GT World Challenge round-up: Verstappen Racing clinch Gold Cup title, Prette and Fleming receive penalty

Max Verstappen has already secured the 2025 title, albeit not as a driver, but as team principal, as Verstappen.com Racing cements itself on the top spot in the Gold Cup. Charles Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde won the final GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup race of the season at Valencia to secure the championship for Team WRT and BMW.

The title was still wide open heading into the final 60-minute race, with Jordan Pepper starting from pole in the #63 Grasser Racing Lamborghini. Van der Linde initially ran fourth in the #32 BMW, but quickly worked his way forward. The South African passed Aurélien Panis before closing down and overtaking Marvin Kirchhöfer's #59 Garage 59 McLaren. That left childhood friends Van der Linde and Pepper fighting directly for the lead – and the Sprint Cup crown.

Van der Linde eventually found a way past Pepper shortly before the pit window opened. Weerts then took over the BMW ahead of Luca Engstler in the Lamborghini. The battle remained close until the finish. Traffic allowed Engstler to close to within a second during the final laps, but Weerts held on and crossed the line just 0.885 seconds ahead. The victory secured Weerts his fourth Sprint Cup title, while Van der Linde claimed his first GT World Challenge Europe crown. Team WRT also added an 11th Sprint Cup title.

For Verstappen.com Racing the weekend has not been easy. On Saturday, they received a penalty which cost them the race win. On Sunday, though, the fortunes quickly turned as Lulham and Vermeulen managed to clinch the victory in Valencia, reaching the checkered flag first, and thus securing the Gold Cup title, driving the #69 Ferrari in cooperation with Emil Frey Racing, but not without a bit of luck that proved essential.

Race officials handed a time penalty to Louis Prette and Tom Fleming, who at the time were leading the race in a McLaren. It was this decision that allowed the Verstappen.com Racing drivers to reach the finish line in P1 and secure Verstappen's first title as team principal.

In Formula One, though, the situation is a bit more complex. Having taken 35 points off of Oscar Piastri's lead in the championship in the past two race weekend, Verstappen has been dubbed a candidate for the 2025 F1 Drivers' title by McLarent team boss Andrea Stella.

Citing the latest floor upgrade Red Bull brought to Monza, the Italian believes that the Red Bull Racing driver is still firmly in the race for the championship, and has thus hoped that the mistakes the papaya team has experienced in the past three races are now a thing of the past.

Red Bull Racing's Team Principal Laurent Mekies has dismissed any suggestions that his team is focused on the championship, arguing that their sole focus is extracting more lap time instead.

The Austrian's top advisor Helmut Marko refrained from making any sort of claim to the title until after the Singapore Grand Prix.

If Verstappen is to take the championship, you can read here how the remaining seven races need to go.

However, prying the title away from Piastri's firm grasp, seems like a tough ask. Taking P2 from Lando Norris is a much more realistic target.

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