Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe – Winward Racing Team Mann-Filter edges Team WRT in heavyweight thriller at Magny-Cours
The battle for the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Sprint Cup title will go to the wire after Winward Racing Team Mann-Filter beat Team WRT to overall victory in a brilliant Sunday contest at Magny-Cours.
The #48 Mercedes-AMG of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel took the chequered flag just half a second clear of the #32 BMW shared by Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts, trimming the gap at the top of the table to just two points ahead of the finale. It sets up a grandstand conclusion to what has been a thrilling season-long duel between these two heavyweight squads.
The 60-minute contest provided action from start to finish. The top three got away cleanly, with pole-sitter Jules Gounon (#9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG) leading Tom Gamble (#159 Garage 59 McLaren) and Engel through the opening sequence of corners, but there was drama behind as the #6 Liqui-Moly Team Engstler by OneGroup Audi and the #14 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari made contact.
Both found themselves in the gravel, while the #26 Saintéloc Racing Audi of Ivan Klymenko hit the barriers after taking avoiding action. The Safety Car was deployed to remove the stricken Saintéloc machine, after which Gounon made a clean restart from Gamble and Engel, while Charles Weerts ran fourth aboard the #32 BMW. The order remained unchanged throughout the opening stint, with Gounon pulling clear at the head of the field.
The #48 Mercedes-AMG elected to pit at the earliest opportunity and received a quick service as Engel handed over to Auer. When the #159 McLaren and the #32 BMW stopped one lap later, the Team WRT machine seized the advantage over the Garage 59 car. Crucially, however, Vanthoor exited the pits behind Auer. Boutsen VDS stopped next time around and did a fine job, allowing Maxi Götz to retain the lead.
It was now a Mercedes-AMG one-two at the head of the order, but there was no sign of cooperation between the pair. Auer quickly closed on to the rear of Götz and launched an attack up the inside of the Adelaide hairpin. The Boutsen VDS man fought his fellow AMG factory driver every inch of the way to the next chicane, running off-track to hold the place. Auer immediately attacked again and seized the lead when Götz drifted wide.
Vanthoor followed his title rival through and then made a bold move for the lead. But, in what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the championship battle, Auer held firm. Vanthoor dropped back behind Götz but retook second spot on the following tour. The BMW man then set a new fastest lap to trim Auer’s lead to less than a second. The battle was on once again.
With 10 minutes remaining Vanthoor was closer than ever, drafting on to the rear of the Mercedes-AMG on the run to Adelaide. But while the M4 enjoyed greater top-end speed, the AMG appeared to have slightly better drive out of the slow corners. This was enough to keep the Team WRT car behind and, as the race reached its conclusion, Auer began to eke out a small advantage.
The Austrian took the chequered flag by barely half a second to secure a third Sprint Cup win of 2024 ahead of the #32 Team WRT BMW and the #9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG, the latter returning to the overall podium for the first time since the opening event at Brands Hatch. In terms of the title fight, Weerts/Vanthoor lead Auer/Engel by just two points ahead of the decider at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Tresor Attempto Racing finished a fine fourth overall with its #88 Audi to secure a fourth successive Gold Cup win. Lorenzo Ferrari was amid the thick of the battle during the opening stint, fighting with class rival Gilles Magnus (#25 Saintéloc Racing Audi) before handing over to Lorenzo Ferrari. The latter did not face pressure for the win, running among the Pro cars on route to a season-best finish.
The #159 McLaren was fifth, followed by the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi and the #111 CSA Racing Audi, which clinched runner-up in Gold for the third race in succession. The #69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari was eighth while the #71 AF Corse Ferrari was ninth overall and a comfortable Silver Cup winner. Tom Fleming was at the wheel for the opening half-hour before giving way to Eliseo Donno, who sealed a third class win of the year and kept his team’s title hopes alive. Eastalent Racing once again completed the overall top 10 with its #84 Audi.
The Bronze Cup produced a brilliant fight which culminated in victory for the #97 Rutronik Racing Porsche. Dustin Blattner ran a close second to Miguel Ramos (#188 Garage 59 McLaren) during the opening stint, while Dennis Marschall displayed his usual speed in the second phase to capture the win. The #188 was runner-up after excellent showings from Ramos and Louis Prette, followed by the #991 Century Motorsport BMW.
All four titles will be decided at the Sprint Cup finale, which takes place at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 11-13 October. Before that, the Endurance Cup will be back in action with a three-hour race at historic Monza over the weekend of 20-22 September. With just three rounds to run between the two disciplines, there is still everything to play for in Fanatec GT Europe.
