This is Spa Francorchamps, that palace of motor racing, within the Ardennes Forest of southern Belgium, that has been hosting motor racing now, at top levels of all kinds, for a century, having been completed in 1924. The 6 Hours of Spa is the precursor to everything that happens around the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is the last major race before the big one happens. So, join us for all the action. Trust me, you will not want to miss a moment of it. Once again, we bring together, the two top categories in World Endurance with the Hypercars and the GT3 production cars. All of the usual contenders in each category, are present, once again, for this Saturday battle in the Ardennes.
It is a glorious, sunny Saturday, at lunchtime. This 9s round three of the championship with a full house of 80-90,000 people. We return to a familiar track for the first time this season. Spa is a crowd and driver favorite. Porsche Penske Motorsports start from their 100th pole position in sports car racing with the #5 Porsche 963 to be driven by Matt Campbell, Michael Christensen, and Fred Makowiecki. In GT3 it is the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 that starts on pole with Ahmad Al Harthy, the Omani driver taking the opening stint, sharing with Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin, in his home race here at Spa, the native Belgian.
This is the final shakedown for the 24 Hours of Le Mans as we join Martin Haven, Graham Goodwin, and Anthony Davidson here at Spa. The sun is out and the crowd is here as the grid walk is going on as we speak. A major solar storm meant that much of the northern lights were visible across Europe and we have had three days of sunshine here at Spa which is a true rarity. Fans young and old alike are here. It is a long, fast track, hard on the tires. Spa Francorchamps is a true drivers' track at seven kilometers in length (4.352 miles), 19 corners as we go down through La Source hairpin and survive that. Watch out on cold tires on pit exit as you fly through Eau Rouge and up over the top of Raidillon.
This is turns 3, 4, and 5. Also, watch for the final chicane at turns 18 and 19, very bumpy. It used to be called The Bus Stop, because there was a bus stop there in daily life for many years. But I was standing down there a wee while ago and I did not see a bus coming to do a circuit tour. Hardy har har. I am only kidding! Hence why the corner is no longer called The Bus Stop. All the drivers love this place. The grandstands are jam packed with fans. It is a warm day today with far less cloud cover as we are looking at the grids.
We have the softer of the two Michelin Hypercar tire compounds available as we look at the tenth place qualified #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3. This car will be started by Giorgio Roda of Italy and shared later on in the race by a couple of Scandinavian sports car experts. Mikkel Pedersen from Denmark and Dennis Olsen from Norway. In 2023, we had the two harder option tires at six degrees Celsius ambient last year. Arnold Robin of France is starting the #78 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F GT3 that he shares with Ritomo Miyata of Japan and Clemens Schmid, the Austrian driver, in place of the injured Russian racer, Timur Boguslavskiy, this weekend. Get well soon, Timur.
We could see desperation in the second stint for double stinting the tires in the Hypercar class. The Goodyear tires on the GT3 cars, they have a single option and a single option only on tires for the race today. Eighth in class is the Lithuanian flagged #92 Manthey Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R. Russian racer Alex Malykhin, racing under a St. Kitts & Nevis license, he will join Joel Sturm of Germany and Austrian Klaus Bachler at the wheel of the Porsche in today's race. Malykhin had a massive accident which we showed you on video in an earlier post. That one hurt! Malykhin was OK but believe me, he had his bell rung pretty good.
He probably felt he caught the car, but it happens var earlier in the turn than you would think. He is fine. The Goodyear GT3 tire option is the medium compound tire. Manthey have their home base an hour and a half away at The Nurburgring and the new chassis is one of their fabled "Grello" (green and yellow) Porsche GT3's that they race at the Nurburgring in the NLS. You have seen that car many times before, so fans are familiar, but of course, for WEC it is in the predominantly white Pure Racing livery. Starting seventh in GT3 is the #81 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R Tom van Rompuy, the Belgian, in his home event is the starting driver. Later in the race he will share with Rui Andrade of Angola and Irishman Charlie Eastwood of course.
Manthey finished prepping their spare car at 7AM this morning before the race. The crowd here at Spa is massive. This should be the biggest crowd ever, outside of Le Mans, for an FIA WEC race! Holy cow! Kudos to you, FIA WEC for making sports car racing popular, worldwide. Sixth on the grid in GT3 it is the #54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. Swiss driver Thomas Flohr starts the race and will share with his Italian co-drivers, Francesco Castellaci and Davide Rigon. Happy people are everywhere. The Spa fans dig their racing and especially sports cars.
Sports car racing is going from strength to strength currently. At the autograph session, the pit lane was full, and this place was buzzing! Next in GT3 starting 24th in the overall, the #27 The Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3. American based Englishman Ian James starting the car, the team owner and driver, sharing with Italian Daniel Mancinelli, and Spaniard Alex Riberas today. Valentino Rossi is also a team owner in MotoGP in all three classes, MotoGP, Moto2, and Moto3. Rossi is a racer, but he is also a team boss and is extremely involved in everything. Fourth on the grid is the #59 United Autosports McLaren 720S GT3. James Cottingham from England starting the car sharing with Nico Costa from Brazil and Swiss driver Gregoire Saucy.
Third place in GT3 is the second Manthey Porsche 911 GT3R. This is the Manthey EMA entry with Yasser Shahin, the Australian, taking the opening stint and later handing off to Dutch co-driver Morris Schuring, who then relays to FIA WEC and Porsche GT veteran, Richard Lietz of Austria. BMW went 1-2 in Imola to triumph at Imola last time out. Ahmad Al Harthy, the Omani driver, is starting the #46 BMW M4 GT3 for Team WRT sharing with Valentino "The Doctor" Rossi, and with Maxime Martin, again, in his home race, for the Belgian driver.
