Full box for Team WRT at Misano

SRO

May 19

BMW M Team WRT dominated the second season event in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup at Misano (ITA) and celebrated victory in both races. In the first run, Valentino Rossi repeated his home victory from last season together with Maxime Martin. In the second race, Vanthoor and Weerts were unbeatable.

Vanthoor and Weerts top Sprint Cup overall standings

Since their second victory in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup (Brands Hatch and Misano) and a P2 in race 1 at Misano, Vanthoor and Weerts driving BMW M Team WRT BMW M GT3 #32 have passed Lucas Auer and Maro Engel (#48 Mercedes-AMG) to move four points clear of the Winward Racing Team Mann-Filter drivers in the battle for the series title.

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “We now have 50 victories in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup – what an impressive number! I can't praise the team enough for its performance during the pit stops today. Everyone did a perfect job. I am especially pleased because we showed a strong reaction after our recently difficult weekend at the FIA WEC at Spa-Francorchamps. Now we can go into the countdown for Le Mans with a good feeling.”

BMW M M4 GT3 also in Silver and Gold

📷 © Courtesy of SRO. In the Silver Cup, Calan Williams and Sam De Haan in the Team WRT #30 BMW M4 GT3 also achieved two victories at Misano and significantly extended their lead in the overall standings. In addition, Century Motorsport, in its debut season in the GT World Challenge Europe, finished second in the Bronze Cup in race two with BMW M works driver Dan Harper and Darren Leung sharing the cockpit of the #991 BMW M4 GT3.

Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Congratulations to BMW M Team WRT on an incredible race weekend at Misano! Two victories, including the second home success for Valentino Rossi alongside Maxime Martin, and the overall lead in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup for Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts following their commanding victory – simply gigantic! Plus, two more successes in the Silver Cup for Calan Williams and Sam De Haan – the team led by Vincent Vosse has once again proven its extra class. I am also very pleased with the strong results for Century Motorsport in the Bronze Cup. The team is getting along well from the start in its first season in the highly competitive GT World Challenge Europe. The BMW M4 GT3 has won four of the five season races so far at Le Castellet, Brands Hatch, and Misano, proving its versatility on three completely different tracks. This makes us very optimistic for the rest of the season. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these successes!”

Vanthoor and Weerts unbeatable in race 2

Starting both from first row Weerts took immediately the lead but Rossi was passed by Auer in the #48 Winward Racing Team Mann-Filter Mercedes-AMG, Giacomo Altoè in the #69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari and Simon Gachet (#111 CSA Racing Audi). Rossi eventually moved the #46 Team WRT BMW up to fourth spot before pit stop.

📷 © Courtesy of SRO.

BMW M Team WRT Pit stop got Maxime Martin out ahead of the #69 Ferrari. Engel (#48 Winward Racing Team) would take a few tenths out of Vanthoor's lead while Martin applied pressure and force the #48 car to take a defensive line. It was the ideal outcome for the #32 crew, allowing Vanthoor to take the chequered flag 1.9 seconds ahead of Engel, who finished just 0.5 seconds clear of Martin.

Dries Vanthoor (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “We always get along super well as a team at Misano. With first and second place, we had a very good weekend again this time and collected important points for the championship. Our crews were once again the fastest in the pit stops – many thanks for that! I am still a little annoyed about my mistake on Friday in qualifying, without which we would have started from pole position in both races. But we made a good comeback in race one to finish second. In the second race, we executed perfectly.”
Charles Weerts (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “Victory, second place, and pole position: It was a great weekend for us, with which we have now also taken the lead in the overall standings. Many thanks to everyone for the great job! We knew that the Misano track suits us, and as a team, we got the maximum out of it. We are in a good position after two season events, but there will certainly be tracks where we will struggle more. That's why it was so important to take many points at Misano."

Martin - Rossi win race 1

📷 © Courtesy of SRO. Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin (#46 BMW M Team WRT BMW M GT3) triumphed in a highly entertaining Sprint Cup race at Misano, fending off a late charge from the sister #32 Team WRT BMW of Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts to secure victory. The final spot on the podium went to the #69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari of Thierry Vermeulen and Giacomo Altoè of this first race of third round of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint.

Martin took the start from pole while Vanthoor gained a position to run fourth at the conclusion of lap one. After pit stop Rossi maintained the lead of the race with an advantage of around three seconds over Weerts. Despite the high stakes with Weerts significant pressure, Rossi with #46 held firm, taking the chequered flag to earn back-to-back Misano wins alongside Martin by just 0.275s.

Valentino Rossi (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “A fantastic weekend here at Misano! To have won at home again after last year is great. Maxime secured pole position on Friday, but I knew immediately that it would be tough in the race against our sister car. That's how it turned out, and Charles Weerts put a lot of pressure on me at the end of the first race, but I didn't make any mistakes and brought home the victory. I am very happy about that. In race two in the evening, we tried to finish second, but we couldn't overtake on this track. Nevertheless, we can leave Misano very happy with a double podium.”

Maxime Martin (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “To win in Valentino's backyard and to get on the podium a second time is fantastic! Since we are not contesting the entire Sprint Cup season, we can definitely say that we are finishing it on an absolute high after our two guest starts. Now I am looking forward to the upcoming highlights in the Endurance Cup.”