AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors triumphs at Brands Hatch as Ferrari dominates Sprint Cup opener

AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors secured the opening Sprint Cup victory of 2025 in what proved to be a fiercely contested one-hour race at Brands Hatch. The #51 Ferrari of Alessio Rovera and Vincent Abril took the chequered flag less than a second clear of the #59 Garage 59 McLaren, while just eight seconds separated first from ninth at the finish.

The result was settled by the finest of margins, with a brilliant pit stop from the Italian squad proving to be the difference. It was a perfect day for the Maranello brand, with Ferrari crews also earning class honours in the Gold Cup and Silver Cup classes.

Pole-sitter Thierry Vermeulen (#69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari) comfortably maintained his advantage as the field charged into Turn 1, leading 30 cars representing 10 brands past a packed Paddock Hill grandstand. There were plenty of moves on the opening tour – including Marvin Kirchhöfer (#59 Garage 59 McLaren) jumping the #51 Ferrari to take P2 – though the entire pack was able to negotiate the start without incident. 

Vermeulen took full advantage of clean air, pulling an early gap of three seconds over Kirchhöfer, though as the race progressed the McLaren ace was able to close back up to the Ferrari. With nothing to separate the cars on the circuit, the pit stops would be crucial to the outcome. The #69 Ferrari and the #59 McLaren both ducked in at the earliest possible opportunity, the latter delivering a slightly quicker service. Nevertheless, Emil Frey Racing newcomer Chris Lulham was able to exit just ahead of Benjamin Goethe.

Rovera, meanwhile, remained on-track for another lap before making his stop. AF Corse demonstrated its prowess by producing a brilliant service, which was enough to ensure that Abril returned to the circuit just ahead of Lulham and Goethe. Undaunted by his more experienced rivals, Lulham boldly dived up the inside of Abril on the climb to Druids, dipping a wheel into the grass as he did so. Goethe took full advantage, swooping past the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari as the cars dropped back down to Graham Hill Bend.

Goethe was at his very best, maintaining the pressure on Abril throughout the second stint. The gap remained under a second, but a driver of Abril's experience does not give away positions easily. Indeed, the Monegasque was faultless, crossing the line to secure the win by just 0.658s over the McLaren, while the #69 Ferrari was third after a superb showing from its young duo of Vermeulen and Lulham.

A dominant Ferrari performance was capped by Emil Frey Racing finishing fourth with its #14 entry, while AF Corse was fifth with the #50 machine. Defending drivers' champions Lucas Auer and Maro Engel were sixth in the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, followed by the #32 Team WRT BMW.

While perhaps disappointed not to secure the overall win, the #69 Ferrari pairing could celebrate a commanding victory in the Gold Cup class. Their closest challenger was the #58 Garage 59 McLaren which finished eighth overall, with the #88 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi completing the class podium.

The Silver Cup result was settled after the chequered flag. The #97 Rutronik Racing Porsche crossed the line first following excellent on-track performances from Loek Hartog and Eshan Pieris, but a post-race penalty for a pit stop infringement dropped them to fourth in class.

This elevated the #52 AF Corse Ferrari to top spot, a result it very nearly earned on-track with strong showings from Marcos Siebert and Jef Machiels. The #992 Paradine Competition BMW bagged the runner-up spot, with the #10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG taking the final step on the podium.

Results are HERE