Victory slips away in Macau for Fuoco

Antonio Fuoco’s dream of winning the FIA GT World Cup, contested today in Macau, slipped away with just two laps remaining. The AF Corse driver finished in ninth place overall after contact with Marciello shortly after taking the lead. Meanwhile, Yifei Ye and Daniel Serra, competing in Harmony Racing’s 296 GT3s, crossed the line in eleventh and fourteenth places.

After a Qualifying Race on a dry track, the drivers were forced to face the title-deciding race in the pouring rain. The race director opted to start the group under the Safety Car, which returned to the pits after four laps, allowing the race to commence. Starting from third position, Fuoco had to fend off aggressive attacks, including some contact, from Maro Engel. However, the Italian kept his Ferrari close behind the two BMWs of Vanthoor and Marciello, the race leaders. Mid-pack, Ye and Serra, hampered by very poor visibility, were unable to make up positions but navigated the hazards of the opening lap skillfully.

In the leading group, Fuoco, having gained confidence on the circuit, managed to create a small gap over Engel, allowing him to focus solely on launching attacks on Vanthoor. He succeeded mid-race with a stunning move completed at the final corner. The AF Corse driver then set his sights on Marciello and overtook him at the same spot two laps before the chequered flag. As the Ferrari and BMW approached the challenging first braking zone, Fuoco moved to the inside to defend his position. However, he was touched from behind by Marciello, causing both cars to miss the apex and resort to the escape road to get back into the race. Fuoco’s 296 GT3 dropped to tenth place, which became ninth following Marciello’s retirement at the end of the lap. Engel capitalised on the incident to claim the race win despite a five-second penalty for a prior collision with Vanthoor.

The two Harmony Racing Ferraris came close to breaking into the top ten but were unable to mount a significant comeback, hindered by the circuit’s characteristics and made even more difficult by the poor visibility conditions. Ye handled his debut at the Circuito da Guia well, finishing eleventh, while Serra added excitement to the race with several duels, crossing the line 21 seconds behind the winner in fourteenth place.