Maro Engel and Mercedes-AMG win Macau GT Race

FIAGT

Nov 17

📷 Courtesy of Macau Grand Prix Committee. 3 of the best GT drivers with 3 different manufacturers cars.

Absolutely master class driving by 3 of the best GT drivers with 3 different manufacturers cars nose to tail during several laps at Macau FIA GT World Cup Race in very tricky conditions.

It started on a wet track with 5 laps behind safety car in the order of yesterday’s qualifying race: Raffaele Marciello (#1 Toro Racing by MCG BMW M4 GT3), Dries Vanthoor (#32 BMW M4 GT3), Antonio Fuoco (#83 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) and Maro Engel (#130 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo).

Three laps later, Vanthoor lost his P2 to Fuoco and a bit later slammed into the wall under Maro Engel’s pressure.

We then saw #1 BMW, #83 Ferrari and #130 Mercedes nose to tail during several laps with Marciello controlling the race, resisting to Fuoco’s first attempt but not the second one. A Ferrari was leading the Macau FIA GT World Cup Race but not for long as the two leading cars (#1 BMW and #83 Ferrari) ended in the loophole a couple of curves later when Fuoco resisted an overtake from Marciello.

Maro Engel wins 2024 Macau FIA GT World Cup Race — 📷 Courtesy of Macau Grand Prix Committee. Maro Engel wins 2024 Macau **FIA GT World Cup Race**.

Maro Engel and Mercedes-AMG wins Macau FIA GT World Cup Race.

All benefit for Engel who was watching the match from behind, taking the lead with 3 lap to go.

Maro Engel wins FIA GT World Cup Race with Mercedes-AMG — 📷 Courtesy of Macau Grand Prix Committee. Maro Engel with #130 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo winning Macau **FIA GT World Cup Race.**

During the last lap, Maro Engel was handed a 5” post-race time penalty for causing a collision with Dries Vanthoor but crossed the line 11.641 seconds ahead of Augusto Farfus in the #89 KRC BMW, followed by Sheldon van der Linde (#31 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3)

Two BMW M4 GT3 on podium

📷 Courtesy of Macau Grand Prix Committee. Left: Augusto Farfus’ #89 KRC BMW. Right: van der Linde’s #31 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3.

Augusto Farfus (#89 BMW M4 GT3, Team KRC, 2nd place main race, 5th place qualification race): “Macau is always a surprise package. I drove for a new team, a team from Macau, which makes me very proud. BMW M Motorsport has supported us as a small team very well, which is great. We worked closely together, and now I'm back on the podium. This weekend was probably the toughest I've had in Macau, with all kinds of weather conditions and situations. The weather played a big role this time. A dry race would certainly have produced a different result but I am very satisfied with what I have achieved.”

Sheldon van der Linde (#31 BMW M4 GT3, Team WRT, 3rd place main race, 6th place qualification race): “This is my first podium in Macau. Of course, it's a special feeling, especially after I was third last year and lost the podium in the last five laps due to a tyre puncture so it feels good, even if it was somewhat unexpected before the race. When you start from sixth place, you don't really expect to make up three positions in Macau. I had a lot of pressure from behind with the two Porsches, which were flying in the rain. It was very difficult to keep them behind me. But I knew if I got out of the Melco corner well, they couldn't attack. I'm very proud to stand on the podium here. It's a nice reward for all the work we've done over the past two years, which hasn't really been rewarded yet.” Source: BMW Group.

Two Porsche 911 GT3 R follow

The two Belgian Porsche Works drivers, Alessio Picariello and Laurens Vanthoor, did look the race a little further managing to bring their 911 GT3 R back to the checkered flag in P4 and P5.

📷 Courtesy of Macau Grand Prix Committee. Left: Picariello’s #911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R. Right: Vanthoor’s #25 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Race Provisional classification