Antonio Fuoco secured an impressive third place in the Qualifying Race of the FIA GT World Cup in Macau. The event, held under sunny skies, allowed the 22 cars entered to demonstrate their full potential after weather disruptions in the preceding days. The 296 GT3 fielded by AF Corse and driven by the Italian driver will therefore start from the third spot on the grid in tomorrow's race, which will decide the title. Meanwhile, the 296 GT3 cars of Harmony Racing, driven by Yifei Ye and Daniel Serra, finished 13th and 16th respectively.
On the Guia Circuit—a 6 km labyrinth where overtaking is exceedingly difficult—drivers placed great importance on the start and the first corner as key opportunities to gain positions. Ferrari's fortunes diverged here. Fuoco displayed skill in fending off a lengthy wheel-to-wheel battle with Maro Engel’s Mercedes, eventually overcoming the German driver to position himself behind the two BMWs of Marciello, who later won the race, and Dries Vanthoor. Ye and Serra, starting mid-pack, focused on avoiding contacts that could jeopardise their chances of breaking into the top 10 in tomorrow’s race. The Chinese driver lost a position to Juncadella, while the Brazilian—who shone in last year’s edition—held onto 16th place.
The race, run without Safety Car neutralisations, did not offer much in the way of news over its 12 laps. Fuoco remained consistently close to the two German cars, while a determined Ye, in the closing stages, attempted to overtake Juncadella, finishing just a few thousandths behind the Mercedes.