Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe – Rutronik Racing Porsche charges to maiden Sprint Cup victory under the lights at Magny-Cours

Rutronik Racing scored a brilliant maiden Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS win and gave Porsche a first-ever Sprint Cup triumph in a thrilling Saturday night race at Magny-Cours.

The German squad has looked increasingly likely to score a breakthrough result this term and did so in fine style, charging to the front with its #96 line-up of Sven Müller and Patric Niederhauser. They triumphed in a race that began shortly before sunset and culminated in darkness while fireworks lit up the skies over the French circuit.

Ben Green led the field away from pole in the #14 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari but was immediately under pressure from Dan Harper at the wheel of the #991 Century Motorsport BMW. The latter squad entered the weekend on top of the Bronze Cup standings, but Harper had the pace to fight the overall leaders.

Dries Vanthoor was also on the move, elevating the #32 Team WRT BMW from sixth to third on the opening tour. A few laps later the Belgian ace overhauled Harper, then set off in pursuit of Green. There was little doubt that, at this stage of the race, the BMW was the quicker car on the circuit.

Vanthoor edged on to the rear of the Ferrari and made a move for the lead with 20 minutes on the clock. Green fought hard to cling on to the position, even running off-track in an effort to stay in front, but ultimately could not stop the BMW from charging past.

Harper looked to follow him through a few corners later, but the Century Motorsport BMW launched over the kerb and made contact with Green, spearing the Ferrari into the gravel. Harper was able to continue without losing significant time, though Green’s chances of a podium were effectively over.

Vanthoor took the earliest opportunity to pit, receiving a typically rapid service from the Team WRT crew while handing the controls to Charles Weerts. The #32 BMW retained the effective lead of the race, a situation that has often concluded with victory for Vanthoor and Weerts.

But Rutronik Racing had a different outcome in mind. After starting third Müller slipped back a place at the start, though he remained among the leading group of cars before giving the #96 Porsche to Niederhauser. The Swiss ace immediately found his rhythm and wasted no time in launching an attack. Weerts rebuffed an initial effort at the Adelaide hairpin, but a second assault came soon after. Niederhauser got better drive off the final chicane, drew alongside the BMW on the start-finish straight and completed a move into the opening corner.

Weerts was left to defend second spot from championship rival Maro Engel. The #48 Winward Racing Team Mann-Filter Mercedes-AMG had started 11th in the hands of Lucas Auer and remained there for the opening stint, though it was close enough to make progress during the pit window. Engel gradually closed on to the rear of the BMW and was threatening to make a pass on the penultimate lap. The AMG GT3 appeared much more comfortable as the race developed, but Weerts held firm to secure P2.

Neither the Mercedes-AMG nor the BMW had an answer for Niederhauser, who brought the car home to secure a richly deserved maiden win for Rutronik Racing and the first for Porsche in the Sprint Cup. By holding on to second, Weerts ensured that he and Vanthoor move 4.5 points clear of Engel/Auer in what remains a finely poised title fight. The #69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari came home fourth, ahead of the recovering sister car.

The #88 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi took a narrow Gold Cup win in sixth place overall. Lorenzo Patrese tackled the opening stint before handing over to Lorenzo Ferrari, who just stayed ahead of a charging Simon Gachet (#111 CSA Racing Audi) during the closing stages. The #6 Liqui-Moly Team Engstler by OneGroup Audi led early on but lost time during the pit window and slipped to third in class.

The Silver Cup winner also finished in the overall top 10. Indeed, Madpanda Motorsport delivered a superb performance with its #90 Mercedes-AMG as Ezequiel Perez Companc led the opening stint before Tom Kalender took the controls for the second phase. The latter was contesting his maiden Sprint Cup outing aged just 16 but showed no signs of inexperience. The #10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG was second in Silver, followed by the #26 Saintéloc Racing Audi.

The result of the Bronze Cup contest changed twice after the chequered flag. Darren Leung was first across the line aboard the #991 BMW, but the Century Motorsport squad had already been handed a 10-second time penalty for Harper’s contact with Green. This moved the #97 Rutronik Racing Porsche to the top of the order, but the German squad’s perfect day was spoiled by a five-second penalty for an unsafe release from its pit stop.

This meant that the #78 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini bagged a first Sprint Cup win of 2024 with its crew of Rob Collard and Sandy Mitchell, both of whom were in the thick of the action during tonight’s race. Despite the penalties the podium was composed of the same three teams, with the #97 Porsche classified second and the #991 BMW taking third.

There is little time to regroup before the action resumes at Magny-Cours. Qualifying 2 takes place at 09:10 CEST on Sunday morning while Race 2 follows at 14:45, with both streamed live on the GT World YouTube channel.