Maro Engel wins red-flagged FIA GT World Cup race at Macau

German driver Maro Engel won the FIA GT World Cup race at Macau Guia street circuit. After he triumphed in the Qualification race the day earlier Engel started from pole on Sunday and remained in the lead until the race was stopped in Lap 16. Red flag was showed because of a pile-up behind the safety car.

Edoarto Mortara (Audi Sport Team Phoenix, R8 LMS) finished the race behind Engel’s Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3, but he was demoted to sixth with a time penalty for jumping start. That promoted Rene Rast (Audi Sport Team WRT, R8 LMS) to second and Stefan Mücke (Craft Bamboo, Aston Martin Vantage) to third place.

Early in the race Renger van der Zande’s Mercedes and Stefan Mücke’s Aston Martin were fighting for second. The battle intensified in Lap 12, when they made a contact which distracted them both, so the Audis of Mortara and Rene Rast passed them. Engel’s comfort lead was neutralized in Lap 14 when the safety car was called, caused by crash of Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak in Porsche 997 GT3 R.

Race supposed to be restart in Lap 16, but behind the safety car John Shen’s Porsche went into the tyre barriers and started a massive pile-up. The race was immediately red flagged and  Maro Engel was declared as a winner. His team Mercedes AMG Driving Academy also took Manufacturers’ title.