#46 finished second to their sister car, the #31. The Iron Dames are on the pole. Sara Bovy, the Belgian, in a home race, she claimed the pole and is sharing with Rahel Frey from Switzerland and Michelle Gatting from Denmark. So here are the top qualifying times in GT3.
1. #85 Bovy/Frey/Gatting Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 2:20.755
2. #46 Al Harthy/Rossi/Martin Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 2:21.138
3. #91 Shahin/Schuring/Lietz Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3R (992) 2:21.285
We are using the medium compound Goodyear Eagle for this race. Earlier today we saw a demo from the H24 program. This is a car we have seen before on exhibition. It is an LMP3 chassis that has been adapted to run on hydrogen and hydroelectric power. Highly adapted and the only tail emissions are water. We hoped to see the Alpine Alpineglow which is a hydrogen combustion powered Hypercar but the car did not do a demo lap. Michelin have brought three possible Hypercar tire choices. The white banded soft tire, the yellow banded medium tire and the red banded hard tire. They have brought the soft and medium here because it is warmer.
Now, we move to the Hypercar grid. But big news and that is Ferrari have been disqualified from Hyper Pole and qualifying for not meeting the minimum weight. Everyone wishes there were also hard compound tires. The #50 was just one kilogram under the minimum weight limit. It was an error by the team when they replaced the rear clip. The McLaren at the top in GT3 suffered the same fate. It is an elementary mistake to make but it can surely happen. The bodywork measured correctly. Of course, the Ganassi Racing #2 Cadillac was disqualified in Qatar.
Let's take a look at the top qualifiers in the Hypercar class. In 14th place, the #7 Toyota GR010 Hybrid, Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and Nyck de Vries. Mikkel Jensen and Nico Muller, in a two-driver lineup this weekend, have qualified the #93 Peugeot 9X8 13th on the grid. BMW #15, the first of the M Hybrid V8's starts in 12th place for BMW M Team WRT. Marco Wittmann is the driver starting the race sharing with Dries Vanthoor and Raffaele Marciello. A potential issue for that car and for the #94 Peugeot for crossing the white demarcation line before coming to the grid. In 11th it is the #36 Alpine Endurance Team A424B with Nico Lapierre the starting driver, alongside Mick Schumacher and Matthieu Vaxiviere.
We have 19 Hypercars in the field and just ten earn points at the end of the race. In tenth spot, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 499P with Antonio Giovinazzi starting the race with Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado. Ferrari #50 must pass nine rivals that are as quick as they are. We are readying for the Belgian national anthem. Ninth on the grid is the sister #20 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 to be started by Rene Rast of Germany sharing with Dutchman Robin Frijns and South African Sheldon van der Linde. The cars in herringbone formation against the pit wall. In eighth it is the #83 yellow AF Corse Ferrari 499P. Poland's Robert Kubica is the starting driver sharing with Yifei Ye of China and Israel's Robert Shwartzman.
Everyone is suited and booted with the drivers in the seat getting into the zone as the Belgian national anthem is played by a brass band and sung by a children's choir. A leisurely flyover as well. The light aircraft are trailing the Belgian national colors, of black, yellow, and red. Now, we continue to look at the top of the grid for what ought to be a cracking motor race this afternoon. In seventh is the second of the two Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424B's being started in the all-French trio by Charles Milesi, sharing with Paul Loup Chatin and Jules Gounon. I think this is the first race for Jules Gounon in a prototype.
Sixth place belongs to the #8 Toyota GR010 Hybrid. Sebastien Buemi, the Swiss, three-time Le Mans winner, sharing with Brendon Hartley from New Zealand, and Ryo Hirakawa of Japan. Balmy conditions for Spa Francorchamps today. Entering the top five grid places, we have the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 being started by native son, Laurens Vanthoor, the Belgian, in his home race, sharing with Germany's Andre Lotterer and France's Kevin Estre. In fourth is the #12 Jota Sport Porsche 963 with just a duo driving. Will Stevens starting the car, sharing it with fellow British racer Callum Ilott this weekend.
Three minutes until the engines fire up and we are going to be ready to embark on the formation lap. In third, yes, you've guessed it. Yet another Porsche 963. This is the #99 Proton Competition example with Frenchman Julien Andlauer, the starting driver, sharing with Neel Jani from Switzerland. That is another duo lineup this weekend. Four Porsche 963's in the top five. Second place is a real interloper. It is the Cadillac, the #2 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V Series.R with the roaring American V8 motor in the back of it. Alex Lynn, the British racer, partnering with New Zealander Earl Bamber. Watch for the Cadillac at the start. The Cadillac is the fastest car here at Spa in a straight line.
On the pole, another Porsche. It is the #5 Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963 factory car. Fred Makowiecki of France is the starting driver sharing alongside Michael Christensen from Denmark and Australian Matt Campbell. This is their best Hypercar result. In IMSA of course, the designation is GTP, Grand Touring Prototype. One minute until we get started. Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! The cars will be flagged away waving the flag, will be the CEO and President of the circuit, the Belgian flag. Spa Francorchamps Circuit President Melchor Wathelet has the honor of waving the Belgian flag to send the field on their way.
We are in a golden era of sports car racing and manufacturer involvement as well as variety of machinery. I keep saying it but it is absolutely true! The depth of quality is unmatched. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Fans love Spa Francorchamps. It is dramatic, fast, and a classic race track. The circuit at 4.352 miles is far shorter than it used to be. It used to be twice the distance around at some eight miles. The old track goes straight over the top and down the other side until it rejoins at Stavelot. It is a long, scary, dangerous road circuit, the old track that lasted from 1924 to 1978. We are going to be on a 170 mile per hour journey through the forest for the next six hours.
