GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup: Zandvoort Preview
A record 41-car grid will compete in the second round of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at Circuit Zandvoort this weekend, eclipsing the previous 30-car entry seen in 2023. This surge in participation is largely due to the introduction of the Bronze Cup, absent last year due to paddock space limitations.
Defending champions Lucas Auer and Maro Engel, driving the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER AMG GT3 Evo, lead the Pro category standings with 22 points after winning Race 2 at Brands Hatch. They hold a 5.5-point lead over Vincent Abril and Alessio Rovera in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, and Benjamin Goethe and Marvin Kirchhöfer in the #59 Garage 59 McLaren GT3 Evo.
In the Gold Cup, the #69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 crew of Chris Lulham and Thierry Vermeulen currently holds the lead, up eight points over AlManar Racing’s duo Al Faisal Al Zubair and Jens Klingmann. The Gold Cup has shrunk to five entries following the reclassification of the #112 CSA Racing McLaren GT3 to the Bronze Cup.
The Silver Cup features an 11-car field, with changes including Bijoy Garg replacing Daniel Ali in the #76 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini. Leading the standings are Cesar Gazeau and Aurelien Panis from Boutsen VDS, bolstered by their Race 2 win at Brands Hatch.
Steller Motorsport’s Corvette Z06 GT3.R, after a promising debut performance at Circuit Paul Ricard, struggled at Brands Hatch, finishing eighth in both races. Matisse Lismont remains competitive in the Silver Cup, only 7.5 points behind the leading #26 Sainteloc Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.
Nine entries in the Bronze Cup are also competing for an automatic invitation to the 2026 24 Hours of Le Mans, with defending champions Dan Harper and Darren Leung returning in their #991 Paradine Competition BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
Notably, Kessel Racing returns to the Sprint Cup for the first time since 2018 with their #74 Ferrari, which has shown solid performance in the Endurance Cup.
Track activities commence on Friday, May 16th with Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying, followed by qualifying sessions and 60-minute races on both Saturday and Sunday.
Key Standings Ahead of Zandvoort:
- Pro Category Leaders: Lucas Auer & Maro Engel (#48, Mercedes-AMG) – 22 points
- Gold Cup Leaders: Chris Lulham & Thierry Vermeulen (#69, Ferrari) – 8 points ahead of rivals
- Silver Cup Leaders: Cesar Gazeau & Aurelien Panis (#10, Mercedes-AMG) – 7.5 points clear
Upcoming Schedule:
- Free Practice & Pre-Qualifying: May 16
- Qualifying & Races: May 17-18
Images courtesy of SRO/JEP
