Sprint Cup contenders primed for final showdown at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

The 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Sprint Cup will conclude this weekend at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with a full complement of titles ready to be decided at the Spanish venue.

A field of 32 cars will tackle the final short-format meeting of the season, with entries representing eight manufacturers confirmed for the event. It will bring the curtain down on an exceptional Sprint Cup campaign, which began at Brands Hatch in May and has since visited Misano, Hockenheim and Magny-Cours.

A pair of 60-minute races will decide the destination of the overall Sprint Cup crown, while class champions will also be settled in the Gold Cup, Silver Cup and Bronze Cup. With so much on the line, it promises to be an epic showdown at the popular Barcelona track.

PRO: Vintage title tussle between Vanthoor/Weerts and Engel/Auer set for conclusion

Regardless of who takes home the title, the 2024 campaign will be remembered as one of the best in Sprint Cup history. Three-time series champions Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts (#32 Team WRT BMW) have fought a season-long battle with Maro Engel and Lucas Auer (#48 Winward Racing Team Mann-Filter Mercedes-AMG). The protagonists have shared the podium on six occasions this term, including the past five races in succession, picking up three wins each.

Vanthoor and Weerts are gunning for a fourth Sprint Cup title, which would have the added significance of being their first with BMW. Auer and Engel are both chasing a maiden Sprint crown – as is the Winward Racing squad – though Engel has twice gone to the final race with a shot at glory, finishing as runner-up on both occasions. In short, either crew would be deserving champions.

There are no other contenders for the drivers' title, though Emil Frey Racing retains an outside shot at the teams' crown. The #14 Ferrari of Ben Green and Konsta Lappalainen had looked set to challenge until the end, but a torrid weekend at Magny-Cours ended their chances. Nevertheless, they can be victory contenders at Barcelona alongside the sister #69 crew of Thierry Vermeulen and Giacomo Altoè.

Boutsen VDS enjoyed a strong showing at Magny-Cours, securing pole for Race 2 and ultimately scooping a P3 finish with Jules Gounon and Maximilian Götz aboard the #9 Mercedes-AMG. Rutronik Racing claimed a Race 1 podium with its #96 Porsche, though Patric Niederhauser and Sven Müller took the chequered flag in first place before being demoted by a penalty. Both crews will have their sights set on a winning finish at Barcelona.

Garage 59 will look to complete a season of top 10 results with Benjamin Goethe and Tom Gamble sharing its #159 McLaren, while the young duo could also place among the top five in the standings. For outgoing champions Tresor Attempto, the finale is an opportunity to end a largely frustrating season on a high note with its #99 Audi line-up of Ricardo Feller and Alex Aka. Comtoyou Racing will also hope for a strong finish with Mattia Drudi and Nicolas Baert sharing its #7 Aston Martin.

The Pro field is completed by Eastalent Racing, which will deploy the #84 Audi for Simon Reicher and Christopher Haase. The Austrian squad made a strong Sprint Cup debut last time out at Magny-Cours, banking a pair of P10 finishes, and will aim for a repeat performance at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

BRONZE: Paradine Competition out front, but rivals remain in the hunt

The top three contenders for the Bronze Cup crown are all proven title winners. Last year's British GT champions Darren Leung and Dan Harper (#991 Paradine Competition BMW) top the standings with a 9.5-point advantage over the #78 Barwell Motorsport pairing of Rob Collard and Sandy Mitchell, while Jonathan Hui and Eddie Cheever (#93 Sky Tempesta Racing Ferrari) sit a further 2.5 points back.

Dustin Blattner and Dennis Marschall (#97 Rutronik Racing Porsche) are also in the hunt. They are 20 points off top spot, but momentum is on their side after a brilliant Magny-Cours weekend. Dmitry Gvazava and Ugo De Wilde (#85 Imperiale Racing Lamborghini) and Andrey Mukovoz and Dylan Pereira (#66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi) are also mathematically capable of taking the title, though both require a significant points swing.

While they are not fighting for championship honours, Miguel Ramos and Louis Prette (#188 Garage 59 McLaren) are always fast and can certainly end the season with a win. Stéphane Denoual and Steven Palette (#44 Schumacher CLRT Porsche) earned a breakthrough podium at Magny-Cours and will aim for a repeat performance in Spain, while Gabriele Rindone and Patrick Kujala complete the Bronze Cup field aboard the #72 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini.

GOLD & SILVER: Audi squads in close fight for Gold crown, Team WRT on the brink of Silver glory

The Gold Cup title fight has been closely matched all season long. Indeed, it is the most open ahead of the finale, with three squads separated by just five points. Luca Engstler and Max Hofer (#6 Liqui-Moly Team Engstler by OneGroup Audi) top the table, closely followed by Gilles Magnus and Paul Evrard (#25 Saintéloc Racing Audi), with Simon Gachet and Lucas Légeret (#111 CSA Racing Audi) just behind in third.

This class battle is made even more intriguing by Tresor Attempto Racing, which has picked up three successive wins thanks to Lorenzo Patrese and Lorenzo Ferrari. The #88 Audi crew has a very long shot at the title but will likely play an important part in the decider thanks to its front-running form. The Gold Cup field will also feature a pair of entries from Comtoyou Racing, with Matisse Lismont and David Pittard sharing the #21 Aston Martin and drivers to be confirmed in the sister #11 machine.

While the Gold Cup is wide open, the Silver Cup drivers’ title is the closest to being settled. Sam De Haan and Calan Williams (#30 Team WRT BMW) enjoy a 21-point buffer at the top of the standings and will hope to complete the job in Race 1. Aurélien Panis and César Gazeau almost certainly need a win to keep their hopes alive, while Eliseo Donno and Tom Fleming (#71 AF Corse Ferrari) are also mathematically eligible.

In stark contrast, the Silver Cup teams' standings could not be closer. Team WRT and AF Corse are level on 100.5 points, the Ferrari squad having benefited from the contribution of its #52 crew of Jef Machiels and Sean Hudspeth.

There are a further three Silver Cup entries, completing a 32-car field for the trip to Barcelona. Winward Racing returns with Reece Barr and Gilles Stadsbader sharing the #57 Mercedes-AMG, Comtoyou Racing will field the #12 Aston Martin for Lorens Lecertua and Dante Rappange, while Saintéloc Racing concludes the season with Ivan Klymenko and Ezequiel Perez Companc aboard the #26 Audi.

Entry list is HERE