Grab your frites mayonnaise and a cold Belgian beer, particularly a Jupiler or a Stella Artois, find a comfortable chair, and join us for another epic motor race. The spirit and essence of the old track here at Spa remains the same as it has always been. IN these Hypercars and the GT3 cars, the cars are incredibly fast and driving around this place in a fast car is extremely rewarding. It takes it's toll though, physically. That is for sure. Alex Malykhin starting the #92 Porsche 911 GT3R. Malykhin says he feels good about the race today.
More gravel traps and grandstands have been built at the circuit without changing the layout of the circuit. Spa Francorchamps is a special place and we'll go to Le Mans next. We are so thankful for these fabulous circuits. Everything is longer in endurance races, so we are doing two formation laps to make sure the tires are up to temperature for a safer start. Everyone on their feet. The field has 37 cars total. 19 Hypercars and 18 GT3 cars. We have six hours of racing ahead on one of the greatest racetracks in the world. Don't like the weather at Spa? It will change in mere minutes. I think we will just have one season today, early summer. That is the only season we'll be enjoying on this Saturday.
Safety Car lights off. We will go green this time by. Daniil Kvyat has an onboard camera in the #63 Lamborghini SC63. Fred Makowiecki in the Porsche and Alex Lynn in the Cadillac on the front row. Please, please, please! Everyone let's get a clean start! That is all I ask! The tires and brakes will be cold into the La Source hairpin. Have your wits about you with the hybrid systems and the brake by wire systems. There will be a small gap between Hypercar and GT3. In Imola, it was too big. Who will get the jump? It will be a long wait until the green flag. Red lights on. Red lights out! Away we go! The #99 Proton Competition Porsche 963 of Julien Andaluer is going to underneath Alex Lynn and try making it a Porsche 1-2!
Three wide behind. Contact between the Peugeot and Isotta Fraschini. Ferrari's side by side heading up the hill to Eau Rouge for the first time! The BMWs are also wheel-to-wheel as we get started. Yellow vs. red. #51 passing #83. James Calado starting the Ferrari. Porsche Penske and a Cadillac racing each other. All American teams, international teams with German and American cars, as the Porsche runs wide off the exit of turn seven at Les Combes at the top of the hill. Mike Conway in Toyota #7 is going to pokle his nose in there. BMW and Toyota side by side as we go onboard with the Alpine of Nico Lapierre, the #36 car with its screaming Formula 2 derivative 3.4-liter turbocharged V6 motor.
Peugeot #93 of Nico Muller is giving all kinds of trouble to the #20 BMW Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 in the hands of Rene Rast. The second Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 is also back there, sweeping around Campus, Courbe Paul Frere, and others. That corner used to be called Malmedy. A bump on the apex of corner 17 has been unsettling the car especially on cooler tires and full fuel tanks. Paul di Resta in the #94 Peugeot 9X8 slams the door in Nicklas Nielsen's face in the #50 Ferrari 499P. He retook a spot and Nielsen tries into La Source. Not this time, sunshine.
Daniil Kvyat is the starting driver in the #63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63. Down the outside of the Alpine comes the Ferrari #51. A fresh motor overnight for the Alpine after an oil pump failure. Charles Milesi pushing. He likely overrevved the engine in qualifying. The Ferrari's will have the speed but they need to keep their noses clean and now, we watch a battle developing in the middle of the GGT3 pack. This is the #92 Manthey Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R ahead of the #54 Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, the #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3, and the #78 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F GT3.
This is a battle for seventh place. Giorgio Roda chasing Thomas Flohr and he is being harried by Arnold Robin. Sarah Bovy in the #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 leading from the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Ahmad Al Harthy and the #59 James Cottingham driven United AUtosport McLaren 720S GT3. Alex Malykhin, after the shunt and the rebuild, he is making progress early doors. Porsche, Cadillac, Porsche, the top three. Makowiecki has the gap over Alex Lynn at Courbe Paul Frere. No substitute for cubic inches with the Cadillac, a normally aspirated V8 in the back of it. Lynn made a mistake and now he has Julien Andlauer in the #99 Proton Competition Porsche 963 right on his six.
Medium speed corners through this section of the circuit. Alex Lynn might be babying his tires at the early stage as we now watching a battle for eighth place between the #83 AF Corse Ferrari 499P painted in yellow, against the #35 Alpine A424 and the #8 Toyota GR010. When you are in the hot air, your tires will suffer through the high-speed corners. Ferrari #83 has passed the Alpine into Les Combes. We will see ebb and flow as some teams are looking after their tires as Sarah Bovy and pulling clear of Ahmad Al Harthy in the BMW and meanwhile, into Bruxelles, Brussels corner, James Cottingham in the McLaren is crawling all over the tail of the BMW M4 GT3 looking to pass.
Bovy has pushed the bye bye button. Four years ago, just beginning historic racing, he is racing at Le Mans, and he raced in the Le Mans Classic in historic cars. Alex Lynn has not made a mistake. Julien Andlauer is currently being freight trained by Alex Lynn. 5.5 liter normally aspirated V8 in the Cadillac. 4.6 liter turbocharged V8 in the Porsche. Up over Eau Rouge and Raidillon. The gap is larger to Fred Makowiecki leading the motor race as we have just started. Andlauer is really showing his stuff in his first season in Hypercar competition.
