Vermeulen and Green win GTWC Sprint at Zandvoort: 'Very special'

Published on 20 September 2026 by Niels Hendrix

Thierry Vermeulen has claimed his first victory in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Championship at Circuit Zandvoort. The 24-year-old Dutchman achieved this feat alongside his teammate Ben Green, driving the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo in the distinctive Verstappen Racing livery.

The driver duo had already secured an impressive podium finish in front of their home crowd on Saturday, and things went even better on Sunday, starting from third on the grid. Green moved up to second place immediately at the rolling start, slotting in behind the sister car from Emil Frey Racing. A full course yellow period followed, and at the restart, Green made the decisive move by overtaking Konsta Lappalainen to take the lead.

The pit stop and driver change halfway through the one-hour race went flawlessly, leaving Thierry to drive the remainder of the race without error. Vermeulen did so with aplomb: after 36 laps, he took the chequered flag to secure his maiden GTWC Sprint victory. The second Emil Frey Racing Ferrari, driven by Matteo Cairoli, crossed the finish line in third place.

An overjoyed Thierry Vermeulen said: “This is amazing! It was a fantastic race. It’s very special to claim my first GTWC victory here at Zandvoort, especially in front of such a large home crowd. We really enjoyed it.”

Thierry adds: “We had a great performance all weekend. My teammate Ben did a great job yesterday and today. I think we were the quicker driver pair this weekend. I’m happy with this win, also for the whole team. They worked incredibly hard. It’s been a very tough year for us, but we never gave up and kept trying. We know Zandvoort is a track that suits us well. This victory is thanks to everyone’s commitment.”