Rowe Racing Clinches Historic Victory at Nürburgring in GT World Challenge Europe
In a commanding performance, Rowe Racing’s #98 BMW M4 GT3 Evo triumphed in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup race at Nürburgring, marking BMW’s first victory on German soil in this competition. The team, consisting of Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, and Raffaele Marciello, led from start to finish, becoming the first trio since 2023 to win an Endurance Cup round from pole position.
Farfus set a strong pace during the opening stint; however, the lead shifted when Krohn lost position to the #007 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, driven by Mattia Drudi, shortly after his out lap. A strategic pit stop by Drudi and co-driver Nicki Thiim allowed them to capitalize on fresh tires, briefly pulling ahead of Krohn.
Mid-race, Drudi maintained the lead, keeping the gap fluctuating between half a second and three seconds. However, a Full Course Yellow during the final pit-stop cycle played a critical role in altering the lead. The #98 BMW completed its service a lap later, regaining the lead and leaving the Aston Martin, now driven by Marco Sørensen, to fall to sixth position.
Marciello quickly created a healthy buffer, navigating through traffic to finish with a 4.468-second lead over the second-placed #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER AMG GT3 Evo, driven by Lucas Auer, Maro Engel, and Matteo Cairoli, who extended their championship lead. The #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), piloted by Alessio Picariello, Sven Müller, and Patric Niederhauser, completed the podium.
Notably, the #64 HRT Ford Performance Mustang GT3 surged from 17th on the grid to third but was subsequently penalized, finishing in sixth. The #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche moved up to fourth, followed closely by the #63 GRT – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2, with the #007 Aston Martin dropping to seventh.
In the Gold Cup category, the #33 Verstappen.Com Racing Aston Martin, driven by Thierry Vermeulen, Chris Lulham, and Harry King, finished ninth overall, effectively securing the first championship titles for the Gold Endurance drivers and teams.
The Silver Cup was claimed by the #10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG, while the #222 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG dominated the Bronze Cup, overcoming a fiercely competitive field during the caution period.
The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup will conclude at Barcelona from October 10-12, with the Sprint Cup finale scheduled for Valencia on September 19-21.