Andlauer was a Porsche Junior factory racer and now, Christian Ried and Proton have picked him up and he is going for it. Second through many more, this is the GT3 scrap with tons of cars. Alex Malykhin is chasing Tom von Rompuy. Arnold Robin passes Giorgio Roda. Lexus #78 vs. Ford Mustang #88. There are two of the Proton Competition Mustang's behind the Lexus. All three cars using V8 power. A 5.0 liter normally aspirated V8 in the front of the Lexus, and the 5.4-liter Coyote Ford V8 in the front of the Mustang GT3. The Mustang runs wide at turn eight, through turn eight, the second half of Les Combes.
Hertz Team Jota are using gold on their Porsche 963's as a nod to the gold of the stripes for a special Hertz edition Shelby Mustang. Both for the 350 and 500 models. Paul di Resta to the pit lane in the #94 Peugeot 9X8. It is a technical infringement reprimand, actually a refuel. He and Loic Duval are racing as a duo. Their Belgian teammate Stoffel Vandoorne is not in his home race because he raced the Formula E race on the streets of Berlin, Germany, on that same weekend. Lynn still running ahead of Julien Andlauer. The trouble with sitting right behind Alex Lynn is that he will be using his tires too much. Wow! A great pass, there, look, as James Cottingham in the McLaren scoots past Ahmad Al Harthy in the BMW.
Al Harthy ran wide through the turn doing the switcheroo into La Source. Alex Lynn might be protecting his tires or he is having issues hanging onto Makowiecki and now, Andlauer is charging. The Porsche's are maybe outperforming the Cadillac at this moment. Andlauer has the tow down the hill dorpping into Eau Rouge before they pop up out the other side! Andlauer makes the pass stick down through Eau Rouge! Great driving from the Frenchman! Use the traction and go for it. Alex Lynn is not giving up but he isn't close enough this time.
As soon as he made his presence known he was telegraphing a message to Andlauer. "Off you go, mate. I am looking after my tires. Thank you." Just a mere five laps now on the board, 22 miles. This is a long stint for the front running Hypercars. Sebastien Buemi cops a five second stop and go penalty for a technical infringement. There was a reprimand at the start. The #94 Peugeot had to do a complete system reset and is back in the race but is caboose on the field, stone last, in 37th place. Ferrari #50 passes the #38 Jota Sport Porsche 963. Only ten cars score points just like in Formula 1 and other championships.
Car #27 under investigation for a starting procedure infringement. This is Ian James in The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3. Alex Lynn told to stay smart as he is being pushed hard by the Porsche boys. Wow. Ferrari #55 passing the #777 on the inside. That is Francois Heriau in the AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 passing Clement Mateu in the other Aston Martin GT3 Vantage in the race, the #777 D'station liveried automobile. French driver vs. French driver in an Italian car vs. a British car. All you know is what your tire degradation is in an individual car. But with two similar Porsche 963's, we can tell where the tire degradation may be.
It is the battle of the French Porsche racers, Julien Andlauer vs. Fred Makowiecki. Makowiecki is now lapping at 2:08.7, six seconds off the fast qualifying pace. The lead scrap is heating up big style. Is Andlauer pushing too hard? He will have to look after these tires for a stint and a half. The tires have a memory. That is for dead sure. Andlauer is inching up on Makowiecki. Make your move, mate. Make your move. Alex Lynn in Cadillac #2 falling into the clutches of Laurens Vanthoor in the sister #6 Porsche 963 for Porsche Penske. But everyone is in the same boat. It is early doors. Take it easy. The lack of cloud cover is a major factor. In the heat, the tires are begging for mercy.
If the cloud cover blankets the track here at Spa on this Chamber of Commerce Saturday afternoon, the tires will find sweet relief when the track temperature drops five or six degrees. Flying up through Eau Rouge, one of the Lexus GT3's is in the way. Oh boy. Let's see what will happen. Andlauer drivers' right vs.; Makowiecki! Ooh! Andlauer had to back out of it. That was maybe two doses of brave pills when he only could take one. Side effect may include, a massive ice cream headache, frustration, and wanting to drive even faster! Wrong place, wrong time for Andlauer in this battle of the Frenchmen. Takeshi Kimura was the cork in the bottle.
Laurens Vanthoor in the #6 Porsche had to get away from Alex Lynn. He was like, "mate, I've had enough of your nonsense, and I am going to pass you come hell or high water!" Andlauer is back now crawling all over Fred Makowiecki as they are doing everything to clear this GT3 traffic. Through Pouhon they go. Andlauer has no chance but might be able to push out of turn 15 down to Stavelot. Slow down ijn the middle fo the corner. Here is Stavelot. Punch it, get the momentum. Andlauer alongside Makowiecki! He is so close! The red mist is showing.
This Proton entry is the #99 Fat Turbo Express car. You will recall that this is the same team that races a Porsche 963 in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship with the Mustang Sampling oil and gas testing company livery on it. More traffic through the final turn. Andlauer wants it. Makowiecki gets crossed up into the last turn and now Andlauer pounces! I think he was too late on the brakes and maybe the front end washed out. Ferrari #51 passes Cadillac #2. The Cadillac in a Ferrari sandwich. That is Antonio Giovinazzi who started the #51 car, the winner of the centenary edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans a year ago.
