Belgian racing outfit BMW M Team WRT dominated the second round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup by claiming victories and podium finishes in both races during the weekend. The season comprises 10 events, five Sprint Cup events, and five Endurance Cup events. The recently concluded race weekend at Misano served as the second round of the Sprint Cup.
Pro Cup
In the first race, the duo of Maxime Martin and Valentino Rossi drove their BMW M4 GT3 to victory (a repeat home victory for the Italian racing star Rossi), followed by teammates Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts in second. In the second outing (night race), Vanthoor and Veerts claimed the top spot on the podium, while Martin and Rossi claimed third place. The teammates were separated by Winward Racing Team’s Maro Engel and Lucas Auer, driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
Sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Rossi said, “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.”
With this, Vanthoor and Weerts have secured a strong position in the title fight, with their second season victory after the opening race at Brands Hatch. They now lead in the Sprint Cup standings. The #46 BMW M4 GT3, piloted by Martin and Rossi, has completed its two guest appearances in the Sprint Cup and will only compete in the Endurance Cup for the rest of the season.
Silver Cup
In the Silver Cup too, Team WRT racked up two victories at Misano and extended their lead in the overall standings. Calan Williams and Sam De Haan drove the #30 BMW M4 GT3 to victory.