Engel adds to his success in thrilling race

Maro Engel

Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG) won what was arguably the best edition of the FIA GT World Cup to date. The weekend was full of surprises, making it nearly impossible to predict who would emerge victorious on Sunday. Both the Qualifying Race on Saturday and the main race on Sunday were thrilling spectacles, providing motorsport fans with a feast for the eyes.

Despite few interruptions or major issues, the GT World Cup delivered excitement throughout the weekend, with each session—spanning from Day 1 to Day 4—offering something new. Under changing conditions, Porsche appeared to have the upper hand after Day 1. However, by Friday, BMW seemed to have taken over, placing four cars in the top six during the Qualifying Race. This included the top two spots, with reigning champion Raffaele Marciello leading, followed by Dries Vanthoor.

Somewhat of a surprise, although completely justified by his performance, was the third-place finish of Antonio Fuoco in the Ferrari 296. Such a result placed Ferrari also in contention for the trophy.

Engel, in fourth, rounded out a competitive top four, with every manufacturer represented in the Top 10.

Sunday brought heavy rain, which led to the postponement of the second race in the TCR World Tour. The GT cars were the first to hit the track after the storm, and with poor visibility, the race began behind the Safety Car. After a few laps to adjust to the conditions, the Safety Car pulled in, and the race began in earnest, with overtaking attempts and action unfolding in multiple parts of the track—not just at the traditional braking point into Lisboa Bend.

Antonio Fuoco

With eight laps remaining, Dries Vanthoor, who had already lost a position to Fuoco in the Ferrari, collided with the wall at Faraway Hill, after being nudged by Engel. The impact severely damaged Vanthoor’s BMW M4, forcing him to retire from the race. The incident was under investigation by Race Direction.

With Vanthoor out of the picture, Fuoco was free from pressure and soon realized he had the pace to challenge for the win. With just two laps to go, Fuoco passed Marciello at R Bend in a move similar to his earlier pass on Vanthoor. Marciello, not willing to give up the lead, immediately counterattacked Fuoco in every way he could.

As they approached Lisboa, Fuoco defended his position by taking the inside line. Both drivers braked late in an attempt to hold their positions, resulting in contact. Neither could hit the ideal braking point, and both went straight into the escape road, handing the lead to Engel, who was running in third.

With just one lap to go, it seemed like the race was decided, but a penalty for Engel loomed. Race Direction handed him a 5-second penalty for the earlier contact with Vanthoor. While the penalty wasn’t enough to drop Engel from first, it forced him to push hard in the final lap to maintain his lead. He crossed the line with a gap of 6.641 seconds over second-place Augusto Farfus, who was driving another BMW M4.

Completing the podium was Sheldon Van Der Linde, also in a BMW M4. The top five was rounded out by two Porsches 911 GT3 Rs, with Alessio Picariello and Laurens Vanthoor finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

With this victory, Engel added another title to his career, having previously won the inaugural FIA GT World Cup. This also marked the third consecutive win for Mercedes-AMG in the event.

Engel expresses joy for second GT World Cup victory

Engel expresses joy for second GT World Cup victory

Maro Engel, expressed his delight at the victory, saying, “Incredible emotions. Incredible race for sure, a lot happening there, and for sure, it feels amazing,” speaking in a press conference after the race the Mercedes-AMG driver admitted that they did not expect to win, especially in the dry conditions, but the rain proved to be their chance.

Engel also apologized to Dries Vanthoor for the incident earlier in the race, where the two came together, leading to a five-second penalty for the winner. “I want to say sorry to Dries [Vanthoor]. It’s unfortunate we came together, I had no intention [to push him out], I went for a move, he tried to close it, we came together slightly, and I think he tagged the wall, so yeah, sorry to him for that,” he said.

Augusto Farfus, who finished second for the new team from Macau (KRC), was also pleased with the result, stating, “Macau is always a surprise box. This weekend was probably the hardest weekend I’ve had in Macau. We had all kinds of weather, we had all kinds of conditions.” Sheldon van der Linde, who secured his first Macau podium, spoke about the pressure he faced from the cars behind him, saying, “It was a bit unexpected, to be honest, before the race, starting from P6. You never really expect to move three positions forward in Macau, especially where you can’t overtake,” the South African said. Victoria Chan