Sebastien Buemi in Toyota #8 is serving his five second stop and go penalty as we speak. Giovinazzi going for the pass on the Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 of Will Stevens and he makes the pass on the #12 car. What is strange here, ladies and gentlemen, is that the Porsche's are definitely in the wars and must save more tire compared to the Ferrari's and possibly the Cadillac as well. Jeepers creepers! Alex Lynn is going backwards. He is taking an unscheduled flight on Plummet Airways as we speak! Will Stevens finds himself as the meat in a Ferrari sandwich. Antonio Giovinazzi is ahead and behind Stevens is Robert Kubica. I wonder if Alex Lynn's Cadillac is using up the tires or if the handling is going away.
Andlauer just a half a second down, he is turning the screws, trying to get Fred Makowiecki to budge. The two Alpine's #35 and #36 are both latching onto this pack at the front of the Hypercar field. Eight laps now complete, 35 miles. This first stanza of the race is bringing the action in spades! So, next up we have the pairs of Alpines and BMWs and then the better placed of the two Toyota's. Alex Lynn is told to keep going, playing the long game. I think I just said that. Toyota are not going at this like a bull in a China shop. The "bull in the China shop", the raging bull, would be the Lamborghini of course.
So, Toyota are actually employing a strategy that Porsche used in the Group C era of the WEC back in the 1980s, the old fashioned, Norbert Singer strategy of "this is how fast we can go and that's what we will do for six hours." You set your planned pace and stick to it for the whole time. That is what made that era of Porsche in the 956/962 days so successful really on both sides of the Atlantic in both IMSA and WEC. It was the same way back in the glory days which is why many people point to this Hypercar/GTP era and say, "hey, I remember. The magic is back!" Here's your battle for fourth spot.
4. #51 Giovinazzi/Calado/Pier Guidi Ferrari - AF Corse Ferrari 499P
5. #83 Kubica/Shwartzman/Ye AF Corse Ferrari 499P
6. #2 Lynn/Bamber Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillav V Series.R
Hold on ladies and gentlemen. 30 seconds to Full Course Yellow. We have debris on the road with debris between turns one and two, so between both sides of the La Source hairpin. Full Course Yellow in 15 seconds. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow, we are under Full Course Yellow. The cars are limited to 80 kilometers an hour, 50 miles an hour, and you are overtaking right until that call comes over the radio. La Source used to have some runoff but not anymore. A little argy bargy at the start but not too much. Robert Kubica is upset with Alex Lynn. Kubica argues his case on the radio. "The Cadillac massively overtook me. Please report Cadillac to the stewards." "Copy". Well, well, well. That was at the start. No. I think that was during Full Curse Yellow.
The contact out of turn one was between a Toyota, a BMW, and an Alpine. I think it was Charles Milesi, Rene Rast, and as for the Toyota, I am not sure. It was a BMW and a Toyota and the #83 Ferrari. No blame should be put on Milesi and Alpine. I apologize for that. Lynn momentarily overtook Kubica it appears, and Robert was none too happy about it. But maybe, he has given the place back so the whole mess can be ignored. It depends on if it was under green or under yellow. Formula 1 drivers being Formula 1 drivers, like Kubica, they will still get on the horn and vent their frustration to the team.
They will look at the telemetry and see what is going to happen. There is a three second margin of error on the countdown depending on being slow in the corner or hooning down the straightaway at full chat. You cannot overtake a car under the yellow. Nico Lapierre has moved up over Charles Milesi in the Alpine camp. From 11th place to ninth. It is a Porsche 1-2-3 with Makowiecki, Andlauer, and Vanthoor and the first non-Porsche is the #51 Ferrari 499P. The Alpines are nose to tail in eighth and ninth. One on a ladder and the other on a snake. In under 20 seconds we are going back to green flag racing, everyone, in this opening stanza of the 6 Hours of Spa.
The two Alpine's have Marco Wittmann's BMW right on their collective six. In GT3 right ahead of the Ferrari 499P, it is the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin vs. the #81 TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette. Alright. We are back to green flag conditions! The race continues here at Spa! Again, responding to that is critical and Kubica in the #83 Ferrari was away like scalded cat. He has passed one of the Jota Porsche 963's and has caught the #51 Ferrari of Antonio Giovinazzi. Kubica gets around Will Stevens. 10 laps complete. 43 and a half miles.
Shuffling of the order in LMGT3 as well, look. Sebastien Buemi has also taken the stop and hold penalty in the #8 Toyota and Paul Di Resta in Peugeot #94 is 19th overall and last in the Hypercar class. Sara Bovy is next in the queue, and she is the GT3 leader by ten seconds over second place. There is a battle afoot already for tenth place in Hypercar. The two BMW's, #15 of Marco Wittmann and the #20 of Rene Rast, being chased by Mike Conway in the #7 Toyota. The Hypercars are taking maximum risk through the corner. Nicklas Nielsen is being made aware he has floor damage on the Ferrari #50, but it is safe to continue racing.
I am surprised because Nielsen is not making the same progress as teammates Antonio Giovinazzi and Robert Kubica who are motoring through the field while Nielsen might just be going backwards. Mike Conway is completely balked behind the #59 McLaren! Yikes! James Cottingham, second in GT3 and now, Nicklas Nielsen makes the pass and is the benefactor of Conway getting stymied behind the McLaren. Nielsen to 12th and Conway down to 13th place. Toyota know the car too well to be floundering. Everyone will be struggling one tires to be truthful.
There are only 18 tires for the whole weekend, and you must be parsimonious and rigidly disciplined so your tires don't turn into nothing but molten rubber, or gigantic erasers. Be as conservative as possible with tire usage. Yasser Shahin is now fifth two positions ahead of the sister Manthey Porsche who has caught Tom van Rompuy in the Corvette. It's the Porsche battle at the top of the shop. Penske vs. Proton with Fred Makowiecki vs. Julien Andlauer. Nothing has changed at the sharp end, ladies and gentlemen. So, we have completed 12 laps in half an hour and the Cadillac team must wonder how the Porsche's have all this early speed.
