• British squad back on top in Sprint thanks to Gold Cup crew
• Lismont and Montenegro secure combined Silver Cup title with another class victory
• Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing triumphs in Bronze as Dempsey and Cheever shine for Porsche outfit
FINAL RESULT: ZANDVOORT RACE 1
Louis Prette and Tom Fleming combined to give Garage 59 its first overall GT World Challenge powered by AWS victory of the season in Saturday's opening Sprint Cup contest at Zandvoort, which brought a big crowd of spectators to the legendary Dutch circuit.
The key to this win – which is the first for a Gold Cup car in Sprint – came at the start when the #58 McLaren passed the pole-sitting #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche. Fleming slotted in behind Morris Schuring as the 45-car pack filed through Tarzan, then dived up the inside and seized the position at the Gerlach corner.
From this point on Fleming controlled the stint, managing a gap of between one and two seconds without ever coming under heavy pressure from the Porsche. There was a tense moment during the pit stop, however, with traffic very nearly costing Garage 59 the lead.
The second half of the race was a similar story. Prette took the wheel of the McLaren and seemed to have the measure of Boccolacci, though the Frenchman never let the Monegasque escape.
While then lead battle remained stable, there was a fierce fight for the final step on the podium. Once the pit cycle was complete the #914 Razoon - more than racing Porsche was up to third after an excellent stop from the Austrian squad. Simon Birch was at the wheel but had 2023 Sprint Cup champion Ricardo Feller breathing down his neck.
Feller was in pursuit of maximum points as he and Bastian Buus look to add the Sprint title to their CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa victory. But try as he might, the Swiss ace could not find a way past Birch.
This brought the #69 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari into the fight, with Ben Green at the wheel following Thierry Vermeulen's opening stint. Zandvoort has been the best showing for both drivers this term, and Green made it count with a brilliant double pass just five minutes from the chequered flag.
The Ferrari found a way past both Porsches, ending Birch’s long fight for P3. But despite losing the podium, the Dane could quite reasonably be called the star of this race. The 19-year-old kept Porsche factory driver Feller at bay until the finish despite intense pressure, going wheel-to-wheel with the Lionspeed car on several occasions.
At the front, Prette brought the McLaren home to secure the overall win and a very important Gold Cup result. The Boutsen VDS Porsche earned its second runner-up finish of the season, while Green gave Emil Frey Racing its first podium since the opening race of 2025.
Next across the line were the Birch and Feller, but latter was subsequently penalised as a result of his teammate loosening his seatbelts while on track. This dropped the car outside the points and cost Lionspeed a place at the top of the standings. Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing was fifth thanks to a fantastic recovery drive after qualifying 27th. Chris Lulham set the fastest lap of the race and made a decisive pass on Arthur Leclerc (#50 AF Corse Ferrari) to secure vital points for his team.
Seventh spot went to the #50 AF Corse Ferrari of Tommaso Mosca and Matias Zagazeta, who claimed runner-up in Gold. Next was the #30 Team WRT BMW, which secured a fifth Silver Cup win from seven races with its pairing of Matisse Lismont and Ignacio Montenegro. The youngsters have wrapped up the combined Silver Cup title and are on the brink of adding the Sprint crown on Sunday.
Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing secured the Bronze Cup victory with its #93 Porsche, which enjoyed a race-long battle with the #991 Paradine Competition BMW. Eddie Cheever and Peter Dempsey shared the winning car, beating the rival crew of Darren Leung and Augusto Farfus. Winward Racing duo Rinat Salikhov and Marvin Dienst remain at the top of the Bronze Cup standings after finishing P3.
As well as the penalised Lionspeed car, two other leading overall title contenders did not score points in Race 1. The #32 Team WRT BMW was making progress from 33rd on the grid when it retired with a technical problem, while the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG saw the chequered flag but could only manage 14th.
Cars will be back on track at 09:30 CEST on Sunday for Qualifying 2, followed by Race 2 at 14:15. All the action can be watched live on the GT World YouTube channel.