Barcelona News & Notes

Barcelona News & Notes

The 2022 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS season concludes this weekend at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Here's the latest news from the track ahead Sunday's deciding three-hour race. 

An autograph session will take place on Sunday morning in the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya paddock. Starting at 11:30 CEST, it will be open to all spectators who hold a 'paddock access' ticket. 


Team WRT marks end of ultra-successful Audi partnership

Team WRT will end its 13-year long relationship with Audi this weekend at Circuit de Barcelona. Together, they have earned three drivers' titles, five teams' titles and 10 race wins in the Endurance Cup, including a pair of triumphs at the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa. In the Sprint Cup, the partnership delivered 45 overall wins, nine overall teams' titles and six overall drivers' crowns. Its cars are carrying a special message this weekend to mark the end of Fanatec GT's most successful team-manufacturer pairing.


Feller to sub for unwell Van der Linde in #32 Team WRT Audi

Ricardo Feller will step in for fellow Audi Sport driver Kelvin van der Linde at the wheel of the #32 Team WRT entry this weekend. The South African is unwell and has been forced to pull out of what would likely have been his final race for the Belgian squad. 

Feller, meanwhile, will be making his first appeareance for Team WRT. Last year's Endurance Cup champion in the Silver class, the Swiss participaed in this season's TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa for fellow Audi outfit Attempto Racing. This weekend he joins regular drivers Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts, who scored victory at this event 12 months ago alongside Robin Frijns. Friday, 09:00 CEST

Iron Lynx shuffles line-ups for finale

The championship-contending Iron Lynx squad has tweaked its line-ups since the entry list was revealed last week. Of particular note, Antonio Fuoco will fight for the overall Endurance Cup drivers' title without regular teammates Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra in the #71 Ferrari. Instead, two-time Endurance champion Alessandro Pier Guidi and fellow Ferrari factory driver Alessio Rovera will join Fuoco to form an all-Italian line-up. The sister #51 machine also features a change, with Giancarlo Fisichella deputising for James Calado alongside Nicklas Nielsen and local ace Miguel Molina. Thursday, 14:00 CEST.


Multiples titles up for grabs at Barcelona decider

A total of 10 titles will be decided this weekend. In addition to the overall Endurance Cup drivers' crown, the teams' championship will also be settled between Akkodis ASP (Mercedes-AMG), Iron Lynx (Ferrari), ROWE Racing (BMW) and Team WRT (Audi). The overall Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS teams' crown can be claimed by Akkodis ASP or Team WRT, though the drivers' title has already been clinched by Raffaele Marciello. 

In the Silver Cup just one championship remains up for grabs, with WRT holding a healthy advantage over fellow Audi squad Attempto Racing in the combined teams' standings. The inaugural Gold Cup season has seen the class run at Endurance events and both the drivers' and teams' crowns remain up for grabs. Inception Racing (McLaren) holds the advantage in both, with Iron Dames (Ferrari) close behind and Herberth Motorsport (Porsche) an outside bet. 

Finally, Pro-Am is the most open class of all. Teams' and drivers' titles are up for grab in the combined and Endurance Cup standings, with three squads in the hunt. The combined titles are between AF Corse (Ferrari) and Garage 59 (McLaren), who will also dispute the Endurance Cup drivers' championship. SPS Automotive Performance (Mercedes-AMG) joins this duo as a contender for the Endurance Cup teams' crown, leading by a single point ahead of the decider. Thursday, 14:00 CEST.