In the turbulent air, the wake of another car, in these long duration, high speed corners here at Spa, with reduced downforce, the tires do more work and suffer more. How ironic it is then that Andlauer is keeping up and is glued to the back of Makowiecki in the factory Porsche 963. The cars are the same, run of course by two teams. Penske with the factory car and Proton Competition with one of the private cars. Maybe Proton have put the miracle setup on the car or in a wee while, Julien Andlauer will be feeling tons of pain and asking for relief.
Andlauer though seems to have good feel in the car, but the circuit is pushing the tires in the springtime heat here at Spa. Yasser Shahin in the #91 Mantey EMA Porsche crawling all over Ian James in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin! This is for fourth in GT3 over Raidillon and the local man, Tom van Rompuy in the Corvette is coming in a big hurry. Yasser Shahin has to be very careful because if he gets it wrong, he will lose places including to his teammate at Manthey in the #92 Porsche which I believe is Alex Malykhin in this opening stint. Malykhin behind and ahead is the #46 WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Ahamd Al Harthy, the Omani driver.
With only 32 minutes on the board, this is the best GT3 battle we have seen in a WEC race all year and this is round three of the championship. Andlauer getting out of shape in the chicane as Makowiecki opens the gap and in third it is Laurens Vanthoor in the #6 Porsche 963, the sister Penske car. Two GT3 cars have been pinged with a drive through penalty. Hiroshi Koizumi of Japan, the starting driver in the #82 TF Sport Corvette is spotted for a Full Course Yellow infringement. One of the Alpine's has passed by the #2 Cadillac. That happens to be the #35 Alpine A424. This is a change for seventh spot.
At United Autosport, Josh Caygill in the #95 McLaren he did not infringe and didn't earn a penalty. Only halfway through the stint and poor old Alex Lynn has no girp. He is watching other cars catch and pass him and pull away. Right now, Lynn is the meat in an Alpine sandwich. The problem is his tires are beginning to get squirmy and slimy in the first half of the first stint, not the first half of the second stint. Double stinting tires is the optimum idea. But at the Ganassi Racing Cadillac camp, something has gone awry. Alex Lynn does get passed by Charles Milesi in the aforementioned #35 Alpine through La Source and down the hill to Eau Rouge.
Alex Lynn cannot defend and has to give it up. It looks like the legend, Olaf Manthey, is indeed here at Spa, watching his team in action in GT3. It is still his team but he has handed off the day to day operations to his assistant, his business and racing partner, Nicki Rader. Speaking of GT3, the leading #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini now has 12 laps completed, 52 miles. The Iron Dames are 11 seconds up. Richard Lietz looking on from the Manthey pit as well. Alex Malykhin has caught Tom van Rompiy but has not passed him yet.
The sister #36 Alpine A424B is chasing the #2 Cadillac. Nico Lapierre smells blood in the ater trying to make a move on Alex Lynn up the Kemmel straightaway and into Les Combes. Not this time, sunbeam, Lynn tells Lapierre. All these Hypercars and even the GT3 cars of course, have very complex steering wheels as the steering wheel also serves as your dashboard with lights, dials, knobs, adjustment switches, you name it. Then on the back of the wheel there are scrolling wheels like a computer mouse for the onboard telemetry system screen. Now we go onboard the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 of Marco Wittmann. The Hypercars with hybrid power, the braking is very inconsistent.
That is the brake by wire system on these cars. It is inconsistent and takes getting used to, while the GT3 cars have ABS, antilock brakes. The Hypercars are harvesting energy under braking depending on your state of charge. Plus there are front and rear anti rollbar adjustments. Now we move to another GT3 battle with 13 laps in the books, 56 and a half miles. This is Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 #88 vs. D'station Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 #777. So, while we're at it, let's do a full field rundown, in GT3, early doors.
1. #85 Bovy/Frey/Gatting Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2
2. #59 Cottingham/Costa/Saucy United Autosport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
3. #46 Al Harthy/Rossi/Martin Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
4. #27 James/Mancinelli/Riberas Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo
5. #91 Shahin/Schuring/Lietz Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
6. #81 van Rompuy/Andrade/Eastwood TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
7. #92 Malykhin/Sturm/Bachler Manthey Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
8. #78 Robin/Schmid/Miyata Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F GT3
9. #54 Flohr/Castellaci/Rigon Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3
10. #77 Hardwick/Robichon/Barker Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3
11. #88 Roda/Pedersen/Olsen Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3
12. #777 Mateu/Bastard/Sorensen D'station Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo
13. #55 Heriau/Mann/Rovera Vista AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3
14. #95 Caygill/Pino/Sato United Autosport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
15. #31 Leung/Gelael/Farfus Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
16. #87 Kimura/Masson/Lopez Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F GT3
17. #82 Koizumi/Baud/Juncadella TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
18. #60 Schiavoni/Cressoni/Perera Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2
Each change of the anti-rollbar is 0.3% of mechanical shift balance. Mateu is poking his nose in trying to pass Roda. Clement Mateu has another issue and he has Francois Heriau trying to make a pass. Mateu has to be wise. Most of the Hypercars are over half full of energy which includes a combination of fuel and hybrid battery power. Porsche 963 #38 for Jota Sport has less energy than does the most consistently economic car, well, I take that back. #38 is best on economy and some other cars will be stopping earlier.
