6 HOURS OF SÃO PAULO: BMW HOLDS OFF FERRARI IN THE FINAL STINT

BMW M Motorsport and Team WRT claimed their second victory of the FIA World Endurance Championship season by winning the 6 Hours of São Paulo with the No. 15 BMW M Hybrid V8 driven by Kevin Magnussen, Raffaele Marciello, and Dries Vanthoor. After finishing second at Spa, the trio converted their speed into victory by defeating the No. 51 Ferrari 499P of Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, and Antonio Giovinazzi.

BMW laid the foundation for victory during the opening three hours, taking control of the race before expertly managing every phase that followed. Ferrari attempted to turn the race around in the closing stages with an alternate tire strategy, hoping fresher rubber would provide a decisive pace advantage, but WRT executed a flawless race and never allowed the Italian manufacturer a genuine opportunity to attack.

Ferrari's comeback was further compromised by a costly mistake from James Calado, who brushed the barriers while exiting pit lane after the fourth pit stop. Although the Briton avoided serious damage, he completed an entire stint carrying debris lodged on the left side of the car, losing valuable performance in the battle for victory.

The result marks BMW's second FIA WEC win of the season, while Ferrari secured an important podium finish at a circuit that has historically been one of the most challenging venues for the 499P. Cadillac Racing, meanwhile, failed to capitalize on its dominant qualifying performance, finishing third with the No. 12 V-Series.R of Norman Nato and Will Stevens, while the No. 38 shared by Earl Bamber, Jack Aitken, and Sébastien Bourdais crossed the line fourth.

Robert Kubica guided the No. 83 AF Corse Ferrari to fifth after an eventful race that included multiple clashes with the No. 12 Cadillac. In the closing stages, the private Ferrari overtook both the No. 20 BMW and the No. 50 Ferrari following an incident at Turn 2.

The collision saw Robin Frijns spin Antonio Fuoco, forcing both contenders to lose several positions. The No. 20 BMW ultimately finished sixth, while the No. 50 Ferrari crossed the line eighth, with the No. 007 Aston Martin Valkyrie of Tom Gamble separating the two cars. Aston Martin's second entry claimed ninth ahead of the No. 35 Alpine A424.

Alpine opted for an aggressive alternate strategy by making an early opening pit stop in an effort to stay in contention for victory. The gamble worked until the final hour, when Charles Milesi was forced into an additional trip through pit lane, ending the French manufacturer's hopes of a podium finish.

In the GT category, Corvette captured its second consecutive victory following its Le Mans triumph. The No. 34 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R driven by Charlie Eastwood, Peter Dempsey, and Salih Yoluc defeated the No. 69 BMW M4 GT3 from Team WRT and the No. 92 Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The battle for fourth place also delivered plenty of excitement, with the No. 91 Porsche fighting intensely against the No. 88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 EVO. Logan Sargeant launched several attacks on both Manthey entries but ultimately fell short of completing the move.

The FIA WEC now heads into its summer break. The championship will return in September at Circuit of The Americas, while uncertainty remains over the final two rounds of the season. Should the Qatar 1812 km and the 8 Hours of Bahrain be canceled, an Italian season finale cannot be ruled out.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.