Engel, Auer Convert Pole to Brands Race 2 Win

Photo: JEP/SRO

Maro Engel and Lucas Auer converted pole position to claim their first GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup victory of the season during Race 2 at Brands Hatch.

Auer, piloting the No. 48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, crossed the line 1.308 seconds ahead of the No. 32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO driven by Charles Weerts.

The Mamba-liveried Mercedes-AMG started the race from pole with Engel at the wheel and spent early running under pressure from the No. 69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 of Chris Lulham.

Lulham had fought off a lap one challenge from the No. 78 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 of Sandy Mitchell, with the two drivers entering the mandatory pitstop window second and third.

That window was delayed following a safety car after Baptiste Moulin became stranded in the gravel at Sheene Curve aboard the No. 19 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini.

That compressed the field as pitstops began, with slow stops for both Emil Frey and Barwell causing both cars to plummet down the order.

The No. 32 Team WRT BMW, meanwhile, did the exact opposite, vaulting up from seventh to second place as Weerts took over from Kelvin van der Linde.

While a second safety car, this time for contact between Rutronik Racing’s Eshan Pieris and CSA Racing driver McLaren James Kell, brought Weerts within striking distance of Auer, a pass could not be made.

Auer was subsequently able to pull a gap of just over a second, resulting in a first win of the season for the defending drivers’ champions.

Sven Mueller and Patric Niederhauser completed the podium in the No. 96 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, while penalties for Full Course Yellow infringements shook up the remainder of the top ten.

Both the No. 50 AF Corse and No. 14 Emil Frey Racing Ferraris were penalised after crossing the line fourth and fifth, dropping back to 25th and tenth, respectively.

As a result, the No. 59 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo of Marvin Kirchhoefer and Benjamin Goethe was classified fourth, with the top five rounded out by the No. 78 Barwell Lamborghini.

Al Faisal Al Zubair and Jens Klingmann picked up the Gold Cup class win aboard the No. 777 Al Manar Racing by Team WRT BMW in sixth, ahead of the No. 35 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo driven by Henrique Chaves and Mateo Villagomez.

Ferrari runners made up the remainder of the top ten, with the No. 51 AF Corse and No. 69 Emil Frey Racing-entered example ahead of the demoted No. 14 machine.

Notably, post-race penalties also led to a change of winners in Silver Cup, as the No. 10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG was penalised, instead handing the class victory to the No. 99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II of Alex Aka and Ezequiel Perez Companc.

Notably, half the field, including the No. 99 Audi, all three AF Corse Ferraris, the No. 78 Barwell Lamborghini, No. 14 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari and others still remain under further investigation for yellow flag procedures.