Francois Heriau in the #55 Ferrari 296 GT3 is now under investigation by the stewards. He went off the road and gained an advantage, cutting the corner at Les Combes. Corvette #81 has a head of steam, and meanwhile, and Andlauer passes Makowiecki at the top of the shop in Hypercar. Andlauer is your new leader at the Bus Stop. Makowiecki was able to control his own destiny in the race lead. But now that he is second behind Andlauer, he will have to conserve his tires. Again, just like IMSA in the GTP class, the Hypercars are mandated to run double stints on their Michelin tires, no exceptions. That is how durable these tires are.
The two Porsche's had to split an errant Lexus GT3 car and that is how the pass was ultimately made. Makowiecki was caught between a rock and a hard place, and so it was easy, peasy lemon squeezy for Andlauer. Andlauer at high speed with two wheels over the curbs! Egad! Takeshi Kimura too, he had the sense, the foresight, to know that the Hypercars were bearing down on him. Makowiecki has a piece of helicopter tape on the back of the Porsche 963 that's flailing around a wee bit. Meanwhile, Andlauer is pulling away. In GT3, Yasser Shahin has passed by Ian James. Argy bargy in La Source between Alex Malykhin in the Porsche and Tom van Rompuy in the Corvette! Yikes! That was close!
Meanwhile, Yasser Shahin to third as he smokes Ahmad Al Harthy down the hill headed for Eau Rouge! Malykhin was trying to make a banzai move and then... the door was slammed in his face! You chuck the car into the corner at a shallow angle into La Source, you are way wide. Will Stevens at the wheel of the #12 Jota Sport Porsche says has high speed understeer and low speed oversteer. In fairness, the reverse would be worse, if the car understeers at low speed and oversteers at higher speeds. Here at Spa it is so high speed and there's so much elevation change.
There's elevation change at Imola where we were last time. But the speed isn't so great. Alpine #35 is behind the Jota Porsche 963 and the sister Alpine #36 we are again riding onboard with. To have the back end stepping out in the quick turns around Spa is the stuff of nightmares. Understeer is when you turn the wheel, and the car doesn't turn, and the tires are sliding like skis. Oversteer is when you turn the car but the back moves more than the front end. In the immortal words of the late great NASCAR Cup Series legendary driver Buddy Baker, understeer is where you see the accident coming and oversteer is where you can't. Push is understeering, loose is oversteering.
Debris reported at turn one at La Source and that's bits of Porsche and Corvette all over the road after the fracas we saw a wee while ago. The Hypercars are flat out in top gear but he changed gear to get more punch. Now, Marco Wittmann in the #15 BMW M Hybrid V8 is tenth in Hypercar chasing the #36 Alpine of Nico Lapierre. Debris still on the road, so, we are preparing for Full Course Yellow once again. I see the debris now. Full Course Yellow in 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Fu;ll Course Yellow. Full Course Yellow.
When we saw the replay of Takeshi Kimura being passed either side, neither Porche took the door mirrors off. The Lexus has a loose bonnet. I think the left front corner of the bodywork was loose. The difference between GT3 and Hypercar is tire allocation and different tire brands. Michelins on the Hypercars, Goodyears on the GT3's, and in GT3 they don't have to go to extremes to save their tires. Nico Muller in the #93 Peugeot 9X8 has had debris hit his windscreen. What is that thing hanging backwards that has put a crack in the Lexanne? It is the pitot tube that measures airspeed just like an airplane would use. To measure the airspeed the pitot tube should face forward, not backward.
Under Full Curse Yellow we are onboard the #15 BMW with Marco Wittmann, and it is now a trio of Porsche 963's at the top of the shop with the #99 Proton Competition car leading the two Penske factory cars, #5 and #6. Then come two of the Ferrari's, the #51 and #83 privately entered AF Corse car. The first Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963 #12 is next followed by the first Alpine, the #35, and the comes the Cadillac, the second Alpine, and the first BMW to complete the top ten. While we are under yellow I shall give you the rundown of the Hypercars.
1. #99 Tincknell/Jani/Andlauer Proton Competition Porsche 963
2. #5 Campbell/Christensen/Makowiecki Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963
3. #6 Estre/Lotterer/Vanthoor Porsche Penske Motorsports Porsche 963
4. #51 Pier Guidi/Calado/Giovinazzi Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P
5. #83 Kubica/Shwartzman/Ye AF Corse Ferrari 499P
6. #12 Stevens/Ilott Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963
7. #35 Chatin/Habsburg/Milesi Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424B
8. #2 Bamber/Lynn Cadillac Racing Cadillac V Series.R
9. #36 Lapierre/Schumacher/Vaxiviere Alpine Endurance Team Alpine A424B
10. #15 Vanthoor/Marciello/Wittmann BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8
11. #20 van der Linde/Frijns/Rast BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8
12. #50 Fuoco/Molina/Nielsen Ferrari AF Corse Ferrari 499P
13. #7 Conway/Kobayashi/de Vries Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid
14. #93 Jensen/Muller Peugeot TotalEnergies Peugeot 9X8
15. #38 Button/Hanson/Rasmussen Hertz Team Jota Porsche 963
16. #63 Bortolotti/Caldarelli/Kvyat Lamborghini Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63
17. #11 Serravalle/Bennett/Vernay Isotta Fraschini Isotta Fraschini Tipo 6C
18. #8 Buemi/Hartley/Hirakawa Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota GR010 Hybrid
19. #94 Di Resta/Duval Peugeot TotalEnergies Peugeot 9X8
The recovering #50 Ferrari has made it up to 12th place and they are being very cautious. You can't sprint up the field because if you do, you will go back down the order because your tires will be completely shot from putting all that energy into them. So, it is a complete catch 22 at that point. The biggest learning curve for these teams is stretching the performance envelope into the second stint. Hence, why we have seen Ferrari and Porsche really improve. Toyota are having a dud race to this point and we'll have to see how they progress.
