Historic BMW victory in the second GT World Challenge race at Misano

Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde also won the second race of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup round at Misano. The two BMW works drivers were thus able to repeat their victory from the previous day. This marks the first time since Zandvoort 2023 that a driver pairing has won both races in the series in a single weekend. For Weerts, it is also his 20th overall victory in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, making him the sole record holder – and it is already his tenth win at Misano! The WRT team secured the victory during the mandatory pit stop, when the BMW took the lead thanks to an ultra-fast stop by the mechanics. With this triumph, the two WRT drivers also take the lead in the Sprint Cup standings after the second race weekend.

Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gonon finished second in their Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing cars, after Gonon had led the first half of the race following his start from pole position. However, the team lost the lead during the pit stop. After one hour of racing, they were 2.977 seconds behind the winning BMW.

Lucas Auer and Maro Engel in the WINWARD Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 completed the podium, after Auer spectacularly overtook Valentino Rossi on the penultimate lap. Rossi thus missed out on his fourth victory in the GT World Challenge Europe at Misano in four years.

Five minutes into the race, championship leader Bastian Buus, in the Lionspeed GP Porsche, collided with Patric Niederhauser’s Rutronik Racing Lamborghini at the first chicane. The Swiss driver spun out in the Temerario GT3 but was able to continue the race. Buus was handed a drive-through penalty.

Kobe Pauwels started the race from third on the grid in the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin, but the Belgian headed for the pits after around ten minutes with a mechanical fault and retired.

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Shortly after the pit stop window closed, Matteo Cairoli rolled to a halt in his Emil Frey Racing Ferrari due to technical problems. A Full Course Yellow period was declared to recover the car.

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Misano Race 2 results (Top 10):

1. Charles Weerts/Kelvin van der Linde – WRT – BMW M4 GT3

2. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing – Mercedes-AMG GT3

3. Lucas Auer/Maro Engel – WINWARD Racing – Mercedes-AMG GT3

4. Valentino Rossi/Max Hesse – WRT – BMW M4 GT3

5. Thierry Vermeulen/Ben Green – Emil Frey Racing – Ferrari 296 GT3

6. Thomas Neubauer/Arthur Leclerc – AF Corse – Ferrari 296 GT3

7. Dean MacDonald/Marvin Kirchhöfer – Garage 59 – McLaren 720S GT3

8. Dylan Pereira/Alex Aka – Tresor Attempto Racing – Audi R8 LMS GT3

9. Thomas Fleming/Louis Prette – Garage 59 – McLaren 720S GT3

10. Amaury Cordeel/Jordan Pepper – WRT – BMW M4 GT3