BMW M Motorsport opens the 2024 GT World Challenge Europe season like last year, achieving its first Endurance Cup victory with a super performance at Paul Ricard.
In the 3-hour race staged under a sky covered by clouds, it was the M4 GT3 #998 of Rowe Racing masterfully driven by Augusto Farfus, Max Hesse and Dan Harper that prevailed over a combative and concrete Lamborghini #63 of Iron Lynx, with Mercedes completing the overall and PRO Class podium.
An excellent start for Mirko Bortolotti from Pole Position, keeping the Lamborghini #63 of Iron Lynx ahead of the Porsche #22 of Ahyançan Guven (Schumacher-CLRT) and the BMW #998 of Augusto Farfus (Rowe Racing), while Jules Gounon with the GetSpeed's Mercedes #2 began having to defend itself strenuously from a wild Alessio Rovera in the Ferrari 296 #51.
In turn 2 the Lamborghini #163 of Christian Engelhart (GRT) spun causing panic, but fortunately without incurring any accidents, with the large group spreading out like a fan.
The great protagonist of the first hour was the Safety Cars, called into question four times; the first to remove debris and the second for a traffic light problem.
Meanwhile, the BMWs showed incredible speed on the straight, with Maxime Martin and Charles Weerts leading the #46 and #32 WRT M4s inexorably ahead of Rovera, who in the meantime managed to overtake Gounon, who was being chased by the #98 BMW by Marco Wittmann (Rowe).
#63 Iron Lynx, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli, Matteo Cairoli
Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo
The AF Corse-Francorchamps Motors native of Varese was then the unfortunate protagonist of a contact with Weerts' BMW, which swerved in front of him and hit the 296, puncturing the rear left, losing pieces on the 'Mistral' straight, with the Ferrari driver dropping to ninth .
Third Safety Car to remove debris from the red M4, which returned to the pits to retire, then again neutralized at the end of the hour, when the #34 Aston Martin of David Pittard (Walkenhorst Motorsport) caught fire.
Here the group was divided into two, between those who took the opportunity to return immediately and those who waited for the next lap to change drivers, tires and refuel.
The CLRT Porsche #22 came out ahead of the Lamborghini #63, but Dorian Boccolacci shortly afterwards had to return to the pit lane again as a cable remained attached to the side of the 911, leaving Andrea Caldarelli, Bortolotti's replacement, in front to the two Rowe Racing BMWs, signaling the great rise to third place of the #98 passed to Nick Yelloly.
#2 GetSpeed Performance, Mercedes-AMG GT3: Jules Gounon, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller
Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo
The #96 Porsche of Rutronik and the #2 Mercedes also found themselves in the Top5, Dennis Olsen immediately stood out by gaining seventh position behind the Ferrari #51 of Davide Rigon, overpowering the BMW #46 of Valentino Rossi, behind whom Ricardo Feller forcefully found himself in the Audi #99 of Tresor Attempto, 16th at the restart. The Swiss managed to overtake the 'Doctor' halfway through the hour, taking eighth place from him.
Meanwhile, Caldarelli's defense at the front was moving at times, but on lap 43 Dan Harper managed to find the right gap to put the BMW #998 in the lead and pull away. Feller also showed himself to be in very good shape, overtaking Rigon for sixth place on lap 49 and Julien Andlauer for 5th on lap 50.
On lap 53, with 64' still on the clock, the second and final stops for driver changes and various interventions began; the BMW #998 passed to Max Hesse, holding the lead ahead of the Lamborghini #63 now owned by Matteo Cairoli, while Luca Stolz moved up to third with the Mercedes #2 due to a problem at the pit stop suffered by the BMW #98, which was dropped eighth.
Raffaele Marciello with the #46 BMW instead gained position on the #64 Ford in the pits and then outpaced Alessandro Pier Guidi's Ferrari, taking sixth place. The Piedmontese also had to surrender to Philipp Eng's #98 BMW on the following lap, with the Austrian also passing 'Lello' on lap 66.
In the last half hour the #99 Audi collapsed with Christopher Haase fighting to keep it on the track; Obviously the #98 and #46 BMWs took advantage of this and Eng even caught up with Sven Muller's #96 Porsche, recovering a fourth place which in the end still cries out for revenge.
#46 Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3: Maxime Martin, Raffaele Marciello, Valentino Rossi
Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo
The last twist occurred on lap 76 with 18 minutes still to go: the BMW #98 had to return to the pits for a final emergency refueling, evidently due to the failure to supply the correct fuel in the previous pit stop.
The victory went without worries to the BMW #998 of Farfus/Harper/Hesse (Rowe Racing) ahead of the excellent Lamborghini #63 of Cairoli/Caldarelli/Bortolotti (Iron Lynx), while Mercedes finished on the podium with the #2 of Stolz /Schiller/Gounon (GetSpeed).
Said of the BMW #98, in the final the BMW #46 of Marciello/Martin/Rossi moved up to fourth, passing the Porsche #96 of Rutronik Racing (Andlauer/Niederhauser/Muller), with the Audi #99 of Haase/Feller/Aka sixth.
Ferrari also dropped down the order at the end, settling for ninth place in the #51 of Rovera/Rigon/Pier Guidi, which was also passed by the Aston Martin #7 of Thiim/Drudi/Sorensen (Comtoyou Racing) and resisting the Ford with gritted teeth. Mustang #64 of Mies/Olsen/Vervisch (Proton Competition), closing the Top10.
#8 Kessel Racing, Ferrari 296 GT3: Nicolò Rosi, Niccolò Schiro, David Fumanelli
Photo by: Emanuele Clivati | AG Photo
In the Gold Cup Class it was absolute domination for the Mercedes #777 of AlManar Racing of the Baumann/Al Zubair/Grenier trio, which had been ahead of the three Audis and the AMGs of 2 Seas Motorsport and HRT for a long time.
But in the breathtaking finale the R8 #25 of Magnus/Pla/Evrard (Saintéloc Racing) managed to overtake and went on to win, while a penalty inflicted on the R8 was the #88 of Tresor Attempto in a very comeback thanks to Patrese/Moncini/Ferrari, for which the podium is completed by the Audi #111 of CSA Racing with Rougier/Eteki/Caresani.
Mercedes celebrating the hat-trick in the Silver Cup Class led by the #57 of Carton/Arrow/Sathienthirakul (Winward Racing) followed by the #10 of Panis/Gazeau/Meyuhas (Boutsen VDS), capable of overtaking the #90 of Perez Companc/ Assenheimer (Madpanda).
Finally, in the Bronze Cup there is a great recovery completed by the Ferraris: the #8 of Kessel Racing wins with Fumanelli/Rosi/Schirò, second place instead for the #52 of AF Corse shared by Bertolini/J.Machiels/L. Machiels.
Also on the podium is the Aston Martin #11 of Comtoyou Racing driven by Van Uitert/De Wilde/Pauwels, also the author of a good recovery after the last round of stops.
#GTWC #irrepressible #BMW #beats #Lamborghini #Paul #Ricard
