Engel overjoyed after unexpected win in Macau: 'We knew rain would be our only chance'

Crazy with joy to jump on the front hood of his Mercedes-AMG GT3, Maro Engel certainly did not expect such a scenario that would guide him to victory in the streets of Macau. An incredible scenario where, from 4th place on the grid and on a wet track, the German would achieve a new success on the Guia circuit… having led only two laps!

The Mercedes driver knew how to bide his time, to wait behind the two protagonists of this 2024 FIA GT World Cup that were Raffaele Marciello and Antonio Fuoco, and to wait for their fight and any mistakes to overtake them. A patience that paid off, since two laps from the finish, the two compatriots went straight into turn 3, off the drying line, letting Maro Engel go towards an unexpected victory for both the BMWs and the Ferrari seemed above the rest.

Maro. Engel. Wins. Macau. 2024. #FIA #FIAGTWorldCup #MacauGP pic.twitter.com/KPk956FiL7

- FIA (@fia) November 17, 2024

"We had a golden opportunity"

“We had a good pace, I could follow them closely but as soon as I came out of the hairpin I was saying 'goodbye' and they kept pulling away until Turn 3. I didn't have a real chance, even though I took every risk I could in Turns 1 and 2. I knew they had to start fighting and that's when we had a golden opportunity.”, confided Maro Engel as he left the podium.

“It’s an incredible feeling. It was a fantastic race, a lot happened. To be honest, we didn’t expect this because, especially in the dry, we didn’t really have the possibility to fight [for the win], recognizes the winner of the day, victorious for the fourth time in the GT category in Macau. We knew the rain would be our only chance. I think it all came together for us when Antonio [Fuoco] and Lello [Marciello] went straight, that's what we needed. A big thank you to the Mercedes-AMG GMR team, everyone at Mercedes. They gave me an amazing car all weekend, hanging on to try to compete with [BMW] and with the Ferrari. In the end it paid off. We're over the moon and personally I love Macau."

Engel apologizes to Vanthoor

Maro Engel went on to secure his second FIA GT World Cup victory with a good lead over Augusto Farfus… despite a five-second penalty imposed following contact between him and Dries Vanthoor. The Belgian, in difficulty after being overtaken by Antonio Fuoco, was hit by Maro Engel and hit the wall, before retiring. The German was keen to apologise for this overly ambitious manoeuvre in the winding section. "I want to apologize to Dries [Vanthoor]. It's unfortunate that we touched, but it wasn't intentional, Mercedes driver underlines. I tried to overtake, he tried to close the door and we got a little closer and he hit the wall. I feel sorry for him."

ALSO READ > FIA GT World Cup – Macau: Engel takes advantage of Marciello and Fuoco's mistakes to win