GT World Challenge Europe: BMW M Team WRT triumphs at Misano – Valentino Rossi celebrates home victory in Italy.

Misano. What a race weekend for BMW M Team WRT! The Belgian team dominated the second season event in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup at Misano (ITA) and celebrated victory in both races. In the first run in the afternoon, Valentino Rossi (ITA) repeated his home victory from last season together with Maxime Martin (BEL). Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (both BEL) completed the one-two result for the BMW M4 GT3. In the second race, which was held in the evening under darkness, Vanthoor and Weerts were unbeatable. Rossi and Martin finished third. In the Sprint Cup overall standings, Vanthoor and Weerts have taken the lead after two of five season events.  
 
In qualifying on Friday, pole positions in both sessions hinted that BMW M Team WRT and the BMW M4 GT3 were very strong in Misano. That was confirmed in the races. While Vanthoor and Weerts secured a very good position in the title fight with their second season victory after the opening race at Brands Hatch (GBR), the #46 BMW M4 GT3 will only compete in the Endurance Cup for the rest of the season after its two guest starts in the Sprint Cup.
 
In the Silver Cup, Calan Williams (AUS) and Sam De Haan (GBR) in the Team WRT #30 BMW M4 GT3 also achieved two victories at Misano and significantly extended their lead in the overall standings. In addition, Century Motorsport, in its debut season in the GT World Challenge Europe, finished second in the Bronze Cup in race two. BMW M works driver Dan Harper and Darren Leung (both GBR) shared the cockpit of the #991 BMW M4 GT3.
 
Comments after the races:
 
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “Congratulations to BMW M Team WRT on an incredible race weekend at Misano! Two victories, including the second home success for Valentino Rossi alongside Maxime Martin, and the overall lead in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup for Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts following their commanding victory – simply gigantic! Plus, two more successes in the Silver Cup for Calan Williams and Sam De Haan – the team led by Vincent Vosse has once again proven its extra class. I am also very pleased with the strong results for Century Motorsport in the Bronze Cup. The team is getting along well from the start in its first season in the highly competitive GT World Challenge Europe. The BMW M4 GT3 has won four of the five season races so far at Le Castellet, Brands Hatch, and Misano, proving its versatility on three completely different tracks. This makes us very optimistic for the rest of the season. Thank you to everyone who contributed to these successes!”
 
Vincent Vosse (Team Principal BMW M Team WRT): “We now have 50 victories in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup – what an impressive number! I can't praise the team enough for its performance during the pit stops today. Everyone did a perfect job. I am especially pleased because we showed a strong reaction after our recently difficult weekend at the FIA WEC at Spa-Francorchamps. Now we can go into the countdown for Le Mans with a good feeling.”
 
Valentino Rossi (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “A fantastic weekend here at Misano! To have won at home again after last year is great. Maxime secured pole position on Friday, but I knew immediately that it would be tough in the race against our sister car. That's how it turned out, and Charles Weerts put a lot of pressure on me at the end of the first race, but I didn't make any mistakes and brought home the victory. I am very happy about that. In race two in the evening, we tried to finish second, but we couldn't overtake on this track. Nevertheless, we can leave Misano very happy with a double podium.”
 
Maxime Martin (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “To win in Valentino's backyard and to get on the podium a second time is fantastic! Since we are not contesting the entire Sprint Cup season, we can definitely say that we are finishing it on an absolute high after our two guest starts. Now I am looking forward to the upcoming highlights in the Endurance Cup.”
 
Dries Vanthoor (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “We always get along super well as a team at Misano. With first and second place, we had a very good weekend again this time and collected important points for the championship. Our crews were once again the fastest in the pit stops – many thanks for that! I am still a little annoyed about my mistake on Friday in qualifying, without which we would have started from pole position in both races. But we made a good comeback in race one to finish second. In the second race, we executed perfectly.”
 
Charles Weerts (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “Victory, second place, and pole position: It was a great weekend for us, with which we have now also taken the lead in the overall standings. Many thanks to everyone for the great job! We knew that the Misano track suits us, and as a team, we got the maximum out of it. We are in a good position after two season events, but there will certainly be tracks where we will struggle more. That's why it was so important to take many points at Misano."