Niederhauser-Müller win race 1 at Zandvoort

SRO

May 17

Patric Niederhauser and Sven Müller offer Porsche first win this season in GT World Challenge Europe Sprint race at Circuit Zandvoort with #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3.R (992). Auer-Engel keep the lead of the Drivers Cup ahead of Niederhausen-Müller now second and Weerts-van der Linde.

Rutronik’s second Sprint Cup victory.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Zandvoort 2025. Niederhauser (yellow-blue Porsche) challenges Magnus (White and blue Audi) (left); Müller second during his stint (right).

Starting from third on the grid, Patric Niederhauser moved up to second after a tight battle with Gilles Magnus in the first few corners before a caution for an incident in turn 2 on the opening lap. After the pit stop cycle, Sven Müller was first and increased his lead to cross checkered flag with a margin of 5.858 seconds. With the victory points, Niederhauser and Müller are now second of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Drivers reducing the gap with current leaders Auer-Engel.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Zandvoort 2025. #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3.R (992)

First podium for GRT – Grasser Racing Team

#63 GRT – Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 PRO team started from eight but Luca Engstler was already in fifth before the safety car came out at the end of the first lap. Jordan Pepper exited the pits in fourth, ending second after passing Maro Engel in the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo and Paul Evrard in the #25 Saintéloc Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II. It is Engstler and Pepper first podium this season.

Auer-Engel increase lead in championship

Lucas Auer, started from seventh on the grid but quickly dropped down to tenth overall. An incident in turn 3 between Feller (Porsche #80) and Rovera (Ferrari #51) enabled Auer in the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to get back in seventh.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Zandvoort 2025. Incident in turn 3 between Feller (Porsche #80) and Rovera (Ferrari #51)

Maro Engel took over and left his box ahead of Pepper in third but his crew was given a five-second penalty for an unsafe release into the path of Pepper. After passing Evrard (Audi #25), Maro Engel took enough margin to score another podium this season and consolidate their lead in the Drivers Cup..

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Zandvoort 2025. #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

Audi fourth and Gold Cup winners

Gile Magnus in #25 Sainteloc Racing Audi start from first row after qualifying second but dropped down to third as Niederhausen overtook him during the first lap. Paul Evrard was also overtaken by Engel (3rd) and Pepper (2nd) to end fourth AND win the Gold Cup.

P5 for Team WRT PRO duo in fight for the title

Charles Weerts started form 19th with the #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo gradually rising to 10th place during his stint. Kelvin van der Linde took over “the knife between his teeth” and made some pretty muscular overtaking moves to end fifth overall.