Engel and Stolz give victory to Toksport WRT at Magny-Cours

Toxsport WRT scored his first success in GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup in 2021 this Sunday with the victory of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°6 entrusted to the duo Maro Engel – Luca Stolz, dominating from start to finish.

After a wise start from the peloton, the hierarchy moves into the top 3 at 37′ from the finish, Albert Costa (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo n°163 – Emil Frey Racing), 2nd behind leader Maro Engel, losing big in a puncture at left-back, and leaving Ben Barnicoat (McLaren 720S GT3 n°38 – Jota) and Dries Vanthoor (Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo n°32 – Team WRT) move up one place.

The pit stop salvo saw Luca Stolz maintain the advantage with the leading Mercedes – Toksport WRT, while AKKA-ASP won their duel in the pits against Team WRT, Timur Boguslavskiy emerging ahead of Charles Weerts, just as the event is neutralized under Full Course Yellow after the #8 Audi R3 LMS GT30 Evo – Team WRT of Benjamin Goethe went off the track.

The safety car then enters the track to regroup the entire peloton which is released a little more than 12′ from the checkerboard, still led by Luca Stolz ahead of Timur Boguslavskiy and Dries Vanthoor.

Barely enough time to return to normal tempo before contact between Petru Razvan Umbraescu (Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo n°98 – AKKA-ASP) and Tuomas Tujala (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 n°159 – Garage 59), leaving both cars behind, forced the race management to once again neutralize the event.

The final three-minute sprint saw Stolz win while Charles Weerts took the advantage in manly fashion at the Adelaide hairpin on the last lap against Boguslavskiy for the second step on the podium.

Olly Wilkinson and Ben Barnicoat offered 4th place to the No. 720 McLaren 3S GT38 – Jota ahead of the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT87 Evo – AKKA-ASP of Jim Pla and Konstantin Tereschenko, who won in Silver. Aurélien Panis and Frédéric Vervisch hoist the best Audi R8 LMS GT3 n°26 – Saintéloc Racing into 6th position.

Miguel Ramos and Henrique Chaves dominate the Pro-Am with the No. 3 Lamborghini Huracan GT77 Evo – Barwell Motorsport.

Discover the full report of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup event at Magny-Cours, produced by our special correspondent in Nièvre, in issue 2311 of AUTOhebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version and this Wednesday on newsstands.