Fanatec GT Europe heads to Valencia this weekend for the fourth round of the Sprint Cup. As ever a pair of 60-minute races will run on Saturday and Sunday, with both getting underway at 14:00 CEST. Here's how the points battle is shaping up in the Gold Cup and Silver Cup. For the situation Overall and in the Bronze Cup, click here.
GOLD CUP: WRT and Boutsen VDS heading for all-Belgian showdown
In terms of wins this looks like a two-horse race, though the championship picture is a little more nuanced. Team WRT and Boutsen VDS have three victories each, the Belgian squads sharing the spoils at each event thus far.
With four races left to run Niklas Krütten and Calan Williams (#30 Team WRT BMW) lead the way, eight points clear of Aurélien Panis and Alberto di Folco (#8 Boutsen VDS Audi). In such an evenly matched battle, the separating factor has been reliability.
Can anyone make it a three-way fight? Adam Eteki and Cesar Gazeau and Adam Eteki (#10 Boutsen VDS Audi) sit third, 18 points off the top. They need to start winning – or at least beating the #30 BMW – as quickly as possible.
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There's a further 10-point gap to Gilles Magnus and Finlay Hutchison (#21 Comtoyou Racing Audi) while Simon Gachet and Paul Evrard (#26 Saintéloc Junior Team Audi) are a very long shot in fifth.
With the benefit of a second car, Boutsen VDS lead the teams' standings, though the margin is just 2.5 points to WRT. As such, it looks as though these two will go head-to-head in an all-Belgian battle.
Gold Cup drivers' standings
Gold Cup teams' standings
SILVER CUP: HRT and Tresor Attempto out front, Madpanda still in touch
In terms of performance, the Silver Cup has been led by the #77 HRT Mercedes-AMG and the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi. The Audi squad has three wins (Brands Hatch, Misano and Hockenheim) while the Mercedes-AMG team has two (Misano and Hockenheim), though it is the latter that leads the standings.
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Jordan Love stands alone at the top, eight points clear of Alex Aka and Lorenzo Patrese. The Australian driver will be joined at Valencia by Alain Valente as he seeks to extend his advantage.
The #90 Madpanda Motorsport Mercedes-AMG duo of Ezequiel Perez Companc and Jesse Salumeautio remains an outside contender. Though they're yet to score a win, the pair have five podiums from a possible six and find themselves 20.5 points off top spot. It's worth pointing out that the #90 Mercedes-AMG won at this track last term – exactly the kind of result needed to spark a title tilt.
Thereafter it is difficult to see anyone bridging the gap required to fight for the crown. As such we'd expect this one to come down to HRT vs Tresor Attempto, with Madpanda dark horses if they can reach the top step of the podium this weekend. It's a similar story among the teams, though Lamborghini squad VSR does enter the mix with an 18-point deficit to HRT.