There are two rounds left in this 2024 FIA GT World Cup in Macau and victory seems to have chosen its side. Author of an authoritarian overtake in the last corner on Raffaele Marciello (BMW M4 GT3 n°1 – Toro Racing by MCG), Antonio Fuoco (Ferrari 296 GT3 n°83 – AF Corse) took control of the race and in view given the pace of the Italian, the maneuver may seem decisive.
But with a BMW at ease in the long stretch to Lisboa, and a good exit from Mandarin, Marciello came back strongly on the leading Ferrari and attempted an attack on the inside on Fuoco. On the still wet part of the track, the two cars delay their braking, Fuoco moves slightly to his right, Marciello touches the Ferrari and the two drivers are carried into the Lisboa loophole, giving victory to Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO n°130 – Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM).
Two points of view then clash between Marciello and Fuoco on the incident placed under investigation, without sanctions on arrival in view of the final classification. “We had the worst conditions for our car today, but we were only two laps away from victory, underlines “Lello”, who had two consecutive victories in the FIA GT World Cup. I lost the lead in the last corner against the Ferrari, but I tried to counter immediately. Of course I braked late, but he also changed lines while braking, and I had no more space. I bet everything on one card but unfortunately it didn’t work out today.”
While a fourth place remained Ferrari’s best result in the event (with Daniel Serra in 2023), Fuoco was in an ideal position before the end of the race which we know to offer a success which eluded the Prancing Horse.
“He touched me because otherwise I would have taken the turn, Fuoco tells Autosport. He hit me in the back and he couldn’t even stop his car, so imagine where he braked. The car was incredible, we were very fast, there’s not much to say. »
Belgium
