Grasser Racing took a masterful victory in today’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS contest at the Nürburgring, putting Lamborghini back on the top step of the podium and igniting its bid for the Endurance Cup title.
The #163 crew of Jordan Pepper, Marco Mapelli and Franck Perera led the vast majority of the three-hour race, demonstrating the same turn of speed they showed at last month’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. The win moves the Grasser trio to third in the standings with everything still to play for during the closing phase of the season.
The #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche took the start from pole with Patric Niederhauser at the wheel. The Swiss driver executed a perfect launch and looked set to maintain his advantage into Turn 1, only for the #71 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari to make heavy contact in the braking zone. Niederhauser was soon in the pits with terminal damage, while Ferrari driver David Vidales was handed a drive-through penalty.
This elevated the #163 Lamborghini of Pepper to the lead, followed by Lucas Auer in the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter machine. The status quo was maintained after the first round of pit stops as Pepper handed over to Mapelli, while Auer was replaced by Maro Engel. With the race running uninterrupted the leaders were able to pull away from the chasing pack during the middle stint, leaving the #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche some 10 seconds behind in third by the end of the second hour.
Mapelli pulled in for the final stop with just over 60 minutes remaining, handing the car to Perera. Engel ran an extra lap, pushing the #48 Mercedes-AMG to its limit in an effort to leapfrog the Lamborghini. Daniel Morad took the wheel and emerged marginally ahead of Perera, but with one lap of heat in his Pirelli tyres the Frenchman was able to execute a comfortable pass into Turn 1.
Taking full advantage of clean air, Perera eased clear to secure Lamborghini its first Endurance Cup triumph since the same event in 2021, while Grasser Racing returned to the top step of the podium for the first time since Silverstone in 2017. Morad, meanwhile, fell into the clutches of the #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche, which had a charging Laurin Heinrich at the wheel. With just three minutes left on the clock the German dived up the inside at Turn 1 to snatch runner-up spot alongside Ayhancan Güven and Dorian Boccolacci.
Tresor Attempto Racing finished fourth with its Audi, which made good progress from 11th on the grid. The #98 ROWE Racing BMW was classified fifth, moving ahead of the #7 Aston Martin following a penalty for the Comtoyou Racing squad. Nevertheless, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winner and its trio of Nicki Thiim, Mattia Drudi and Marco Sørensen retain their place at the top of the Endurance Cup standings.
Boutsen VDS finished seventh with its #9 Mercedes-AMG, while the #51 AF Corse Ferrari was eighth after a stellar comeback drive. The Italian squad made remarkable progress from 48th on the grid after missing the final segment of qualifying, though the car is under investigation after late contact between Alessandro Pier Guidi and the #32 Team WRT BMW of Dries Vanthoor.
Ninth went to the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini, which was also involved in a long-running duel with the #32 BMW, while the #71 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari finished 10th after recovering from its earlier penalty.
Saintéloc Racing extended its advantage at the top of the Gold Cup standings with a second victory of the season. The #25 Audi ran second during the opening hour and slipped to third during the middle phase of the race, but returned to the front after the final stop. Gilles Magnus brought the car home after stints from Jim Pla and Paul Evrard. The #777 AlManar Racing by GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG was second, while the #77 HRT Mercedes-AMG was third after leading for the opening two stints.
Boutsen VDS secured a commanding Silver Cup triumph with its #10 Mercedes-AMG, which started from pole and ran well clear of its class rivals for the duration. Indeed, the crew of Aurélien Panis, Cesar Gazeau and Roee Meyuhas finished nine places clear of their closest contender. The #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG was a fine second after starting last on the grid, scoring a crucial haul of points in the process, while Dinamic GT completed the podium with its #55 Porsche.
While it suffered early heartbreak with its Pro car, Rutronik Racing delivered a brilliant performance in the Bronze Cup. The #97 Porsche completely controlled proceedings, leading from pole and remaining out front for the duration. Dustin Blattner took the start and was succeeded by Loek Hartog and Dennis Marschall, with all three executing a perfect race. Lionspeed GP made it a Porsche one-two with its #80 machine, which moved into podium contention after the first round of stops, while Barwell Motorsport was third with its #78 Lamborghini following a penalty for the #991 Century Motorsport BMW.
The battle for the Endurance Cup titles will resume at another iconic European venue, with Monza set to host a three-hour race on 20-22 September. Before that, Fanatec GT Europe will be back in action for the penultimate Sprint Cup contest of the year, which takes place at French venue Magny-Cours on 23-25 August.