Defending FIA GT World Cup champion Maro Engel decimates second practice session.

Inaugural FIA GT World Cup winner Maro Engel (Mercedes ASMG GT3) has blown the Guia Circuit GT lap record away in a dominant last minute display of precision and performance at Macao.

Engel who had struggled in day one practice and had not featured strongly in the majority of today’s session put in two blinding laps in the last five minutes, undercutting the GT lap record on each occasion.

His best time – an incredible 2min17.153secs was a full 1.02seconds faster than Audi’s lead driver, the man they call Mr Macao, Edoarda Motara, who had dominated the majority of the session.

The two Audi R8LMS of Mortara and Laurens Vanthoor established themselves at the top of practice from the outset and held that position right until a red flag for stricken Irish driver Richard Lyons who’s Porsche made light wall contact damaging its front right suspension.

When practice resumed Engel’s Mercedes embarked on what he later termed “ a mega lap”.

“ My team has totally turned the car around since yesterday , “ Engel said.

Engel’s Mercedes carries the hashtag : “The Beast of the Green Hell” in homage to the Nurburgring and when he unleashed the beast there was no stopping it.

On his first flying lap he recorded a 2min17.728sec; lap, well under the lap record of 2min 18.930, a time already undercut by the Audis.

Then on his next lap he took more off it again, setting up major anticipation for this afternoon’s qualifying for the FIA GT World Cup.

Six drivers representing the works teams of Mercedes AMG, Audi and Porsche are all under the circuit lap record.

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