Everything to play for as Endurance Cup battle resumes at historic Monza

PRO: Comtoyou Racing out front in unpredictable title tussle

The battle for the overall Endurance Cup crown is hotting up, with the top five crews firmly in contention to capture the big prize. CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winner Comtoyou Racing leads the way with its #7 Aston Martin line-up of Thiim/Sørensen/Drudi, who have scored 54 points across the opening three events. 

The Belgian squad will hope to become the third team in the past four years to add title glory to Spa victory. Their chief opposition comes from ace crews representing Tresor Attempto Racing (#99 Audi), Grasser Racing (#163 Lamborghini), ROWE Racing (#98 BMW) and AF Corse (#51 Ferrari). The latter pair can count on two-car Pro entries, bolstering their chances in the teams' standings. 

Each of these squads should be a strong contender for victory at Monza. If a different winner is to emerge, Team WRT is a leading candidate with its brace of BMW entries, which include local star Valentino Rossi as part of the #46 line-up. Schumacher CLRT is another potential winner following its runner-up finish last time out at the Nürburgring. This was the Porsche outfit’s maiden overall podium, and it will be keen to go one better at Monza. 

Mercedes-AMG is also very well represented as it chases a first Endurance Cup win of 2024. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed and Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter boast a wealth of factory talent, while Boutsen VDS has looked more impressive at each round this year. There are further Pro entries from Walkenhorst Motorsport (Aston Martin), Proton Competition (Ford), Iron Lynx (Lamborghini), Garage 59 (McLaren), Pure Rxcing (Porsche) and Rutronik Racing (Porsche), ensuring that all nine manufacturers are represented by at least one top-tier car. 

BRONZE: Ferrari squads lead the way but clear favourite yet to emerge

The Bronze Cup battle is wide open heading into the final phase of the season. The #52 AF Corse line-up of L.Machiels/J.Machiels/Bertolini holds a slender four-point advantage over fellow Ferrari squad Sky Tempesta Racing, though neither team has won an Endurance race this season. Indeed, this might be the most difficult class to predict. 

Rutronik Racing could become a factor in the title fight. It took a commanding class victory last time out at the Nürburgring, giving the Porsche squad crucial momentum ahead of the run-in. Tresor Attempto Racing claimed the biggest win of the year by triumphing at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa and could also emerge as a challenger. 

These are by no means the only contenders, with a bumper 19-car field confirmed for Monza. That number includes Circuit Paul Ricard winner Kessel Racing, which is back on the grid with its two-car Ferrari assault, while Rinaldi Racing adds a further 296 GT3 to the entry list. McLaren has three cars – two from Garage 59 and another from Optimum Motorsport – while there is further Porsche representation from Lionspeed GP and Herberth Motorsport. 

Aston Martin machinery will be run by Comtoyou Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport, while Barwell Motorsport fields its usual pair of Lamborghini entries The Bronze class is completed by a trio of BMW crews. Series regulars Century Motorsport and OQ By Oman Racing are joined by local squad BMW Italia Ceccato Racing, which makes its second Fanatec GT Europe outing having previously raced at Monza in 2023. 

GOLD & SILVER: Two-horse race for Gold crown, Mercedes-AMG squads dominate Silver

Since the opening event at Circuit Paul Ricard, the Gold Cup has been fought between Saintéloc Racing (#25 Audi) and AlManar Racing by GetSpeed (#777 Mercedes-AMG). The former holds a nine-point advantage after winning the opener and triumphing again at the Nürburgring, though it was the AlManar squad that conquered the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. 

If a third contender is to emerge, they will need to win at Monza. The other hopefuls are the #88 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi, which has been on red-hot form in the Sprint Cup; the #77 HRT Mercedes-AMG, which has scored back-to-back podiums; and the #111 CSA Racing Audi, which last secured a rostrum finish at the opening round.

The Silver Cup is the most likely title to be decided at Monza. Mercedes-AMG crews occupy the top three positions, with the #57 Winward Racing trio of Caresani/Arrow/Sathienthirakul sitting 20 points clear of Boutsen VDS, while the GetSpeed squad that triumphed at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is a further point in arrears. 

This top three heads a nine-car Silver entry. Aston Martin will be represented by a trio of Vantage AMR GT3s, two from Comtoyou Racing and another from Walkenhorst Motorsport. There is plenty more variety among the class hopefuls, with Dinamic GT (Porsche), Grasser Racing (Lamborghini) and Saintéloc Racing (Audi) completing the Monza entry list.