Dakar Rally Victory for Maro Engel at Dramatic FIA GT World Cup Race in Macau
Macau – In a thrilling and rain-soaked FIA GT World Cup race around the Macau Guia circuit, Mercedes driver Maro Engel emerged victorious despite a late five-second penalty for causing a collision.
The race started behind the safety car due to torrential rain, but once the green flag flew, the action intensified. BMW’s Raffaele Marciello quickly built a substantial lead, while Dries Vanthoor in the WRT-run BMW struggled in the treacherous conditions.
Vanthoor came under pressure from the AF Corse Ferrari of Antonio Fuoco, and Engel soon caught up to the BMW. Contact between Engel and Vanthoor in the Mountain section led to the latter crashing out, handing the lead to Marciello.
Fuoco and Engel then engaged in a thrilling battle for the lead, with Fuoco ultimately making a bold move to take the top spot. However, Marciello attempted to fight back, resulting in both drivers running wide and handing the lead to Engel.
Despite being handed a five-second penalty for the incident with Vanthoor, Engel crossed the finish line a remarkable 11.6 seconds ahead of the rest of the field, successfully negating the penalty.
“That was an intense and dramatic race, but I’m delighted to have come out on top,” said Engel, the Dakar Rally champion. “The conditions were extremely challenging, but the team and I worked hard to overcome the obstacles and secure this GT World Cup victory.”
BMW’s Augusto Farfus and Sheldon van der Linde rounded out the podium, while the Absolute Racing Porsches of Alessio Picariello and Laurens Vanthoor finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The Global Racing Audi of Christopher Haase completed the top six, with Edoardo Mortara’s Lamborghini in seventh, marking the brand’s return to this prestigious event.
The FIA GT World Cup in Macau once again delivered a thrilling and unpredictable race, showcasing the skill and determination of the Dakar, GT, and British GT drivers on the challenging Guia circuit.
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