Winward Racing has successfully overturned its disqualification from the second Sprint Cup race at Misano, officially confirming Maro Engel and Lucas Auer as the 2026 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe powered by AWS Overall Drivers’ champions.
The Royal Automobile Club of Belgium (RACB) National Court of Appeal ruled in Winward’s favour following a hearing on 13 October, reinstating the third-place result that Engel and Auer achieved in the #48 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO at Misano in July. The court issued its decision on 15 October, resolving a dispute that had cast uncertainty over the championship standings for nearly two months.
The successful appeal means Engel and Auer retain the points from their Misano podium and enter this weekend’s Portimão season finale with an unassailable championship lead. Although the ruling settles the Overall Drivers’ Championship, Winward must still challenge Team WRT for the Overall Teams’ title, with the Belgian outfit holding a narrow five-point advantage.
RACB overturns Winward Racing’s Misano disqualification
Winward Racing secured a significant victory after the RACB National Court of Appeal reviewed the Stewards’ decision to disqualify its #48 Mercedes-AMG from Race 2 at Misano. The original ruling had threatened to remove the third-place finish that Engel and Auer achieved on 19 July, placing valuable championship points at risk.
Following its hearing on 13 October, the court declared Winward’s appeal “admissible and well-founded” and confirmed that the original decision should be “annulled and revoked”. The ruling reinstates Engel and Auer’s podium, ensuring that the pair retain their third-place classification and the corresponding championship points.
The official RACB appeal decision, published on 15 October, also instructs the relevant sporting authority to implement the consequences of the ruling and return Winward’s €2,000 appeal fee. However, the court has not yet published the full grounds for its decision, meaning the precise legal reasoning behind the reversal remains unclear.
Nevertheless, the outcome provides a definitive resolution to the sporting dispute. Winward retains its Misano podium, while Engel and Auer can celebrate the Overall Drivers’ Championship before completing the final Endurance Cup race of the season.
Wheel-bearing infringement triggered original investigation
The controversy began during the second Sprint Cup race at Misano, where Engel and Auer finished third behind the winning Team WRT BMW of Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde and the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry of Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon.
The result gave Winward Racing its second podium of the weekend after the Mercedes-AMG pairing also finished third in Race 1. However, post-race technical inspections raised concerns about a wheel bearing fitted to the #48 Mercedes-AMG, prompting an investigation that continued for several weeks.
During a hearing on 28 August, the Stewards concluded that the wheel bearing’s sealing lips had been cut on both sides. They determined that the modification breached Articles 507.1 and 507.2 of the GTWC Europe Sporting Regulations, alongside Article 1.12 of the Balance of Performance document issued for the Misano round.
Winward challenged the Stewards’ interpretation of those regulations, arguing that the Misano document did not explicitly identify wheel bearings among the components covered by the relevant restrictions. The team contrasted that wording with the corresponding document used at Brands Hatch, which specifically referenced bearings.
However, the Stewards rejected Winward’s argument, maintaining that the regulations required competitors to consult their manufacturer regarding the homologation status of relevant components. They subsequently disqualified the #48 Mercedes-AMG from Race 2 and ordered the remaining classified competitors to move up one position.
Winward’s appeal kept Misano podium intact during dispute
Winward formally challenged the disqualification on 29 August, notifying officials of its intention to appeal before the extended deadline. The team also requested a suspension of the penalty while the RACB considered the case, seeking to preserve its result until the appeals process reached a conclusion.
The Stewards granted that request under Article 12.3.3 of the FIA International Sporting Code. As a result, the disqualification did not immediately affect the Misano classification, allowing Engel and Auer to retain third place provisionally while the investigation continued.
The original Misano investigation and appeal carried consequences beyond Winward’s championship position. Had the court upheld the penalty, Valentino Rossi and Max Hesse would have inherited third place in the #46 Team WRT BMW after finishing fourth on the road. Every other classified competitor behind Engel and Auer would also have gained one position.
More importantly, the disqualification would have removed valuable points from the Mercedes-AMG pairing’s championship total. With several teams still competing for the Overall Drivers’ title, that possibility created considerable uncertainty as the Sprint Cup season concluded at Barcelona.
The court’s decision now removes those concerns. By overturning the original penalty, the RACB has confirmed the existing Misano Race 2 classification, allowing Engel and Auer to retain their second podium of the weekend and the points they earned on track.
Engel and Auer officially secure Overall Drivers’ Championship
The successful appeal confirms Engel and Auer as the 2026 GTWC Europe Overall Drivers’ champions, adding another major achievement to their successful partnership at Winward Racing.
The Mercedes-AMG duo leads the combined standings with 131.5 points, holding a 29.5-point advantage over Lionspeed GP’s Ricardo Feller and Bastian Buus, who sit second with 102. Team WRT’s Weerts and Van der Linde follow in third with 97 points.
With only the Portimão Endurance Cup finale remaining, Engel and Auer have established a lead that their closest rivals cannot overturn. Although the pair had already accumulated enough points to lead the championship heading into the final round, the unresolved Misano appeal previously prevented officials from confirming their title.
The RACB ruling now settles the matter, ensuring that neither Lionspeed GP nor Team WRT can challenge the Mercedes-AMG pairing for the Overall Drivers’ crown.
