Two titles in 24 hours for WINWARD!
Lucas Auer and Maro Engel left nothing to chance in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup finale in Barcelona and drove confidently to the title.
What a race weekend for WINWARD Racing! Just a few hours after Russell Ward and Philip Ellis wrapped up the GTD title in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, Lucas Auer and Maro Engel followed up in Barcelona and, with fourth place in the Sunday race, won both the drivers’ and the teams’ title in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup.
In the Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by WINWARD Racing Team MANN-FILTER, the Austrian-German driver pairing had things under control at all times. Although held up on his fastest lap, Engel put the “MANN-FILTER Mamba” sixth on the grid in morning qualifying. In the best conditions this time, the 39-year-old Monaco resident came back from the opening lap in fourth and held the position until the handover to Auer. The 30-year-old from Kufstein in Tyrol then drove just as confidently, with at most a fierce battle for second between the rivals ahead of him to worry about. “That was tricky,” Auer smiled. “The team always kept me informed over the radio about where our title rivals were behind us and whether I should attack or hold back. I was faster than the guys in front of me, but I chose the latter.”
So fourth place was more than good enough in the end to bring the Sprint Cup title in both the drivers’ and teams’ standings to Altendiez, regardless of an ongoing appeal by the WRT team against the classification of the first race, which is provisional for that reason. The outcome of the appeal could still affect the overall standings of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, but no longer the Sprint Cup title. In the overall standings, Auer/Engel cut their deficit to the leaders from 20 to 5 points over the Barcelona weekend ahead of the Endurance Cup finale.
“It took me a few attempts, I was often close, so I’m all the happier that the title has finally worked out,” beamed Maro Engel. “My thanks go to the whole WINWARD team and especially Luggi. I think we strengthened each other as a duo and can be proud of the job we did this year. Thanks also to Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, who support us in everything we do.”
“The whole season was a real dream,” enthused Lucas Auer. “We got off to a perfect start with a win at Brands Hatch, made hardly any mistakes all year and were therefore extremely consistent. I thank the whole WINWARD team and Maro – we weren’t just hugely successful, the year was also great fun. Winning the title in my first season in the Sprint Cup is something very special and makes me proud.”
WINWARD team principal Christian Hohenadel highlighted the outstanding team performance: “Success like this is only possible when many cogs mesh together. Every single person in the team completely committed to the whole squad’s will to win. The guys gave everything all year and truly deserve this success! As usual, Luggi and Maro were a safe bet in every race, and all of that together tipped the balance in our favour in the end. Exactly the same applies to the IMSA title. I have to admit it was hard for me to be in Atlanta instead of Barcelona. But two such important successes for our team on two different continents on the same weekend are simply outstanding!”
Reece Barr and Gilles Badstaber, on the other hand, were condemned to watch in WINWARD Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered in the Silver Cup. After the start crash in the Saturday race, the car could not be repaired on site.
The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS concludes with the last Endurance Cup race on 30 November in Jeddah. Auer and Engel, who as in all endurance races are supported by Canadian Daniel Morad in the “MANN-FILTER Mamba”, travel to Saudi Arabia just five points behind. But first, Auer, Engel and the Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD face the big 2024 DTM title showdown at Hockenheim next weekend. Twenty points behind the leader, Maro Engel still has a real chance of the title.