2024 FIA GT World Cup unites all previous winners and WEC stars in world’s most prestigious GT3 dash race
A complete of 23 vehicles from six GT3 producers are featured on the entry checklist for the seventh operating of the FIA GT World Cup, historically held as a part of the Macau Grand Prix. The occasion will happen from November 14-17 on the famend Guia Circuit, with practically 70 per cent of the grid made up by Platinum-ranked drivers
A complete of 23 vehicles from six GT3 producers are featured on the entry checklist for the seventh operating of the FIA GT World Cup, historically held as a part of the Macau Grand Prix. The occasion will happen from November 14-17 on the famend Guia Circuit, with practically 70 per cent of the grid made up by Platinum-ranked drivers.
The entry is headlined by winners of each single version of the occasion held since its inaugural operating in 2015, in addition to a complete of 10 drivers who’ve taken half within the FIA World Endurance Championship this 12 months, together with eight from the Hypercar class.
Final 12 months’s FIA GT World Cup winner Raffaele Marciello is ready to go for his third victory within the FIA-sanctioned race on the streets of Macau. Having gained twice behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG, Marciello will now pilot a BMW, having switched from one German producer to a different initially of the 12 months as a part of BMW’s FIA WEC Hypercar class effort. Marciello is, nevertheless, no stranger to the Bavarian producer’s GT3-spec equipment, dovetailing his FIA WEC programme with a marketing campaign within the GT World Problem Europe in an M4 GT3.
BMW’s Macau bid will probably be fashioned of 4 vehicles, with Marciello’s WEC team-mates Sheldon Van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor additionally concerned. Finishing the line-up is BMW stalwart racer Augusto Farfus, who is aware of the M4 GT3 higher than anybody else, having been the principle growth driver of the automotive. Together with Marciello, the Brazilian is the second driver in BMW’s line-up who has tasted an FIA GT World Cup triumph, having taken a memorable victory in 2018.
Lamborghini is ready to make its first look on the streets of Macau since 2017. The Italian supercar producer is aiming excessive, having secured the companies of the most-decorated driver to race on the Guia Circuit, Edoardo Mortara. The 37-year-old took back-to-back System 3 victories in 2009 and ’10, earlier than successful the 2017 FIA GT World Cup for Mercedes-AMG. Moreover, the Swiss additionally scored a hat-trick of GT Cup victories from 2011 to 2013 driving Audi vehicles, previous to the occasion incomes the FIA World Cup standing. His win within the Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup assist race in 2013 brings his whole of his Macau victories to seven. Finishing Lamborghini’s Macau entry will probably be Matteo Cairoli, returning for the second time, having raced a Porsche final 12 months, and TCR common turned GT3 racer Luca Engstler, who has earlier circuit expertise from his FIA World Touring Automotive Cup days.
Ferrari’s presence in Macau is ready to develop from two vehicles to 3 within the producer’s pursuit of its maiden FIA GT World Cup victory. Returning for the second time in a row is the Prancing Horse’s long-standing manufacturing facility driver Daniel Serra. Ferrari’s ambition is demonstrated by the call-up of its two FIA WEC Hypercar class stars, this 12 months’s 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Antonio Fuoco and FIA WEC’s youngest-ever total race winner Yifei Ye, with the Italian making his Guia Circuit return having beforehand taken half within the F3 race a decade in the past.
Additionally going after its first FIA GT World Cup triumph is Porsche with its five-car-strong effort headlined by the present FIA WEC Hypercar Drivers’ Championship chief Laurens Vanthoor, who will purpose so as to add the second FIA GT World Cup to his trophy cupboard, having beforehand gained with Audi. Along with the Belgian’s huge expertise, Porsche additionally depends on youth within the form of freshly topped IMSA SportsCar Championship’s GTD Professional class champion Laurin Heinrich, final 12 months’s DTM champion Thomas Preining, in addition to Alessio Picariello and 2020 Macau GT Cup winner Leo Hongli Ye.
With Marciello now a BMW man, Mercedes-AMG is banking on a quartet of drivers to tackle the battle to retain the Producers’ Title for the third successive version, counting on its buyer groups from Asia to run its 4 vehicles. The producer’s stalwart driver Maro Engel, who gained the inaugural FIA GT World Cup again in 2015, is main the cost, with the line-up accomplished by three-time Bathurst 12 Hours winner and Alpine FIA WEC Hypercar driver Jules Gounon, FIA WEC Corvette common Daniel Juncadella and Ralf Aron, who has two Guia Circuit outings to his title behind the wheel of an F3 automotive, with a podium end within the 2017 version being one in all his profession highlights.
Audi is concentrating on its first FIA GT World Cup victory since 2016, with its effort headlined by the skilled German racer Christopher Haase and his Swiss stablemate Ricardo Feller. Finishing the roster are James Kuai Yu and Adderly Fong.
The FIA GT World Cup takes place from November 14-17 with two 30-minute observe classes adopted by a single qualifying session of the identical period. The racing motion will probably be held throughout two heats, with a 12-lap qualifying race adopted by a 16-lap title-deciding important race.
The competitors, together with the Macau GP co-headlining FIA FR World Cup, will profit from intensive dwell streaming through the FIA’s official YouTube channel.
