GT World Challenge Europe – Two strong top‑five results in a turbulent Monza thriller

The second race of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup at Monza once again developed into a true survival battle. At the traditional high‑speed circuit in northern Italy, which regularly produces spectacular incidents due to its long straights and tight chicanes, many teams had only one priority: reaching the finish. For ROWE RACING, that was a key success factor.

After three turbulent hours of racing, both BMW M4 GT3 EVOs from the team crossed the finish line almost unscathed – a result that, given the numerous collisions and multiple neutralisation phases, was almost as valuable as a victory. In addition, Augusto Farfus, Jake Dennis and Raffaele Marciello in car #98 secured a strong fifth place overall, confirming the positive trend compared to the season opener at Le Castellet. At the same time, ROWE RACING moved up one place in the team standings to fourth.

The crew of the #998 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, with Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde and Tim Tramnitz, also delivered a convincing performance. The trio initially finished fourth in the Gold Cup but were promoted to third after a post‑race penalty for a rival, securing their second class‑podium of the season. Following this strong points finish, they now sit level on points behind third place in the Gold Cup team standings.

Early chaos shapes the race
Just seconds after the start, it became clear why Monza is considered one of the most unpredictable races on the calendar. In the notorious first chicane, a chain reaction occurred after just around 900 metres, eliminating numerous front-running cars immediately.

Augusto Farfus showed all his experience in this critical phase. The Brazilian managed to avoid the multi‑car incident with only light contact and simultaneously benefitted from the retirement of several rivals. As a result, the #98 climbed from 18th on the grid up to seventh position early on.

Throughout the race, varying strategies, safety car periods and full course yellow phases dominated proceedings. The tactical picture remained difficult to read for a long time. Around 15 minutes before the end, during another neutralisation, Raffaele Marciello handed the car over to Jake Dennis in 11th position. A further incident shortly before the finish caused additional reshuffling in the order during the restart. Several well‑placed competitors retired, allowing the #98 to climb back up to an excellent fifth place in the closing stages.

Second Gold Cup podium confirmed after the fact
While the late‑race chaos helped the #98 car gain positions, it prevented the sister car from mounting a final attack for a Gold Cup podium. Jens Klingmann kept the #998 in contention for third place in the class for much of the race but was ultimately unable to launch a decisive move after the numerous interruptions.

Only long after the chequered flag did the trio move up to third in the Gold Cup and 23rd overall following a penalty applied to a competitor. The second podium in two races also delivered valuable championship points.

Hans-Peter Naundorf, Team Principal ROWE RACING: “Monza once again showed how fine the line is between a top result and an early retirement. To bring both cars home almost unscathed under these conditions and still score important championship points is a strong team performance. Of course, we will analyse the strategic decisions and the race in detail, especially regarding a potentially better result for the #998 in the Gold Cup. Overall, we see clear progress compared to the season opener and can build on this performance.”

Raffaele Marciello (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE RACING): “It was a crazy race with far too many accidents. Considering our bad luck today, finishing P5 is a good result in the end. Even if it is not particularly meaningful, we compare quite well to the other Pro-class cars.”

Ugo de Wilde (#998 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, ROWE RACING): “Considering we started from 46th on the grid, it was a strong recovery. It was a race with many incidents, lots of strategic decisions and, of course, you needed a bit of luck. In the end, we still picked up important points for the championship in the Gold Cup. As a team we worked very well together and will take the lessons learned to be as well prepared as possible for Spa.”

La seconda gara della GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup si è svolta a Monza e si è trasformata in una dura lotta per la sopravvivenza. Date le alte velocità e le curve strette del circuito, molti team si sono concentrati sul tagliare il traguardo piuttosto che sulla vittoria. Per ROWE RACING, portare a termine la gara è stato un successo significativo. Entrambe le BMW M4 GT3 EVO hanno completato la corsa con danni minimi, un risultato notevole considerando i numerosi incidenti e le diverse fasi di neutralizzazione. Augusto Farfus, Jake Dennis e Raffaele Marciello, al volante della vettura numero 98, si sono assicurati un ottimo quinto posto assoluto, migliorando la prestazione della gara inaugurale. ROWE RACING è salita al quarto posto nella classifica a squadre.

Anche il team della BMW M4 GT3 EVO numero 998, composto da Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde e Tim Tramnitz, ha offerto una solida prestazione. Inizialmente quarti nella Gold Cup, sono risaliti fino al terzo posto dopo una penalità inflitta a un altro concorrente, conquistando così il loro secondo podio stagionale.

La gara è iniziata in modo caotico, con un incidente che ha coinvolto più vetture alla prima chicane poco dopo la partenza. Farfus ha abilmente evitato l’incidente, permettendo alla vettura numero 98 di risalire dalla 18ª alla 7ª posizione nelle prime fasi della gara. La corsa è stata caratterizzata da continui cambi di strategia, interventi della safety car e fasi di neutralizzazione a circuito chiuso, rendendola una competizione complessa. Poco prima del traguardo, Marciello ha ceduto il volante a Dennis in 11ª posizione. Ulteriori incidenti nelle fasi finali della gara hanno permesso alla 98 di risalire fino a un’ottima quinta posizione.

Purtroppo, il caos ha impedito alla vettura numero 998 di lottare per il podio della Gold Cup, nonostante gli sforzi di Klingmann per mantenere una posizione competitiva. Alla fine, la vettura si è ritrovata al terzo posto nella Gold Cup solo a gara conclusa, a causa di una penalità inflitta a un concorrente.

Il Team Principal Hans-Peter Naundorf ha sottolineato l’importanza di concludere bene la gara e conquistare punti preziosi. I piloti si sono detti soddisfatti delle loro prestazioni, evidenziando l’imprevedibilità della gara e la necessità di decisioni strategiche, mostrando un progressivo miglioramento dall’inizio della stagione e guardando con ottimismo alle prossime gare.