Lionspeed GP crowned GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup champions

Bastian Buus and Ricardo Feller take Sprint Cup title in dramatic Barcelona showdown
Lionspeed GP secures Porsche’s first ever championship crown in Sprint Cup
Gustav Bergström and Nicolas Baert finish on Silver Cup podium in Race 1

Lionspeed GP has secured another historic milestone achievement in its first season representing Porsche in the Pro category of GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS: Bastian Buus (DEN) and Ricardo Feller (CHE) were crowned Sprint Cup drivers’ champions in a weather-impacted finale at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The Pro championship crown, secured with the relentless support of Potentia, a North American-based developer of next-generation industrial and AI infrastructure, is the first for Porsche in the world’s most competitive GT3 sprint championship.

It also serves as another significant milestone for Lionspeed GP in its first season together with Porsche at the Pro level in GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS, following on from its victory in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in June.

“It’s incredible, unbelievable,” said Lionspeed GP team principal Patrick Kolb. “Winning the biggest and most competitive sprint GT Championship in the world, at the team’s first attempt, is unbelievable. The team, the drivers, the pit crew, everyone did a flawless job the entire season. With over 40 cars on the grid, the races are not only about outright pace, but also race craft and execution. The points system of the championship rewards wins and podiums over proportionally, and that’s what we have made use of, to claim the title. With three pole positions, three second places and two victories we have clearly shown how strong the entire Lionspeed package has been this year. Being the first team to bring home the championship for Porsche in the 14-year history of the championship makes it even more special.”

Buus and Feller, sharing the No. 80 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, entered the Sprint Cup decider in Spain with a six-point margin over their nearest challenger, thanks in part to a pair of victories at Brands Hatch and Magny-Cours earlier in the year. When the pressure was on, Buus then delivered in magnificent fashion during Saturday morning qualifying to secure overall pole position with a margin of over half a second to the nearest Pro entry in Q1.

By the time the race began, the dry conditions from qualifying had given way to significant rainfall, which also eventually led to a red flag. After dropping back in the opening exchanges, the No. 80 Porsche recovered strongly to finish second overall. This result meant Buus and Feller had one hand on the title with a lead of 17 points to P2. In an unusual twist, their crowning would not come on the track the next day, but that same evening.

By Saturday night, the weather conditions in the Barcelona region had worsened to such a degree that a local government directive prohibited all activities between 20:00 on Saturday and 14:00 on Sunday. As a result, SRO Motorsports Group altered the event schedule and were forced to cancel qualifying on Sunday morning. With the single point awarded for Q2 Pole position being cancelled, Buus and Feller could no longer be overhauled in the drivers’ standings.

With qualifying scrapped, the grid for Race 2, the start time for which was pushed back by over two hours, was instead determined by the best times from the starting driver in Free Practice 2. This put Feller third on the grid.

Alongside it in fourth place was the sister No. 89 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo supported by long-time team partners Manorhaven, Abacus Global Management, Staloc and Beyond Capital Partners, entered into Silver Cup and driven by Gustav Bergström (SWE) and Nicolas Baert (BEL).

Bergström and Baert had also driven a strong Saturday race in treacherous conditions in Lionspeed GP’s second outing in Silver Cup, to finish a strong P3 in class.

A chaotic start to the second race saw Feller suffer damage on the opening lap that eventually forced him to pit for repairs, eventually finishing 36th overall. The No. 89 Porsche, meanwhile, came home seventh in Silver Cup.

Lionspeed GP’s GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS season will conclude with the Endurance Cup finale at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao on October 15-18.