2015 FIA GT World Cup

rdf:langString 2015 FIA GT World Cup

rdf:langString left

rdf:langString It's unbelievable, I’m overjoyed as the best GT drivers were up against each other in this race, so I’m proud to be the first winner of the FIA GT World Cup! But I’m especially proud of my team. I made a big mistake in qualifying on Friday and I thought right there, standing in the wall, that my weekend might be over and I blew the opportunity we had here. To win this race is amazing because I just love this place, I love this track. I had to make a really good start and I knew I had to hold the inside line and stay in front or try to get ahead in the Mandarin corner, otherwise it would be difficult. I just managed to pass Edoardo Mortara on the left-hand side, so that was the key to retaking the lead. From there I really put my head down; I just focused on my driving, trying to keep cool and open up the gap.

rdf:langString Maro Engel, on winning the inaugural FIA GT World Cup.

rdf:langString The 2015 FIA GT World Cup was the inaugural running of the event and the eighth time overall that Grand Touring (GT) sports car machinery competed in the autonomous territory of Macau. It was held in the streets of the city on 22 November and was contested as a non-championship race as part of the GT Asia Series in GT3-specification cars. The event promoter, the , appointed the Stéphane Ratel Organisation (SRO) to help bring a grid together. The race itself was made up of two races: a 12-lap qualifying race that decided the starting grid for the 14-lap main race. The main race was won by Mercedes AMG Driving Academy driver Maro Engel from pole position, having won the Qualification Race the previous afternoon after the on the road victor Edoardo Mortara was penalised ten seconds for brake testing him. Mortara accelerated faster than Engel at the rolling start before he lost the lead back to the former soon later. Engel then led for the rest of the race which ended two laps early due to a multi-car accident behind the safety car and the result was counted back two laps. Second place went to the highest-placed Audi R8 LMS of René Rast, while the podium was completed by Stefan Mücke in the Craft-Bamboo Racing entered Aston Martin Vantage V12.