GT World Challange Europe: Marciello, Farfus and Krohn Deliver BMW Victory at the Nürburgring
- Brianna Gunawan
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
The Nürburgring once again proved why it is a theatre of endurance drama. In a race defined by penalties, cautions, and unpredictable twists, Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, and Raffaele Marciello rose above the chaos to secure a landmark home victory for BMW and ROWE Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
Clouds loomed over the Eifel mountains as the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup prepared for its penultimate round of the 2025 season. The Nürburgring welcomed a fiercely competitive grid, and the pre-race atmosphere was already tense.
Questions surrounded the condition of the No. 17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG after heavy repairs, while the pole-sitting WRT BMW received a five-place grid drop following Charles Weerts’ collision with Jules Gounon in qualifying.
That penalty promoted the No. 98 ROWE Racing BMW to pole position alongside the AF Corse Ferrari, setting the stage for an unpredictable three-hour contest. Drama unfolded even before the lights went out.
The No. 17 GetSpeed AMG looked destined for a pit-lane start, while Optimum Motorsport risked a penalty for working on their McLaren too late. On the grid, the Gold Cup battle promised fireworks, with the No. 58 Garage 59 McLaren of Adam Smalley, Louis Prette, and Dean MacDonald, along with the Comtoyou Aston Martin, both well-placed near the front.
However, the withdrawal of AF Corse’s No. 50 Ferrari and the Rinaldi entry of Rafael Durán already reduced the field before the first lap, hinting that reliability and attrition would play a decisive role.
When the race began, Augusto Farfus launched the No. 98 ROWE BMW cleanly into the lead, fending off a charging Alessio Rovera. Behind them, chaos erupted as Nicki Thiim attempted an audacious move around the outside but ran wide into the gravel.
Further back, Arjun Maini carved through the field in the No. 64 Haupt Racing Team Mustang, climbing from P17 to the points within minutes. A Full Course Yellow was deployed early on after contact between Darren Leung’s Bronze Cup BMW and Riccardo Cazzaniga’s Audi, shaking up the opening stint strategies.
The middle stages of the race delivered classic Nürburgring unpredictability. Thierry Vermeulen fought through the Gold Cup pack in the No. 33 Verstappen.com Aston Martin, while Luca Stolz produced a remarkable recovery in the repaired GetSpeed AMG, surging up the order before handing the car to Fabian Schiller.
Elsewhere, Ugo de Wilde struggled for grip in the No. 32 WRT BMW, dropping positions as Sven Müller (No. 96 Rutronik Racing Porsche) and Luca Engstler (No. 63 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán) pounced. The Gold Cup-leading No. 58 Garage 59 McLaren hit gearbox troubles, forcing Louis Prette to retire from a promising position, a crushing blow for the polesitters.
Pit stops soon reshaped the order. Some teams gambled on strategy during neutralisations, while others were caught out by slow stops or unsafe releases, such as the Silver Cup No. 30 WRT BMW of Matisse Lismont receiving a ten-second penalty.
The No. 48 Winward Mercedes found pace in the hands of Matteo Cairoli, while Rutronik Racing climbed into podium contention as the No. 51 AF Corse–Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 of Vincent Abril and Sven Müller took advantage of fading rivals.
Meanwhile, Schiller escaped sanction for a clash with Richard Lietz’s Porsche, keeping GetSpeed’s recovery hopes alive despite earlier setbacks. With less than an hour remaining, another Full Course Yellow was triggered after the Bronze Cup leaders, Conrad Laursen and Ricardo Feller, ended up in the gravel.
The timing of the caution handed an advantage to those who had delayed their stops, propelling ROWE, Winward, and Rutronik into prime position. When racing resumed, Raffaele Marciello delivered a flawless restart in the leading BMW, building a cushion over Lucas Auer in the Mamba-liveried Winward AMG.
In the closing stages, Marciello controlled proceedings, extending his margin to over four seconds. The Gold Cup produced late drama when Harry King and Chris Lulham capitalised on Thomas Fleming’s penalty to secure both the class win and the championship title for Verstappen.com Aston Martin.
In Silver Cup, Loris Cabirou, César Gazeau, and Aurélien Panis triumphed with the Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG, while Century Motorsport’s BMW secured a valuable podium to extend their class lead. Incidents marred the final minutes, including Kelvin van der Linde’s heavy contact with Thomas Preining, but the front-runners remained unchallenged.
As the chequered flag waved, BMW celebrated their first overall GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup victory on home soil. Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, and Raffaele Marciello delivered a landmark win for ROWE Racing at the Nürburgring, cementing their status among the favourites heading into Barcelona.
Winward’s second place ensured they extended their championship advantage, while Rutronik Racing completed the podium after a gritty performance. Penalties reshuffled the lower order, but the headlines belonged to ROWE and BMW, victorious in front of their home fans.
It is BMW’s first-ever victory in Germany in GT World Challenge competition, and ROWE’s first win since Paul Ricard last season. Today’s triumph completes a successful summer at the ‘Ring for ROWE, Marciello, Farfus, and Krohn, who also won the 24H Nürburgring in June.
“We know Nürburgring, when you are in front, it’s difficult to overtake,” Marciello acknowledged. “At the restart, I had behind two or three lapped cars, so I knew then I was able to make a gap there. When you are in front, then you can manage the pace. Behind, they were not catching so I tried to keep my tyres alive and bring the car home.”
“I knew the start would be crucial here,” Farfus added. “It was difficult due to the cold temperatures to get the tyres to work. It was all about the first three corners to keep the track position, and then it was about managing the pace.”
Thierry Vermeulen, Chris Lulham, and Harry King won the Gold Cup aboard the No. 33 Verstappen.com Racing Aston Martin, finishing eighth overall. They have sealed the Gold Endurance drivers’ and teams’ titles. The No. 88 AlManar Racing by WRT BMW finished second in the Gold Cup, with the No. 111 CSA Racing McLaren in third.
Silver Cup honours, in ninth overall, went to the No. 10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG of Loris Cabirou, Aurélien Panis, and César Gazeau. Bronze Cup victory went to the No. 222 2 Seas Motorsport Mercedes-AMG of Charles Dawson, Tom Lebbon, and Ben Barnicoat.
The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup concludes at Barcelona on 10–12 October. Before then, the Sprint Cup finale takes place at Valencia on 19–21 September.
