The Final Word: Nürburgring
Lamborghini made a triumphant return to the top step of the podium last Sunday, when Grasser Racing delivered a masterful Endurance Cup victory at the Nürburgring.
Though it did not start from pole, the #163 Lamborghini controlled the race from the front. The same was true in the Silver Cup and the Bronze Cup, which produced dominant showings from Boutsen VDS and Rutronik Racing respectively, while Saintéloc Racing won a much closer battle for Gold Cup honours. To sum it all up, here is the Final Word on Nürburgring 2024.
• Lamborghini has now won seven times in the Endurance Cup, the same number as its Italian rival Ferrari. Five of these victories have come courtesy of Grasser Racing. Sunday’s win was the first for its Huracán EVO 2 model, which has been in action since the start of the 2023 campaign.
• Grasser Racing waited more than seven years for its fifth Endurance Cup win, the longest gap between victories in series history. The Austrian squad’s previous overall triumph came at Silverstone in 2017, though it has earned several class wins – notably at last year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa – in the intervening seasons.
• The #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin crew of Thiim/Sørensen/Drudi tops the drivers’ table with 54 points. Next is the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing line-up on 39 points, closely followed by the #163 Grasser Racing (38 points), the #998 ROWE Racing (36 points) and the #51 AF Corse Ferrari (35 points). While a dark horse could emerge, it seems likely that one of these five crews will take the title.
• Saintéloc Racing extended its Gold Cup advantage with a second win of the campaign. The #25 Audi of Magnus/Evrard/Pla started from pole but dropped back for the opening two stints, only to return to the front after the final round of pit stops. The Audi finished just 5.4 seconds clear of the #777 AlManar Racing by GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG.
• These squads have drawn clear at the top of the Gold Cup standings after locking out the top two positions at each race. The Saintéloc crew holds an eight-point advantage, while the third place HRT Mercedes-AMG line-up is 38 points adrift.
• Boutsen VDS scored its first Silver Cup triumph and continued a perfect season for Mercedes-AMG, which also won with Winward Racing at Circuit Paul Ricard and with GetSpeed at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. This was the first class win for Roee Meyuhas and Cesar Gazeau, while Aurélien Panis has now won races in both Gold and Silver for Boutsen VDS.
• One of the most impressive performances of the race came from the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG. The car started last on the 50-car grid after suffering damage in the first segment of qualifying but charged back to finish P2 in class. The Winward Racing crew has established a 20-point lead at the top of the Silver Cup standings, the biggest in any class ahead of the penultimate round at Monza
• Rutronik Racing also delivered an impressive showing in the Bronze Cup, winning from pole with its #97 Porsche. Victory marked the perfect comeback for the crew of Dustin Blattner, Loek Hartog and Dennis Marschall following a disappointing CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
• The Bronze Cup title battle is wide open. The #52 AF Corse Ferrari did not score but remains on top of the standings, four points clear of the #93 Sky Tempesta Racing Ferrari. The #97 Rutronik Porsche crew sit seventh, 30 points off the top and with 60 still to score.
• Rutronik Racing’s #96 entry led a Porsche one-two in a very close qualifying session. Sven Müller earned his second career pole, while both Patric Niederhauser and Julien Andlauer were first-time pole-winners. Their race was over after one lap following contact with the #71 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari, driven by David Vidales, which recieved a drive-through penalty for causing the collision.
• Maro Engel set a new qualifying lap record at the wheel of his #48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter machine. The German delivered a 1m53.121s in Q3 to beat Dries Vanthoor’s longstanding benchmark, which dated back to 2017. Engel also posted the fastest race lap, a 1m55.762s, during the middle stint.
• With two rounds left to run, five crews representing five manufacturers have completed every lap of the Endurance Cup season: the #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin; the #51 AF Corse Ferrari; the #163 Grasser Racing Lamborghini; the #777 AlManar Racing by GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG; and the #998 ROWE Racing BMW.
• Magny-Cours will stage the next stop on this year’s Fanatec GT Europe schedule, hosting the penultimate round of the Sprint Cup on 23–25 August. The Endurance Cup returns to action at Monza on 20-22 September.
