Fans of Grand Touring and endurance racing remember it fondly. In the mid-2000s, Swiss Martin Bartek teamed up with Belgian Christian Schumacher to imagine a sequel to the legendary history of the Ford GT40.
Christian Schumacher, who had homologated and built ten Porsche 996 GT2 R Bi-Turbo cars under the PSI Motorsport label, continued his involvement in modern GT racing with the Matech Racing team's Ford GT3s. Right from the start, their Ford GT3s made headlines, winning FIA GT3 races in 2007 and the GT3 European Championship title in 2008.
Some twenty years later, the creation of the GT3 Revival Series by SRO and Peter Auto has enabled many legendary cars to return to the track. Including the Ford GT3! An initiative that we owe to... Christian Schumacher, of course! Under the Matech² Concepts banner!
“It's a bit like rewriting history,’ Christian Schumacher comments emotionally. In 2006, together with Martin, I created the Matech team – “Ma” for Martin and “Ch” for Christian – with the aim of seeing Ford GTs, worthy successors to the GT40, shine in competition. It was an incredible adventure, but sadly it was cut short too soon. With the announcement of the creation of the GT3 Revival Series, I wanted to write a new chapter that would be a tribute to Martin. So I acquired four Ford GT3s that were undergoing a complete restoration. Two of them will take part in the 2026 racing season, and the other two will return to the track in 2027. We are also recreating a stock of spare parts, which means that any owner of a Matech Ford GT will be welcome for restoration, servicing or repairs. Competition commitments, track days, “Arrive & Drive” packages... in fact, anything is possible..."
Among the four Matech Ford GT3s returning to Christian Schumacher's workshops are two of the first cars sold in 2007, bearing Ford chassis numbers from the 4,038 Ford GTs built in total. The third car is the last one built by Matech Racing, with a Matech chassis number, #014. As for the fourth GT3, it is currently being acquired. This is the car that won the GT3 title in Brazil in 2008. Christian Schumacher's goal in bringing Matech² Concepts to life is clear: to once again become the benchmark company for everything related to this car that has made GT3 history.
"The reconstruction of the first two cars is underway, and I can already announce that we will be present with one of them at the first round of the GT3 Revival Series at the Circuit Paul Ricard in April 2026,’ continues Christian Schumacher. "The second car will be entered in our home race as part of Spa-Classic in May. The four Matech Ford GT3s will be on track in 2027 as part of the SRO GT3 Revival. While information about the drivers of these cars will follow, it is already certain that I will be resuming my collaboration with Markus Palttala, whom I had driven Porsche, Corvette and, of course, Ford at the time. It should also be noted that many Swiss partners and friends from the Matech Racing adventure in the mid-2000s have remained loyal supporters. Two decades later, some of them, including Klausen Cars SA, based in Gland (Switzerland), are once again by my side to continue this story, counting among the most loyal initiators of the return of this splendid Ford GT project. An adventure even more historic than at the beginning!"
Matech² Concepts will be delighted to return to the US Air Base in Mendig, Germany. That is where it all began in 2006. Christian Schumacher will be embarking on a new long-term collaboration with Michele Rinaldi's team, which will be responsible for running the first two Ford GT3s in the SRO GT3 Revival Series, under the banner MATECH² empowered by RINALDI RACING! Further synergies will be possible between now and 2027. In addition, talks are underway with Ford Racing in Dearborn to ensure the best possible support for the four cars that will be competing in races over the next few years, and even to facilitate the operation of all Ford GT3s worldwide.
In addition to the Matech Ford GT3s, Christian Schumacher will continue the Porsche 996 GT2-R Bi-Turbo PSI adventure in 2026 with the runner-up car in the 2025 Endurance Racing Legends (Peter Auto - Markus Palttala), which is available for hire, as well as the Red Bull ex-Vosse/Bouvy version, also available for hire, and the Dunlop variant - ex Palttala/Van Sande - owned by the German Twin Busch team. In 2026, the 996 GT2 R Bi-Turbo PSI will celebrate its 25th anniversary, giving access to historic events around the world – PTH is currently in discussions with the RACB and the FIA in Geneva.