The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup returns to Europe this weekend, with a leg at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, where six Ferraris will take to the grid. Meanwhile, in Belgium, the Spa-Francorchamps circuit will host a double-header featuring the International GT Open and GT Cup Europe, respectively, with eight and six entries from the Maranello-based manufacturer.
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. Two weeks after a high-intensity round at Brands Hatch, the Sprint Cup returns on the track at the Dutch seaside circuit. The field features 41 cars, with the Bronze Cup making its season debut after sitting out the opening round in England. Among the 11 Pro-class entries are Race-1 winners from Brands Hatch – Ferrari official driver Alessio Rovera and Vincent Abril – who return at the wheel of the number 51 car from AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors 296 GT3. The team fields two more Prancing Horse drivers, Thomas Neubauer and Arthur Leclerc, in the number 50, following their fourth and fifth-place finishes, respectively, in the previous round. Ben Green and Konsta Lappalainen matched those results in the UK round, albeit in reverse order, in the number 14 car of Emil Frey Racing.
The Swiss team also enters a second 296 GT3 in the Gold Cup, driven by local favourite Thierry Vermeulen and Chris Lulham. The pair impressed on their debut by securing pole position, a class win, and third place overall.
AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors adds a third Ferrari to the grid in the Silver class, with Jef Machiels and Marcos Siebert at the wheel of number 52 – winners of Race-2 at Brands Hatch.
Two Ferraris will make their Bronze Cup debut: 2023 GT Open champions Eddie Cheever and Marco Pulcini will race Ziggo Tempesta Racing’s number 93 entry, while Kessel Racing lines up Dennis Marschall and Dustin Blattner in the number 74.
Track action begins on Saturday, 17 May, with the first qualifying session at 10 a.m. and Race-1 at 3 p.m. The qualifying session on Sunday the 18th starts at 9 a.m., with Race-2 at 2.45 p.m.
International GT Open. The Belgian circuit of Spa-Francorchamps hosts the second leg of the International GT Open, which features the endurance-format GT Open 500 – the first of two such races scheduled for this season – consisting of a single 500-kilometre contest. Nine Ferraris feature among the 31 entries on the grid.
In the Pro class, Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson will drive the Ferrari 296 GT3 number 17 from Elite Motorsport with Entire Race Engineering. The number 55 AF Corse entry, featuring Carl Bennett and Tommaso Mosca, will join them on the grid. Also in the Pro class, MERTEL Motorsport fields the number 80 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, with Luca Ludwig and Andrea Montermini behind the wheel. The Italian driver is a two-time series champion and holds the record for the most race wins in the championship.
In the Pro-Am class, Rinaldi Racing returns with the Ferrari 296 GT3 number 45, crewed by Christian Hook and Felipe Fernandez-Laser. Baron Motorsport makes its season debut with the number 92 car, driven by Iranian Masoud Jaberian and Edoardo Bacci. Local drivers Laurent De Meeus and Jamie Stanley will crew the AF Corse 296 GT3, number 777. Olimp Racing fields the number 5 Ferrari for Marcin Jedlinski and Karol Basz.
Sitting second in the Pro Am standings – just two points behind the leader thanks partly to their Race-1 win at Portimão – Gino Forgione and Michele Rugolo are in action in the AF Corse 296 GT3 number 21. Olimp Racing also enters a second car in the same class – the number 5 – driven by Tanislaw Jedlinski and Krystian Korzeniowski.
Free practice is scheduled for Friday, while Saturday will see two qualifying sessions (11.05 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. and 3.10 p.m. to 3.35 p.m.). The race kicks off on Sunday at 11.25 a.m.
GT Cup Europe. The GT Cup Europe returns for its second round of the season at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with 29 confirmed crews. MERTEL Motorsport is among the most active teams, fielding six cars from the Maranello-based manufacturer. In the Silver class, there are two 296 Challenge cars – the number 1 with Antoine Berbercich-Martini, and the number 80 with Simone Patrinicola and Luca Demarchi – alongside the 488 Challenge Evo number 83, shared by Matteo Luvisi and Davide Larini. In Pro-Am, there will be two further 488 Challenge Evos: the number 19 with Fernando Navarrete and Manuel Cañizares, and the number 82 with Tommaso Lovati and Mauro Trentin. In the Am class, the 488 Challenge Evo number 81 of Leon Rijnbeek will be one to watch.
The programme includes free practice on Friday, with qualifying on Saturday from 11.40 a.m. to 12 p.m. to determine the starting grid for Race-1, which is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. and will last for 50 minutes. On Sunday, qualifying is from 9 to 9.20 a.m., while Race-2 will take place from 1 to 2.50 p.m.
