Maro Engel and Lucas Auer secured the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Sprint Cup title in a thrilling season finale at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Despite finishing just off the podium in fourth place, the Winward Racing Team-Mann Filter duo clinched both the drivers’ and teams’ championships, capping off a dominant season.

The race was won by Rutronik Racing’s Patric Niederhauser and Sven Müller, who delivered a flawless performance to secure victory in the #96 Porsche, marking Porsche’s first-ever Sprint Cup win. Niederhauser started from pole and held the lead into turn 1, followed closely by Tom Gamble in the #159 Garage 59 McLaren and Mattia Drudi in the #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin. The opening laps ran smoothly, with minor contact but no major incidents.

Engel, starting in the #48 Mercedes-AMG, climbed two positions early on and held fourth for the majority of the first stint. Meanwhile, title rivals Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor in the #32 Team WRT BMW made significant progress, jumping from 15th to ninth, but were unable to close the gap on Engel.

Rutronik Racing executed a perfect pit stop, allowing Niederhauser to hand over to Müller, who dominated the remainder of the race. Comtoyou Racing’s fast pit work pushed their Aston Martin up to second, with Nicolas Baert taking over from Drudi. Benjamin Goethe in the #159 McLaren held third but faced heavy pressure from Auer and the chasing #9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG, driven by Maximilian Götz.

In a tense battle for the podium, Goethe defended against Baert’s Aston Martin, creating a tight four-car fight that lasted until the final minutes. Despite several attempts, Auer held back from making an aggressive move, prioritizing the championship. Ultimately, Müller crossed the line nine seconds ahead to claim a commanding victory, with Baert finishing second and Goethe securing third for Garage 59.

While Auer missed out on a podium finish, his fourth-place result was enough to secure the Sprint Cup title for him and Engel. Their closest rivals, the #32 BMW, finished seventh, confirming their runner-up status in the championship.

In the Gold Cup, the race was effectively decided at the start when the #111 CSA Racing Audi sustained damage, eliminating its chances for a strong result. Victory went to the #88 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi, driven by Lorenzo Patrese and Lorenzo Ferrari. The #6 Liqui-Moly Team Engstler by OneGroup Audi, driven by Luca Engstler and Max Hofer, finished second, securing the Gold Cup title.

The Silver Cup win went to Boutsen VDS’s César Gazeau and Aurélien Panis in the #10 Mercedes-AMG, completing a weekend sweep. However, despite their strong performance, the #30 Team WRT BMW’s second-place finish in the class was enough for Calan Williams to secure the Silver Cup title.

Rutronik Racing also claimed victory in the Bronze Cup, with Dustin Blattner and Dennis Marschall in the #97 Porsche overcoming fierce competition from the #78 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini. Darren Leung and Dan Harper, driving the #991 Paradine Competition BMW, finished third, sealing the Bronze Cup title.

With the Sprint Cup season now concluded, attention shifts to the final round of the Endurance Cup at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, where the remaining titles will be decided in a six-hour race on November 28–30.

 
 

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