GT World Challenge Europe: BMW M Team WRT kicks off 2024 Sprint Cup season with a victory.

Brands Hatch. BMW M Team WRT has started the 2024 season of
the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint
Cup with a victory. Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both
BEL) won the first of two races held on Sunday at Brands Hatch (GBR)
in the #32 BMW M4 GT3. Their teammates, Valentino Rossi (ITA) and
Maxime Martin (BEL), who are participating in individual starts in
the Sprint Cup with the #46 BMW M4 GT3, were unrewarded for their
strong performances.

Starting from third place, Vanthoor brought the #32 car up to second
before the driver change. With a perfect and swift pit stop, BMW M
Team WRT ensured that Weerts returned to the track as the leader.
After an hour of racing, the team celebrated a well-deserved victory
for Vanthoor and Weerts. Rossi/Martin finished fifth but dropped to
15th due to a time penalty.

In the second race, Martin and Rossi managed to climb up to a
temporary sixth from 11th on the grid. However, a few minutes before
the end, while lying in P8, Rossi reported steering issues and had to
head into the pits. Weerts and Vanthoor, starting tenth, crossed the
finish line in seventh.

In the Silver Cup, Team WRT’s #30 BMW M4 GT3 was successful: Sam De
Haan (GBR) and Calan Williams (AUS) finished the two races in second
and third positions in the class, respectively, securing podiums in
their category.

Reactions after the races at Brands Hatch:

Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “It’s
a great way to start the Sprint Cup season with a win here at Brands
Hatch. Dries did a great job to take P2 after a few laps and then the
pit crew did an excellent job, they were one and a half seconds
quicker than anybody else, which brought us to P1 and Charles finished
the job in the best way. It was a pity for the number 46 car of
Valentino and Maxime. They were in P5 at the end of race one, but got
a penalty for speeding in the pit lane. In race two, unfortunately an
issue stopped them after they had put in a strong chase through the
field. But they also did a great job.”

Dries Vanthoor, #32 BMW M4 GT3: “The first lap of
race one was very interesting. I gained a position and then lost it
again. So I tried to hunt down the Ferrari in front of me. It was
difficult, I just tried to make no mistakes and to drive as fast as I
could. It was crucial to stay as close to P1 as possible. Then the
boys did an amazing pit stop and Charles did a great job to keep P1
and the win. Race two was a bit more difficult as we started from
tenth. Finishing seventh was the best we could do. Now I’m looking
forward to the next race.”

Charles Weerts, #32 BMW M4 GT3: “Dries did a great
job qualifying us in third for race one. Then he had a very good start
to the race. When we came to the pit stop, the guys in the pits did an
amazing job – as we are used to from them. So we were able to take the
lead in the pit, which was crucial in a way as it would have been
very, very difficult to do so on track. So they played a very big part
in this victory. It has been a great start to the season and that win
will give us momentum for the next rounds.”

Maxime Martin, #46 BMW M4 GT3: “It’s not been the
weekend we were expecting, but it’s always nice to come here and race
on an old school track. It was still a very positive weekend for the
team, as they had a victory with the sister car. We had some good
fights and good fun. Let’s see what Misano brings!”

Valentino Rossi, #46 BMW M4 GT3: “I got my first
podium with the BMW M4 GT3 here at Brands Hatch, but this time it was
more difficult! Yesterday we suffered a lot but today it was better.
Unfortunately, I had a problem with the steering in the second race,
where I had to retire and we also had a penalty for speeding in the
pit lane in race one. Anyway we suffered more than we expected, but it
was still a pleasure to race at Brands Hatch! Let’s see what we can do in Misano!”