First podium and a Win for Lamborghini at Spa24

SROSPA24

Jun 30

With six GT3 ending in the same lap representing five different manufacturers, the 77th edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa saw Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler put Lamborghini on top for the first time at Spa-Francorchamps.

Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini back in the lead

Starting from 10th, the #63 Lamborghini remained part of the leading pack throughout the opening half of the race. The Grasser Racing Team Huracan reached P1 early Sunday morning.

#63 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

As track temperatures climbed above 50 degrees Celsius, the race unfolded into a heated neck-and-neck duel between the #63 Lamborghini and the #96 Porsche. With just over two hours left on the clock, the Grasser Racing Team’s car passed the Rutronik 911 GT3 R to take the lead. With 40 minutes before the checkered flag, the Lamborghini made its final fuel stop. Though the stop went not according to plan, the car rejoined the track one second ahead of Niederhauser. As the Grasser Racing Lamborghini was clearly faster, particularly as the temperature rose, Mirko Bortolotti crossed checkered flag 8.703 seconds ahead of Niederhauser.

Lamborghini #63 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. #63 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

"This place kick-started my career back in 2017 when I got an opportunity to come here for the first time with a big dream,” said an emotional Pepper. “I’ve been through a lot here and pretty much every year hasn’t gone my way. I think when we crossed the finish line those emotions from the last nine years came out.” Source: SRO

Rutronik Racing Porsche finish a close second

Alessio Picariello, Patric Niederhauser and Sven Müller took the flag 8.7 seconds behind the winning Lamborghini from the Grasser Racing team. Fresh off an LMGT3 class win at Le Mans and second place at the Nürburgring, Porsche achieved another podium result in a third consecutive 24-hour race. In the Intercontinental GT Challenge standings, Müller, Niederhauser, Picariello and Porsche were classified first.

A key moment occurred around 12:30 pm: while Alessio Picariello steered the #96 Porsche into the pits for a routine stop, a stricken car triggered a full-course yellow. This meant that as Rutronik Racing’s mechanics refuelled the Belgian’s 911 GT3 R, the field was restricted to 80 km/h under full-course yellow conditions, allowing a significant time gain for the car shared by Picariello, Germany’s Sven Müller and Switzerland’s Patric Niederhauser. With four hours remaining, the trio also benefited from a well-timed pit stop rhythm, bringing Rutronik Racing’s 911 GT3 R back into contention.

Alessio Picariello (Porsche 911 GT3 R #96): “I’m standing here with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m obviously happy – before this race, I would’ve taken this result without a second thought. But after such a hard-fought battle, finishing second is a little heartbreaking. We gave it everything; there was nothing left in the tank for us. The fact that we managed to fight at the front feels like a small miracle. The team and the drivers delivered a flawless performance. Next year, we’ll come back even stronger.” Source: Porsche

AF Corse Francorchamps Ferrari third and fourth

#51 Ferrari 296 GT3 of AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors take third place overall with official drivers Alessandro Pier Guidi and Alessio Rovera alongside Vincent Abril.

Pier Guidi-Rovera-Abril crossed the line in fourth place, but a 30-second penalty imposed on their rivals (for exceeding track limits) promoted them to the final podium step. The result rewarded the comeback completed by the number 51 crew, who had to return to the pits two hours into the race to replace the brakes. The time lost dropped the Italo-Belgian car to 65th place, but through determination, strategy, multiple overtakes and the help of a few Safety Cars, Pier Guidi, Rovera and Abril managed to secure a podium finish.

Ferrari #51 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Ferrari 296 GT3 #51.

The second AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors car, the #50 driven by the official drivers Arthur Leclerc and Antonio Fuoco with Eliseo Donno, also benefited from the penalty. After finishing fifth, they were promoted to fourth at the end of a race that saw them consistently fighting at the front.

Ferrari #50 — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. #50 Ferrari 296 GT3

ROWE Racing BMW fifth

The Nürburgring-winning trio of Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, and Raffaele Marciello briefly took the lead at Spa-Francorchamps thanks to some luck during a yellow flag phase. They engaged in a long-distance battle with the eventual winners. In the final stages, Marciello fought hard against a Ferrari for third place, but his efforts led to one too many track limit violations. As a result, he received a 30-second penalty after the race, dropping the #98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from third to fifth place.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. #98 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3.

Augusto Farfus (#98 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, ROWE Racing, 5th place): “It has been a bitter end for us. We gave it all. It was difficult to keep the car on track, so I feel sorry for Lello. I think a podium was in our reach, but no more. We executed the race very well, apart from this very little mistake with the track limits. The team did perfect pit stops, the strategy and everything were also perfect. It was so close but then so far away. But I think we have enough reasons to smile, and I have enough reasons to smile for the opportunity BMW M Motorsport gave to me to compete in the three biggest 24-hour races in the world with a competitive car. This is what I take from it, including the victory at the Nürburgring just one week ago.” Source: BMW Group

Top 10 ranking 77th edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa