BMW M Motorsport works driver Darren Leung and his team-mate Dan Parker have been crowned the 2024 Bronze class drivers’ champions in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup after a supreme double-podium performance in the final round at Barcelona this past weekend (12-13 October).

Harper, Leung and Century Motorsport have made it two title successes in two seasons together, following on from their British GT Championship victory in 2023, after a fantastic season that has featured two wins and six podium finishes in their BMW M4 GT3.

While Harper and Leung headed into the season finale with a 9.5-point lead at the top of the Bronze class standings, the Paradine Competition crew would face a big battle in Spain with no less than six cars in mathematical contention after a close-fought season of competition.

The talented duo got up to speed around the 2.89-mile Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya during free practice and pre-qualifying on Friday, however they found themselves lower down the timesheets than hoped on a track that suited some of the rival machinery more than their BMW.

Harper endured a frustrating qualifying session on Saturday morning, losing a lap time to track limits that would have put him on the fringes of the top ten overall. Instead, in a session of fine margins between the competitive 31-car grid, the Northern Irishman would instead line-up 26th on the grid.

The opening one-hour race turned out to be one of the strangest of the season, with over 50 minutes spent behind the safety car. Pitting once to swap from dry to wet tyres, he was back in the pitbox soon after to hand over to his team-mate.

Losing track position after being slowed by a car on slick tyres on his out-lap, Leung would sit fifth in class entering a final three lap run to the chequered flag.

Whilst on course to lose points to their two main title rivals at that point, the drama continued in the sprint finish as those contenders both hit trouble. Leung drove kept the BMW on track in the treacherous conditions though and secured them a crucial second-place class finish.

That result meant Harper and Leung held an increased 12-point lead into the final race of the season, meaning that a top six finish would be enough to secure the title. Leung boosted their chances of success with a great qualifying performance on Sunday morning, finishing fourth fastest in class.

Leung started the race and stayed out of trouble during a frenetic opening lap to settle into third place, right behind the only crew that could deprive them of the title, the Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini of familiar foes Sandy Mitchell and Rob Collard.

Leung held the #991 BMW in third place throughout his stint, with Harper emerging in the same position.

The driver has made an impressive impact on GT racing despite competing in the Ginetta GT Academy during 2021 onwards. In the space of two years he was crowned British GT champion alongside Harper in a Century Motorsport M4 GT3.

Leung currently lies third in the World Endurance Championship LMGT3 standings with WRT, though the 37-year-old faces a stern challenge going it alone in the GT Sprint contest, with a competitive line-up on the cards for the third edition of the FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia, Spain next week.

Don’t miss all the action from Spain, Motorsport UK TV will be working with the FIA to livestream all of the finals from Spain, with the rest of the un-missable action on the FIA Motorsport Games Youtube channel.

Keep up to date and enjoy the action on our Facebook, Instagram, X and Tiktok.