Last weekend’s Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS race at Monza was the Endurance Cup at its absolute best.
A pre-event rule amendment, which required teams to carry out an additional pit stop at any time during the three-hour contest, blew the strategy game wide open. Team WRT played this to perfection, paving the way for an historic triumph with its OQ by Oman Racing entry.
The venue felt busier than ever this year, with 35,393 spectators attending perhaps the most remarkable contest in Endurance Cup history. This is the Final Word on Monza 2024.
• The foundations for Sunday's win were laid early, with the #30 BMW completing all of its mandatory pit stops during the opening three laps. This was possible because the race was neutralised, allowing the car to remain on the lead lap. It made three fast stops over the remainder of the race, as well as a final stop-go to reset its stint time.
• For an idea of how different this strategy was, it is worth noting that the #30 and the sister #32 BMW both spent almost seven and a half minutes in the pits. The #51 Ferrari – AF Corse Francorchamps Motors, which was clearly the quickest car at Monza, was on pit lane for a little under four minutes.
• Ferrari driver Alessandro Pier Guidi was crestfallen after the race. The Italian was astonishingly fast during his stint, setting a new GT3 lap record at Monza (1m44.593s) as he tried to chase down the BMWs. Pier Guidi's average lap time was more than half a second quicker than anyone else could manage.
• As well as being the first-ever Endurance Cup win from outside the Pro category, OQ by Oman Racing also equalled the record for the lowest starting position for a winner (29th). This was previously achieved by Phoenix Racing at the 2012 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
• Sunday's race marked the 12th overall win for BMW, confirming its status as the most successful brand in Endurance Cup history. All three drivers were first-time winners, while Ahmad Al Harthy became the first Omani to stand on the top step of the overall podium.
• Monza has set the scene for a brilliant drivers' title decider in Jeddah. The trio of Thiim/Sørensen/Drudi (#7 Aston Martin – Comtotyou Racing) still lead, but they are just three points clear of Pier Guidi/Rovera (#51 Ferrari – AF Corse Francorchamps Motors) and Feller/Haase/Aka (#99 Audi – Tresor Attempto Racing). A total of seven crews are mathematically in the hunt.
• The teams' standings are even closer. AF Corse Francorchamps Motors leads with 57 points, closely followed by Comtoyou Racing (56 points), Tresor Attempto Racing (56 points), and Team WRT (55 points). Five more teams retain a shot at the title, with a total of six manufacturers represented.
• Haupt Racing Team earned its first Gold Cup win of 2024 at Monza. The #77 Mercedes-AMG of Maini/Beretta/Owega came home a lap ahead of the #25 Audi – Saintéloc Racing, which recovered from early problems to finish as runner-up. Comtoyou Racing scored a first Gold Cup podium of the year by taking third.
• This was a crucial result for the Saintéloc outfit as its closest title rival, the #777 Mercedes-AMG – AlManar Racing by GetSpeed, retired during the opening hour. As such the #25 crew of Magnus/Evrard/Pla hold a 27-point lead with 34 on offer at Jeddah.
• Winward Racing wrapped up the Silver Cup title with a round to spare thanks to a winning performance from the #57 Mercedes-AMG of Caresani/Arrow/Sathienthirakul. Their task was made simpler when the rival #10 Mercedes-AMG – Boutsen VDS was eliminated in a first-lap accident.
• The Silver Cup podium also featured a pair of Aston Martin crews, with Comtoyou Racing securing runner-up spot and Walkenhorst Motorsport taking P3. Both were making their first podium appearances of the season.
• While the #30 BMW earned the headlines, there were two other Bronze Cup crews among the overall front-runners at Monza. The #991 BMW – Paradine Competition finished seventh overall and scored a first podium of the year with its trio of Leung/Dennis/Sowery, while Tresor Attempto Racing was third in class and 11th overall with the two-man crew of Andrey Mukovoz and Max Hofer sharing the #99 Audi.
• The McLaren was a very fast car at Monza, particularly in the Bronze Cup, but left without a representative result. The #188 Garage 59 entry led the class early on, but its day was ruined when the door would not open at the first pit stop.
• Optimum Motorsport also showed well. The #27 entry led for long periods, with stand-in driver Fran Rueda producing a stellar performance behind the wheel. Damage sustained during the final 30 minutes ultimately forced this car into retirement as well.
• The #93 Sky Tempesta Racing Ferrari finished fourth and leads the class standings ahead of the finale. Remarkably, the crew of Hui/Froggatt/Cheever have hit the top of the table without scoring a podium.
• The Endurance Cup will conclude on 29/30 November when the series makes its first-ever visit to Jeddah. The remaining titles will be settled by a six-hour contest at the 6.2km street circuit in Saudi Arabia. Before that, the Sprint Cup will stage its concluding race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 11–13 October.
