Garage 59 Dominates at Magny-Cours in GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup
Garage 59 secured a decisive victory in the second race of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at Magny-Cours, with drivers Marvin Kirchhöfer and Benjamin Goethe marking their place as the first repeat winners of the season. The #59 McLaren GT3 Evo triumphed in a closely contested battle against the #63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 from GRT – Grasser Racing Team, which finished just 0.156 seconds behind.
Kirchhöfer, starting from pole position, quickly built a 3.3-second lead over Jordan Pepper during the opening stint. The McLaren maintained its advantage through the pit stops, even as traffic complications ensued. Once clear, Goethe faced intense pressure from Luca Engstler, who explored multiple overtaking opportunities, notably at Turn 9 and the Nürburgring chicane. Despite Engstler’s aggressive pursuit, Goethe managed to hold his ground, stating, "He [Engstler] was all over the back of me… I was just trying to keep him behind the whole time."
Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts rounded out the podium in the #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo, preserving their lead in the drivers’ championship with a narrow 1.5-point edge over Kirchhöfer and Goethe. Vincent Abril and Alessio Rovera finished fourth in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, followed by Rutronik Racing’s Sven Müller and Patric Niederhauser, who benefited from superior pit work to ascend the leaderboard.
Notably, the #50 AF Corse Ferrari of Arthur Leclerc and Thomas Neubauer appeared sixth on track but was demoted to 11th due to a 10-second penalty for a collision that resulted in a puncture for Emil Frey Racing’s Chris Lulham. Ultimately, the #9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG completed the top six.
In the Gold Cup class, the #25 Sainteloc Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II of Gilles Magnus and Paul Evrard clinched victory, finishing ninth overall and well clear of the #58 Garage 59 McLaren and the #88 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi. The Gold Cup drivers’ championship lead remains with Lulham and Thierry Vermeulen despite their misfortune.
In the Silver Cup, Jamie Day and Kobe Pauwels achieved their third consecutive victory in the #21 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, reclaiming momentum after losing the lead on the opening lap. Finally, the Bronze Cup win went to Rinat Salikhov and Marvin Dienst in the #81 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, triumphing by a mere 0.716 seconds.
The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup will conclude at Valencia from September 19-21. Competitors will next head to the Nürburgring for the Endurance Cup’s fourth round, scheduled for August 29-31.
Results Overview:
- Winners: #59 Garage 59 McLaren GT3 Evo
- Second: #63 GRT – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2
- Third: #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo
Key Competitors:
- Fourth: #51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3
- Fifth: Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3.R
- Gold Cup: #25 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II
- Silver Cup: #21 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo
- Bronze Cup: #81 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG
For detailed results and standings, further updates will follow as the season progresses.
