MACAO: BMW's Raffaele Marciello will start Sunday's International Automobile Federation (FIA) GT World Cup in Macao from pole position after taking victory in Saturday's 12-lap qualification race at the Guia Circuit. Starting from pole position in dry conditions, Marciello held off a strong challenge from fellow BMW driver Dries Vanthoor to lead into the Lisboa Bend on lap 1, and was never headed thereafter, managing his pace in an error-free performance to win by 0.67 seconds from Vanthoor.According to Namibia Press Agency, Marciello expressed his surprise at the grip levels into Turn 1, which he found to be quite low. He had a bit of a moment on lap 1, allowing Vanthoor to overtake him temporarily. However, Marciello regained his lead when Vanthoor went a bit too deep into Lisboa, and he was able to overtake him back. Marciello is aiming for his third GT World Cup title, having previously won in 2019 and 2023.Marciello noted the difficulty of overtaking on this track and emphasized the importance of mai ntaining his lead. He found it challenging due to the low grip but felt confident in controlling the pace once in front.Antonio Fuoco secured the third position in his Ferrari, while Ye Yifei, another Ferrari driver, was the highest-ranked Chinese finisher, coming in 13th place.