As the fuel depletes and the tires degrade you can stay lap time neutral and when you reload fuel, the balance and grip change on the car completely. The Iron Dames and Sara Bovy are running extremely well and so is James Cottingham with the United Autosports McLaren. 30 seconds before we remove the Full Course Yellow. I shall have one more observation before we turn the cars loose again. The McLaren from United Autosports is making great progress and this is the car that was qualified by Josh Caygill, so, it is the #95.
Less than 15 seconds to remove the yellow. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow removed. Green! Green! Green! The Ferrari goes by one of the GT3 cars but now look at the Porsche's as they are getting stymied by the Corvette and the Aston Martin! This is going to be a pickle, perhaps, for both Proton and Penske! Alright. They Hypercars have cleared Ian James' Aston Martin as they are climbing the hill up the Kemmel straightaway. The two Penske Porsche 963's are fighting amongst themselves because Julien Andlauer has pulled the pin and checked out. He was off like a rocket. Vanthoor locks it up into the last turn! So much for the Bus Stop. I told you, you wait down there, that bus service has been cancelled. The bus is back at garage I'm afraid.
The braking on the Hypercars is so touchy! Makowiecki would have had to go extra slow into the turn because he had a GT3 Porsche in the way. Giovinazzi in the #51 Ferrari nips past Vanthoor through Les Combes, so that is another position lost. Ferrari #51 started tenth and they have only six points total and need massive points. They cannot afford another zero if they want the championship. Giovinazzi is driving well and looking after his tires. Giovinazzi has the speed on the outside and goes for it up to Les Combes. The Ferrari must be quicker in a straight line compared to the Porsche. Giovinazzi told to be careful with his tires while being encouraged. What can Ferrari #83 do about the Porsche?
We have seen Porsche scorch the rest of the Hypercar field in the opening stanza. But now, they are feeling the pressure from almost everyone else in this 18-car Hypercar field, at least 18 contending cars. The third #83 Ferrari is 24 seconds back but they have come from last. Oh my! Have a Captain Cook at this GT3 battle! Ian James under pressure up and over Eau Rouge from the Corvette and the Porsche! Heart of Racing vs. TF Sport vs. Manthey Pure Racing! Ian James has both Tom van Rompuy and Alex Malykhin right on his six! Malykhin has the momentum but Ian James loses nothing and he has the preferred line into the corner.
Malykhin passes van Rompuy. Malykhin has been warned about track limits a couple times already. He has a poor exit out of Pouhon and here comes the Toyota of Sebastien Buemi in #8. No. That's the #11 Isotta Fraschini, and I don't know who is currently at the wheel of it. Excuse me. I should say, Buemi is using the traffic to his benefit to keep the Isotta behind him. That's not something I expected to say, or to type into the report. We'll see. We'll see. A long way to go, ladies and gentlemen. Jean Karl Vernay don't discredit him because he has a lot of experience and sure, the car is very new, still. But he is getting the most out of it.
Now we watch the battle for 11th in Hypercar down to Eau Rouge. Rene Rast in the #20 BMW, Nicklas Nielsen in the #50 Ferrari, and Mike Conway in the #7 Toyota. Conway lost a spot to Nielsen through traffic but is beginning to catch back up to the red and yellow racer. Approaching the end of the first hour of round three of the 2024 FIA WEC. Porsche with three cars in the top four and Ferrari making their presence known. Julien Andlauer has completed 22 laps, 96 miles. We are seeing a convincing showing thus far from Alpine, too. Now, the GT3 battle rages on.
Tom van Rompuy is determined to go after Alex Malykhin, and they are side by side. No dice that time. Malykhin sixth and van Rompuy seventh. van Rompuy, a local Belgian racer. For 13th, the #88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 and the #95 United Autosport McLaren of Josh Caygill, duking it out with Italian Giorgio Roda in the Mustang. Caygill was second fastest in GT3 qualifying. The McLaren in post qualifying scrutineering ended up 600 grams underweight. For reference, that equals two cans of soda. A tiny amount, and made back to the tail of the grid.
Nicklas Nielsen is doing everything he can to get past the BMW. This is going to be a long, long race of attrition. This is a battle for 12th as van Rompuy and Malykhin both hit the pit lane. Regular service it appears. Incident for the #7 starting procedure equals a fine to pay only for Toyota and Mike Conway. A battle for eighth in GT3, England vs. U.S.A. Frenchman Clement Mateu at the wheel of the #777 D'station Aston Martin ahead of the #77 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 of American driver Ryan Hardwick.
Tom van Rompuy has pitted and so have Alex Malykhin and Josh Caygill. van Rompuy beats Malykhin out of the lane. Julien Andlauer continues in the lead of this motor race in the #99 Proton Competition Porsche 963. Some cars are surely running out of energy. Two of the Ferrari's, #51 and #83 are about to stop, and so is the #2 Cadillac and the #93 Peugeot. #94 has more energy from a refuel and a battery charge. The #38 Jota Porsche 963 is still going longest as the Iron Dames Lamborghini #85 pits from the GT3 class lead.
Fuel only as Bovy was ahead by 30 seconds at her home track. James Cottingham is in, in the #59 McLaren and so is the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3. Ahmad Al Harthy will do a double stint. Yasser Shahin brings the #91 Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3R into the pits as well. Bovy is already back on track as we have an update on an investigation. I shall give you that news as we begin hour two here at Spa.
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