This Sunday (3 May) we're winding the clock back to 2012 and revisiting the season-deciding Blancpain Endurance Series race at Circuito de Navarra.
The three-hour contest concluded a highly competitive 2012 season, which saw Marc VDS (BMW Z4) and Belgian Audi Club Team WRT (Audi R8 LMS) emerge as the main title contenders.
Indeed, the overall drivers' championship could not have been much closer. The Marc VDS crew of Bas Leinders, Maxime Martin and Markus Palttala had begun the season in fine style, winning the opening rounds at Monza and Silverstone to establish themselves as title favourites.
But WRT struck back. Stephane Ortelli, Christopher Mies and Christopher Haase scored victory at Circuit Paul Ricard, then reduced the gap further by clinching runner-up spot at the Total 24 Hours of Spa. They made another major gain by taking fourth at the Nurburgring, while the Marc VDS car failed to finish.
This meant that the crew of Leinders/Martin/Palttala led Ortelli/Mies/Haase by just three points heading into the finale, setting up a grandstand finish. With further title battles to be resolved in Pro-Am and the Gentleman Trophy classes, there was everything to play for at the Spanish venue.
Wth thick black clouds hovering above the circuit, rain seemed a near certainty. Managing the inevitable downpour was going to prove crucial to the destination of the championship.
Endurance fans will find plenty more to keep them interested during the three-hour contest. The Navarra race saw the series debut of Andy Soucek, who has not missed a single Endurance event since, while there was also a maiden overall victory for a popular GT brand. Watch out, too, for the much-loved Emil Frey Jaguar, which forms part of a 41-car entry list.
The race will be screened in full this Sunday from 14:00 CET. Join us on the GT World YouTube channel or GT World Challenge Europe Facebook page to follow all of the action from a thrilling title decider.