FIA GT World Cup - Maro's thrilling victory in Macau

The FIA GT World Cup, hosted at the infamous and treacherous Macau Guia Circuit, thrilled us with huge crashes and drama, followed by an unexpected victory for Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel.

Photo: Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific

QUALIFYING

Just a few minutes into the qualifying session for the FIA GT World Cup, the red flag was thrown as Laurin Heinrich in the #88 Schumacher CLRT Porsche 992 GT3 R understeered into the barriers at Lisboa, blocking half of the track at the same time. Other cars who were on their qualifying hot laps were forced to stop abruptly in order not to make contact at the tight section of track. This was Heinrich’s debut at the Macau circuit, and this setback would mean he was only able to set a time good enough for seventeenth for the qualifying race later on.

Once the session resumed a few minutes later, the track became incredibly busy, with the BMW’s of Dries Vanthoor, Sheldon van der Linde and Raffaele Marciello setting quick lap times after the resumption. With twenty minutes remaining, Jules Gounon in the #99 Team Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo found the wall, and received heavy damage. A red flag wasn’t called, as the Andorran driver limped back to the pitlane, ensuring the session would not be interrupted again.

The BMW’s continued to show strong pace at the street circuit, with Sheldon van der Linde, then Augusto Farfus, then Dries Vanthoor continuing to trade provisional pole position. Eventually Maro Engel was able to dethrone the BMW’s, but was quickly topped by 2023 FIA GT World Cup winner Raffaele Marciello in the #1 TORO Racing BMW M4 GT3 with an astonishing lap of 2:16.509, fifty-three hundredths quicker than Dries Vanthoor in the #32 Team WRT BMW.

In the closing stages of qualifying, a big crash occurred for Luca Engstler in the #8 LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, another driver making his debut at the Macau circuit. The red flag was immediately called, and the session would not resume, meaning that defending champion at the circuit, Raffaele Marciello claimed pole position once again.

Photo: BMW M Motorsport

QUALIFYING RACE

The qualifying race, with a set distance of twelve laps, began incredibly cleanly, with Marciello on pole, and Dries Vanthoor starting just to his side. Marciello made a good start, meanwhile Antonio Fuoco, also making his debut in the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 battled side-by-side with Maro Engel during the first lap. Dries Vanthoor later makes a move for first position on Raffaele Marciello, succeeding, but one lap later goes deep at Lisboa, allowing Marciello back through into the lead.

Marciello’s pace in the opening stint was constantly improving, increasing the gap to Vanthoor to six tenths after just two laps, which later grew to nearly a second a few laps later. Meanwhile, the gap from Vanthoor in second to Fuoco in third crept up to a second-and-a-half.

With four laps of the qualifying race to go, Edoardo Mortara in the #63 VSR Theodore Racing Lamborghini battled with Ricardo Feller in the #36 FAW Audi Sport Asia Racing Team Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II for tenth and eleventh respectively. Mortara, with a rich and successful history at the Guia Circuit in Macau, including a win with Mercedes-Benz in 2017, as well as podiums such as in 2023, was incredibly disappointed in his inability to gain any positions throughout the race.

Raffaele Marciello eventually managed to fend off Vanthoor to win by 0.6 seconds, with Fuoco finishing third. Maro Engel settled for fourth, while the other BMW’s held positions fifth and sixth. Alessio Picariello was the highest finishing Porsche 992 GT3 R in seventh, with Laurens Vanthoor in eighth. Christopher Haase in the #33 Phantom Global Racing Audi finished ninth, while the previously mentioned Mortara finished tenth. 

Photo: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

MAIN RACE

Sixteen laps set the way for the 2024 FIA GT World Cup champion, however there was a twist. With a very wet circuit, and the race being delayed in hopes for improving conditions, the race started under safety car, and this lasted for four laps before the green flag was thrown and the eager world-class drivers blasted around the tight circuit in damp conditions.

Marciello led Dries Vanthoor, with a lot of side-by-side action during the first lap. Maro Engel dived ahead of Antonio Fuoco, making contact with the Ferrari 296 GT3, but both were able to continue. With ten laps to go, Matteo Cairoli in the #19 VSR Theodore Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 parked up in the escape road at Lisboa, showing clear anger and disappointment in his performance, however the race continued without disruption.

With nine laps to go, Marciello led by just over a second, with Fuoco putting impending pressure on Dries Vanthoor in second. When they approached R Bend, Fuoco got ahead of Vanthoor into P2, allowing the Ferrari to storm ahead and attempt to challenge Marciello for the victory. Just a lap later, Engel made contact with Vanthoor, giving the BMW terminal damage, which left the Belgian driver limping back to the pits to promptly retire. Engel was given a five second time penalty for causing the incident, and this would be added to his race time.

Photo: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

Two laps later, Marciello was leading the Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG duo, with fourth position a long three-and-a-half seconds behind. With the time remaining constantly reducing, the pressure for Marciello increased. Fuoco eventually made the move on Marciello at R Bend, with an incredible move by the Ferrari. The BMW tried to regain the position, but was unable to do so. With just twelve kilometres to go, Marciello and Fuoco made contact at Lisboa after a late move under braking from the Ferrari, causing both cars to head to the escape route. Maro Engel inherited the lead due to the misfortune of the Ferrari and BMW.

Marciello retired, and with the impending five second time penalty for Engel looming over him, it was important for him to keep a consistent gap in order to keep first position. Seven seconds separated Maro Engel to Augusto Farfus, who was sitting quietly in second, with Sheldon van der Linde in third. Eventually the #130 Mercedes-AMG celebrating 130 years of motorsport for the German brand was victorious, in the sixth consecutive Macau GT Cup win for the German manufacturer. BMW’s occupied the second and third step on the podium. Porsche finished fourth and fifth, Audi’s in sixth and eighth, Lamborghini in seventh, Fuoco’s Ferrari in ninth and Daniel Juncadella in another Mercedes-AMG finishing out the top ten.