For Engel and Auer, the achievement represents their second combined Overall GTWC Europe title together, following their championship success in 2024. The pairing has established itself as one of the leading combinations in international GT3 racing, securing regular podium finishes across both Sprint and Endurance competition.
Their latest success also rewards a remarkably consistent campaign, during which they have combined strong Sprint Cup performances with an impressive record in the longer endurance events.
Overall crown adds to Endurance Cup success
Engel and Auer’s Overall Championship victory follows their earlier success in the 2026 Endurance Cup, where they secured the Drivers’ title alongside Luca Stolz at the Nürburgring.
The trio built its championship challenge through consistency, finishing second at Circuit Paul Ricard, Monza and the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Those results established a significant points advantage over their rivals, allowing the Mercedes-AMG crew to approach the Nürburgring with a strong opportunity to secure the title.
They subsequently finished fourth in Germany, collecting enough points to clinch the Endurance Cup Drivers’ Championship with one round remaining. The result confirmed their dominance across the opening four endurance events, despite the team narrowly missing out on victory on several occasions.
The distinction between the two championship victories remains important. Engel and Auer compete together throughout both the Sprint and Endurance Cups, while Stolz joins them for the longer races. Consequently, all three drivers share the Endurance Cup crown, but only Engel and Auer receive the combined Overall Drivers’ Championship honours.
The latest title strengthens an already successful season for Winward Racing and Mercedes-AMG, although the team still has an opportunity to secure another major championship at Portimão.
Sprint Cup standings remain unchanged after appeal
While the RACB decision officially confirms the Overall Drivers’ Championship, it does not alter the final Sprint Cup standings.
Lionspeed GP’s Feller and Buus had already secured the Sprint Cup Drivers’ Championship at Barcelona, concluding their campaign ahead of Weerts and Van der Linde. Team WRT also retained the Sprint Cup Teams’ crown following another successful season with its BMW M4 GT3 EVO entries.
Because officials suspended the Misano disqualification during the appeal process, Engel and Auer’s third-place result remained part of the provisional championship calculations. The court’s latest decision therefore confirms those standings rather than introducing a new allocation of points.
Although Winward ultimately missed out on the Sprint Cup title, its successful appeal has proved decisive in the combined Overall Drivers’ Championship. Engel and Auer’s consistent results across both racing formats have now delivered the title, removing the possibility of a final-round championship upset.
With those honours settled, the remaining championship battles will take centre stage at Portimão, where several teams and drivers still have opportunities to conclude the season with silverware.
Team WRT and Winward Racing remain in Overall Teams’ title fight
Despite Engel and Auer’s confirmation as Overall Drivers’ champions, Winward Racing must still overcome Team WRT to claim the combined Overall Teams’ Championship.
The Belgian BMW outfit enters Portimão leading the standings with 142.5 points, while Winward follows closely on 137.5. The five-point gap leaves both teams with a realistic opportunity to secure the crown during Saturday’s three-hour finale.
Team WRT will rely on several competitive entries, including the #32 BMW of Van der Linde, Jordan Pepper and Weerts. Valentino Rossi, Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen will share the sister #46 BMW, while the championship-winning Silver Cup trio of Ignacio Montenegro, Matisse Lismont and Amaury Cordeel adds another entry to the Belgian outfit’s programme.
Winward will meanwhile look to Engel, Auer and Stolz in the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter entry. The team also fields the #87 Bronze Cup Mercedes-AMG, shared by Rinat Salikhov, Marvin Dienst and Gabriele Piana, giving it another opportunity to collect valuable points.
The close championship margin places additional importance on qualifying, race strategy and execution, particularly with 61 cars competing across four categories. Both teams will need to maximise their opportunities while avoiding the incidents and mechanical setbacks that can quickly change the outcome of an endurance race.
For Winward, adding the Overall Teams’ Championship would complete an exceptional season following its Drivers’ title successes. However, Team WRT will aim to protect its advantage and secure another major crown for BMW.
Portimão finale to settle remaining GTWC Europe titles
The 2026 GTWC Europe season will conclude at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve on Saturday, 17 October, with a three-hour Endurance Cup race beginning at 17:00 local Portuguese time.
The Portimão finale will decide the remaining championship battles, including the combined Overall Teams’ title and several class honours.
The Gold Cup Endurance Drivers’ Championship remains particularly close, with ROWE Racing’s Ugo de Wilde, Jens Klingmann and Tim Tramnitz leading Garage 59’s Thomas Fleming, Benjamin Goethe and Louis Prette by just three points. Meanwhile, Kessel Racing’s Dustin Blattner remains in contention for the Bronze Cup Endurance Drivers’ title, with Paradine Competition’s Darren Leung and James Kellett among his closest challengers.
Although Engel and Auer no longer need to fight for the Overall Drivers’ Championship, they will still have an important role in Winward’s pursuit of the remaining Teams’ title. A strong performance from the #48 Mercedes-AMG could prove decisive as the German outfit attempts to overcome Team WRT’s narrow advantage.
The successful Misano appeal has therefore resolved one of the season’s most significant outstanding questions. Winward has overturned its disqualification, Engel and Auer have secured the Overall Drivers’ crown, and the focus now shifts to the remaining title battles at Portimão.
With the Drivers’ Championship settled but the Overall Teams’ title still open, Saturday’s finale will provide one final opportunity for Winward Racing to strengthen an already successful 2026 campaign.
