– Three Porsche customer teams on course for a podium result
– Heavy rain during the night complicated tyre strategies
– 24 Hours of Spa ends on Sunday at 16:30 hrs
Porsche’s customer teams are on track for top results at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps after encountering difficult track conditions during the night. With more than two-thirds of the race over, Rutronik Racing’s 911 GT3 R was running in sixth place, with SSR Herberth’s Porsche in seventh.
Heavy losses for Porsche Motorsport’s partner teams marked the opening phase of the endurance classic in Belgium’s Ardennes: After the first eight hours, half of the twelve 911 GT3 R racing cars were out of the contention due to accidents and incidents. Despite changeable weather with occasional heavy rainfall, 15-degree Celsius air temperatures and 21-degree asphalt temperature, the situation calmed down during the night. Choosing the right tyres proved critical in such difficult conditions. By 8:30 am, the remaining six GT3 vehicles from Weissach were still out on the 7.004-kilometre racetrack. Depending on the pit stop rhythm, four of them took turns in the lead and were looking good for a top result.
Rutronik Racing’s ca. 416 kW (565 PS) 911 currently looks particularly promising. Julien Andlauer (France), Sven Müller (Germany) and Patric Niederhauser (Switzerland) made up crucial ground in the early morning hours. At the two-thirds distance, the car was in P16 and has now ploughed its way up to sixth place.
SSR Herberth also spent time in the lead with its drivers Matt Campbell from Australia and the two Frenchmen Mathieu Jaminet and Frédéric Makowiecki. Two weeks ago, these three competed in a hybrid prototype 963 at Le Mans. By 8:30 am, they were running in seventh place.
Phantom Global Racing’s 911 GT3 R is also among the frontrunners, despite being handed a 30-second penalty just before the halfway mark for exceeding the track limits too often. The Chinese team is supported by Team75 Motorsport owned by Porsche brand ambassador Timo Bernhard. With eight hours left on the clock, Joel Eriksson from Sweden, New Zealander Jaxon Evans and the Austrian Thomas Preining were in P14.
PureRxcing also had good chances of clinching a top result. Around midnight on a wet track, Klaus Bachler from Austria and Germany’s Joel Sturm swept into the lead for the first time. They share the cockpit with the UK driver Alex Malykhin. After 16 hours, the No. 911 entry was back in first place. A short time later, however, an accident at the exit of the fast Blanchimont curve abruptly ended the trio’s charge.
With 66 racing cars entered, the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps is the world’s largest event for GT3 vehicles and counts towards the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Drivers and teams receive points for the GTWC after six, twelve and 24 hours. The race will be streamed live in several languages on the website www.intercontinentalgtchallenge.com.
Comments on the race so far
Sebastian Golz (Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R): « We experienced some tough hours. Accidents and technical issues have cost us seven vehicles. SSR Herberth, Phantom Global Racing, Rutronik Racing and Lionspeed X Herberth made it through the night unscathed and have put in strong drives. PureRxcing was looking particularly good. After the car’s accident, we’re relieved that Joel Sturm is okay. Now, there is less than a third of the distance to go with the transition from wet to dry conditions. In this difficult phase, the drivers must keep the slicks at the right temperature and within their optimal working window. »
Julien Andlauer (F, Porsche 911 GT3 R #96): « We survived the night and made it back into the leading lap. In such changeable conditions, you sometimes have to take risks and need a bit of luck to make the switch to the right tyre at the right time. »
Joel Eriksson (S, Porsche 911 GT3 R #23): « The conditions out there are pretty gnarly. During my stint, the track was drying out. We had to pit a little earlier than planned when the time was right to mount slicks. If we continue to drive cleanly and avoid penalties, things look good for us. »
Klaus Bachler (A, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): « Our Porsche 911 GT3 R handled beautifully in the wet and partly wet conditions. The car’s balance was top-notch! We were leading with eight hours to go – anything was possible. We’re super happy that Joel Sturm is in good shape after the accident. »
Matt Campbell (AUS, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): « The bad weather during the night made conditions difficult – even driving slowly behind the safety car. But we survived the night without any major issues. Our performance under green is good, we’re among the frontrunners. In the next few hours, strategy will play an increasingly important role. »
Holger Eckhardt,