In a thrilling display of driving prowess, Raffaele Marciello converted his pole position into a commanding victory in the Qualifying Race of the FIA GT World Cup in Macau. The Swiss-flagged BMW driver's performance has put him in prime position to secure his third title in the prestigious international competition.

Raffaele Marciello's Masterclass on the Guia Circuit

Retaking the Lead and Maintaining Dominance

Marciello's race got off to a strong start, but he briefly lost the lead to fellow factory driver Dries Vanthoor at the beginning of the 12-lap incident-free contest. However, the Swiss driver quickly regained control, reclaiming the top position just a few corners later at the iconic Lisboa turn. From that point on, Marciello in his No. 1 Toro Racing powered by MCG BMW M4 GT3 maintained his lead over the Belgian driver, crossing the finish line with a comfortable 0.666-second advantage.

Vanthoor and Fuoco Complete the Podium

Vanthoor, making only his second appearance at the Macau circuit, finished the race in second place, while Antonio Fuoco completed the podium in the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. Fuoco managed to get around the No. 130 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Maro Engel at the start and held off the inaugural FIA GT World Cup champion for the final spot on the podium.

BMW Dominance and Fastest Lap

Augusto Farfus rounded out the top-five in the No. 89 KRC BMW, followed by Sheldon van der Linde, who made it four BMWs in the top-six despite a post-qualifying Balance of Performance adjustment. The South African driver set the race's fastest lap on the final tour, further showcasing the strength of the BMW machinery.

Porsche and Audi Representation

Alessio Picariello was the highest-placed Porsche runner in seventh, ahead of Absolute Racing teammate Laurens Vanthoor in eighth. Christopher Haase finished ninth in his Phantom Global Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, with Edoardo Mortara completing the top-ten in the No. 63 SJM VSR Theodore Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.

Incident-Free Qualifying Race

Unlike the drama-filled qualifying session, Saturday's qualifying race ran without any major incidents, with 22 of the 23 entries taking the start and checkered flag. The only exception was Jules Gounon's Mercedes-AMG, which brought up the rear after apparent lingering issues from his accident in qualifying. Luca Engstler's Lamborghini, which had crashed heavily on Friday, was withdrawn from the remainder of the weekend due to significant damage.The stage is now set for the highly anticipated 16-lap Main Race, scheduled for Sunday at 12:25 p.m. local time (Saturday, 11:25 p.m. ET), with live coverage on the FIA's YouTube channel. Marciello's dominant performance in the Qualifying Race has put him in prime position to secure his third FIA GT World Cup title, further cementing his status as one of the top talents in international GT racing.