MONZA: The Al-Manar Racing by Getspeed Team encountered a significant obstacle to its ambitions of securing the 2024 Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS Endurance Cup title, following a premature withdrawal from the fourth round at the Monza circuit in Italy on Sunday afternoon.
Beginning the three-hour race from the back of the Gold Cup grid, Oman’s Al-Faisal bin Khalid Al-Zubair was struck from behind by another vehicle after merely six laps, resulting in substantial damage to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. This damage rendered it inoperable for Al-Zubair, Broc Feeney, the Australian team's debutant, and Austrian Dominik Baumann, preventing them from continuing the race.
Al-Faisal expressed his disappointment, stating, "Unfortunately, it was not the most successful weekend. The car setup for us and the Pro car in the team presented challenges from the start. Qualifying was particularly difficult, as we struggled to get our tires to perform optimally, allowing us to secure sixth place in class.
"Following that, we adopted an aggressive strategy for the race. About 20 minutes into the race, I was involved in an accident in turn one. The damage was extensive, forcing us to retire from the race. Despite this setback, we remain in second place in the championship with one round remaining, which is a positive outcome, and we are eagerly looking forward to the next round in Jeddah."
The Haupt Racing Team Mercedes trio of Michele Berreta, Jusuf Owega, and Arjun Maini emerged victorious, securing the gold cup victory after 87 laps on the Italian circuit. The Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin team, led by Matisse Lismont, Jon Van Uitert, and Charles Clark, maintained a lead for extended periods, regaining the advantage they had lost to the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi on the 18th lap, which subsequently slipped out of contention nine laps later.
The Saintéloc Racing trio of Paul Evrard, Gilles Magnus, and Jim Pla extended their lead in the championship race after finishing second in their Audi. The Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin eventually clinched the third position at the finish line.
Following a two-hour free practice session and pre-qualifying on Saturday, the focus shifted to the serious business of qualifying on Sunday morning. The Al-Manar Racing by Getspeed team found themselves at the back of the Gold Cup standings after Q1, were fourth in Q2, and once again at the back of the rankings in Q3. With the combined sessions, the Al-Manar Racing by Getspeed team started the race from the rear of the Gold Cup grid due to ongoing issues with their tires.
The Fanatec GT World Challenge powered by AWS Endurance Cup concludes in Jeddah on November 21st-23rd.
