For a driver with almost two decades of top level GT racing experience, Augusto Farfus is experiencing something entirely new this season.
The 42-year-old BMW factory ace is contesting his first full GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup campaign with Paradine Competition, partnered with his regular FIA World Endurance Championship teammate Darren Leung in the Bronze Cup class.
This weekend at Misano marks the pair’s first Sprint Cup outing of the season, as the Bronze Cup competitors sat out the Brands Hatch opener in May.
For Farfus, the big attraction isn’t simply the opportunity to add a championship with a sprint format to his 2026 racing programme with BMW. It’s the challenge of helping develop the skillset of a dedicated amateur racer like Leung in a tough environment like the Sprint Cup where aggressive driving is rewarded and there’s no need to save tyre or fuel.
“There are two types of drivers – the ones who like to drive with Am drivers and the ones who hate it,” Farfus told DSC. “Of course, driving with a Pro line-up is always very nice, but I like this challenge of driving with a non-professional to try to build something together.
“Last year, I only did one round with Darren (below) at Zandvoort and I told him after the race that if there would be a chance, I would have done a full season. I really enjoy it.
“It’s a new season, a new championship for me, and I like this kind of sprint racing because then it is sprint. Well, it’s two drivers, driver change, and so on, but you run in a format of a sprint. So I really like this concept.”
The format also evokes memories from previous chapters in his career when he was a regular in top-end touring car racing on the WTCC and DTM grids.
“The only strategy is to full push,” he said. “So I enjoy it a lot.”
Having already spent much of the year racing alongside Leung in WEC, Farfus believes their existing relationship has allowed them to hit the ground running.
“Yes, 100%,” he said when asked if that familiarity makes the transition easier. “Racing with a friend makes everything very, very nice and very fun. But besides this, Darren is a hard worker. So we just continue what we’re doing. It seems like I’m in another WEC weekend. So, this is something I’m really enjoying.”
Their friendship now extends well beyond the race track. The dual programme in WEC and World Challenge Europe means lots of time away from home together.
“I’m actually spending more time with Darren than I spend with my own family!” Farfus admitted. “And I told Darren the other day I’m almost feeling part of the family with his wife and kids.
“It’s genuine, the relationship. It’s not a relationship which goes down to racing. A genuine relationship, as I said. So during the day, I help them with the kids, I stay with the kids. So they do not substitute my kids, but I like it. So I would definitely bring John (Farfus’ son) to a certain point to just be with me during the weekend.”
That relationship translated into a strong recovery drive in Saturday evening’s opening Sprint Cup race.
After qualifying left the Paradine BMW starting eighth in Bronze Cup following a track limits infringement, Farfus charged through the field with four overtakes during his opening stint before handing over to Leung. The pair eventually finished fourth in class, narrowly missing out on a podium.
“I was very disappointed with my qualifying, not happy,” he said. “I got this track limit, which put us on the back foot, and I had a very clear mission to overcome that, and I did.
“So I think this is also the strength of a driver to be able to turn the page, and go again. I had a bad qualifying, didn’t like what happened there, but then I went again for the race. And I think I delivered a good shot there.
“We were very close to the podium, we could have been on the podium, but still, I think we take this P4 because the season is still long.”
Their second shot at silverware comes later today in Race 2, where Leung and Farfus will start from fifth in class.
While the overarching objective this year is to challenge for Sprint Cup honours, Farfus knows there is an even bigger prize on offer if he can help Leung’s Paradine outfit secure the overall GT World Challenge Europe Bronze Cup crown for the first time.
“If we win the overall title, we might get an invite to Le Mans (in the LMGT3 class),” he said. “So there is a big trophy on the plate for this year.
“So I think we definitely are one of the contenders to win this title. And hopefully I can help Paradine and Darren to achieve that.”
Images courtesy of Paradine Competition
