SOLID SPRINT CUP START: VICTORY IN GOLD CLASS AND OVERALL PODIUM FOR TEAM WRT AT BRANDS HATCH

SOLID SPRINT CUP START: VICTORY IN GOLD CLASS AND OVERALL PODIUM FOR TEAM WRT AT BRANDS HATCH

04/05/2025

Brands Hatch, UK – May 4th, 2025 – Following their win in the Endurance Cup opener at Paul Ricard, Team WRT carried their strong form into the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe season, kicking off the Sprint Cup campaign with a three-car entry at Brands Hatch. Despite a challenging weekend on a demanding and narrow British circuit, the team came away with an overall podium finish, P2 for the #32 BMW M4 GT3 EVO and a Gold Cup class victory for the #777 AlManar Racing by WRT, thanks to precise execution and outstanding pit work.

Race Highlights

• The weekend was marked by tight margins and high track position stakes, making pit strategy and execution more crucial than ever. All three WRT cars demonstrated resilience across both one-hour races, collecting valuable points in Pro, Gold, and Silver classes.
• Race 1 proved challenging:
• The #30 in Silver Cup suffered an electrical issue before the start, forcing Gustav Bergström and Gilles Stadsbader to begin from the pitlane, eventually climbing to P6 in class.
• The #32, driven by Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde, finished P7 overall, managing to stay clear of trouble and take track positions each time it was possible.
• In Gold Cup, Al Faisal Al Zubair and Jens Klingmann, #777, finished P5 in class, setting the stage for a stronger second race.
• In Race 2, WRT turned things around:
• The #32 gained six places after a stellar pitstop and strong stints from van der Linde and Weerts to secure P2 overall, collecting the team’s first Sprint Cup podium of 2025.
• The #777 climbed through the field, finishing 8th overall and taking Gold Cup victory, after a near-perfect race execution by Klingmann and Al Zubair.
• The #30 closed out the weekend with a solid P5 in Silver Cup, continuing to build consistency for the season ahead.
• WRT’s mechanics once again shone in the pitlane:
• The #32 crew won the Pitstop Challenge
• The WRT entered cars clocked the three fastest stops of the weekend, proving once again that every second counts.

Looking ahead: Back to WEC on home soil

With a class win, an overall podium, and another Pitstop Challenge victory, Team WRT continues to show strength across both Sprint and Endurance formats. The team now shifts focus to the next round of the FIA World Endurance Championship, returning home to Belgium for the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, set to take place this Saturday, May 10th. After a difficult edition last year, WRT will be aiming to fight at the front in both Hypercar and LMGT3 as they did in the opening rounds of the FIA WEC championship.

Vincent VOSSE, Team Principal Team WRT: “Great way to finish the weekend with a P2 overall in Race 2 and a P1 in the Gold Cup. The mechanics did an incredible job, delivering the fastest pitstops in the Pitstop Challenge (1-2-3) during Race 2. Unfortunately, our pace in qualifying at the start of the weekend left us with limited opportunities, as we saw in Race 1. Overtaking is tough here, and qualifying plays a big role, but we didn’t have the pace to fight from the back. Despite that, it's been a strong weekend with some important points and another win in the bag! It's great for the championship and a perfect way to head into Spa WEC”.

Gustav BERGSTRÖM, driver #30:“It was a challenging weekend for both Gilles and me, especially since it was our first time racing at Brands Hatch. Gilles did a great job, but I struggled a bit more. Unfortunately, we faced some bad luck with an electrical issue in Race 1. That said, let’s focus on the positives: we avoided track limit penalties and didn’t make any mistakes! Now let’s focus on Zandvoort!”

Charles WEERTS, driver #32:“Wrapped up a challenging weekend at Brands Hatch, where we didn’t expect to score points after struggling in qualifying. However, we managed to execute two clean races, working with the package we had and maximising it. A podium wasn’t in our sights, but thanks to the incredible work from the pitstop crew, we made it happen! They made the biggest part of the job, and I want to thank them for the amazing preparation they put in over the winter, as well as the whole team, BMW, and my teammate Kelvin!”

Kelvin VAN DER LINDE, driver #32: “This podium finish is definitely down to the team’s incredible work, especially in the pitstops. For Team WRT to take the top 3 quickest pitstops, out of all the teams in the championship, is very impressive. It's about executing everything perfectly, as we know how to do, and these pitstops will be crucial in this championship. They’ll be key to staying in the fight until the very end”.

Jens KLINGMANN, driver #777: “I’m absolutely thrilled and relieved to have won the Gold Cup! It was a crazy race where we didn’t have the pace to win outright, but it just goes to show that teamwork makes the dream work. The team did an incredible job and made all the difference in the pitlane. We found ourselves in the lead and managed to control the race from there, keeping up the pace and managing what we had. It’s fantastic to see everyone working together as one, with a great vibe across the whole team and all three cars. I’m so happy to end the weekend on this high and can’t wait for the next race. Hopefully, we can keep this momentum going!”

Al Faisal AL ZUBAIR, driver #777:“My first ever Sprint weekend ended on a high note! I had to adapt to a new format with two qualifying sessions and two races. Pitstops are vital in this type of racing, especially at Brands Hatch where overtaking is challenging. We had a rough start with the first qualifying session and race, which put us on the back foot. However, thanks to the magic of Team WRT and their flawless pitstops, we went from P16 to P8 overall and P1 in class in Race 2. Winning the Gold Cup and finishing 8th overall in our first Sprint weekend is something we can all be proud of! Huge thanks to WRT”