lot to me.”

“Our first season together in 2024 was strong. We finished fourth in the championship, but now it’s time to finish the job. As a team, as a driver, and as Manny’s teammate, we have everything we need: the tools, the experience, the car, the tracks. We’ve both grown a lot as competitors since we last raced together, and now it’s about putting all of that in the same direction and fighting for the championship. That’s the goal. I’m very happy to be back, and I’m looking forward to starting this mega year in Daytona.”

Franco, meanwhile, enters his third season with Conquest, after taking three podiums alongside Daniel Serra in the No. 34 Ferrari last year.

“We have continued to make very good progress and we have achieved a lot each season,” said Manny Franco. “This next year feels like the moment where everything comes together. Albert and I built great chemistry when we raced together before, and having him back is great for everyone. Now we also have Lorenzo (Patrese) coming on board, which makes for a really exciting lineup. The team has worked incredibly hard to put us in a position to fight at the front, and I’m more motivated than ever to deliver results. I can’t wait to get started again at Daytona.”

Second-generation driver Patrese joins the team for the five-race Michelin Endurance Cup, after a similar endurance campaign for the AF Corse-run Cetilar Racing team. Patrese took a pole position at Petit Le Mans this past season.

Dutch driver Thierry Vermeulen will round out the team’s line-up for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Vermeulen is coming off his third DTM campaign driving a Ferrari for Emil Frey Racing, and took Gold class honors at this year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, driving for Verstappen.com Racing in an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.

“We are extremely proud of the lineup we’ve assembled for 2026,” said Eric Bachelart, Conquest Racing team owner. “Manny continues to grow into one of the most consistent and determined drivers in the GTD field. Bringing Albert back into the fold adds valuable experience and a proven winning mindset, while Lorenzo and Thierry represent the next wave of standout international talent. 

“Alongside this exceptional group of drivers, we have also strengthened our engineering department with Riccardo Zani and Juli Mundet, creating a truly cohesive and highly capable technical team. Together, our entire team is focused on building a championship-caliber program, and we look forward to starting the season strong at Daytona.”

Elsewhere on the GTD grid, Triarsi Competizione has announced its Rolex 24 At Daytona line-up, the first of a five-race Endurance Cup campaign for the Orlando-based team.

Continuing from where they left off at the end of 2025, Onofrio Triarsi and Kenton Koch will be back behind the wheel of the No. 023 Ferrari. Koch joined the team mid-season and took Triarsi Competizione to its first IMSA victory at Road America, then secured second in the GTD Drivers’ Championship with podiums in two of the last three races.

Robert Megennis joined Triarsi for the first time at Petit Le Mans this year and will share the No. 023 Ferrari with Triarsi, Koch, and reigning 24 Hours of Le Mans overall winner Ye Yifei, the Chinese driver making his first start in IMSA’s crown jewel race. Ye has already been confirmed to continue in the FIA World Endurance Championship for 2026, driving the satellite No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P Hypercar.

2026 will be Triarsi’s first season entering cars in both IMSA GT classes, following the team’s prior announcement of its new No. 033 GTD PRO entry featuring James Calado, Miguel Molina, Alessio Rovera, and Riccardo Agostini.