– The 24-hour classic is the world’s biggest event for GT3 race cars
– New Porsche 911 GT4 R unveiled at Spa-Francorchamps
– Track temperatures of 57 degrees pose major challenges for the teams
The Dr. Ing. h.c. F Porsche AG, together with its customer teams, is aiming for a top finish at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The endurance race on the more than seven-kilometre-long GP circuit in Belgium is regarded as the world’s biggest GT3 competition. This year, around 70 cars will line up on the starting grid, including 15 Porsche.
The starting grid for the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race is determined over a two-day process. A total of four Porsche 911 GT3 R had made it through to the final Superpole session this Friday. It was reserved for the 32 highest-placed cars from Thursday evening’s qualifying. In the Superpole, Ricardo Feller secured 16th position. The Swiss driver is competing for the Lionspeed GP team and shares the Porsche with two other DTM pilots: factory driver Thomas Preining from Austria and Bastian Buus from Denmark, both former Porsche Juniors. Due to an unscheduled engine change, car number 80 will have to start Saturday’s race at 4.30 pm from the pit lane at the back of the field.
The best-placed Porsche is the number 2 car from Boutsen VDS. It will start the 24-hour race from 16th on the grid. At the wheel: Dutchman Morris Schuring, Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci and local hero Alessio Picariello. Ayhancan Güven from Turkey has secured 18th on the grid. Together with his works team-mate Matt Campbell from Australia and Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki, he will be driving the Schumacher CLRT team’s 911. Boutsen VDS’s number 10 car managed to qualify for Superpole as the fourth customer Porsche. Belgian driver Gilles Magnus, Robin Knutsson from Sweden and former Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti from France are battling it out for class victory in the Gold category.
GT3 race featuring around 70 cars
The Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race is the fourth round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. The endurance race also forms part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the unofficial GT3 World Championship. This year, around 70 cars from ten makes will line up on the 7.004-kilometre Formula 1 circuit in Belgium. With 15 Porsche 911 GT3 R, the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer is the most heavily represented make. Cars from Weissach have crossed the finish line as winners eight times in this race, which has been held since 1924.
Three Porsche customer teams are among the hot favourites for the 78th edition of this endurance classic: Boutsen VDS, Lionspeed GP and Schumacher CLRT will each field a 911 in the Pro Cup – and thus in the top class. The teams are relying on experienced GT3 drivers from the Porsche squad. The 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps begins on Saturday, 27 June, at 4.30 pm local time (CEST).
New Porsche 911 GT4 R makes its world debut at Spa
With the 911 GT4 R, Porsche Motorsport is taking its GT4 programme to a new level. The new racing car is based on the current Cup version of the 992.2 generation. It is powered by a 4.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine delivering up to 382 kW (520 PS). The 911 GT4 R will make its competitive debut at the start of the 2027 motorsport season. The international GT4 category is one of the fastest-growing segments in global customer motorsport.
Driver comments ahead of the race
Morris Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R #2): « It was really hot today! With track temperatures of 57 degrees Celsius, it’s really important to look after the tyres. We practised that yesterday in free practice. 16th on the grid is probably the best we can hope for. The team did a good job at their home race. We’ll stay calm now and drink plenty of water because of the heat. »
Ayhancan Güven (Porsche 911 GT3 R #22): « My lap was okay, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough to make it into the top 16. Overall, the Porsche felt great. Starting from 18th on the grid doesn’t sound ideal, but we’ve got a long race ahead of us. Tomorrow, it’ll be all about moving up the field in the first few hours without sustaining any damage in the traffic. The important thing is that we’ve got a good race car. »
Gilles Magnus (Porsche 911 GT3 R #10): « This is my first time driving a 911 GT3 R here at Spa, and I have to say, it’s great fun – a very dynamic and lively race car! My lap seemed to be all right. I’m still a bit disappointed with my starting position, though, even if it doesn’t matter all that much. As for the race, I’m sure we can achieve more. »
Ricardo Feller (Porsche 911 GT3 R #80): « Even though we have to start the race from the pit lane, we wanted to see what we could achieve in Superpole. The Porsche felt really good overall and I managed two good laps, but the gap to the front is big. Perhaps it’s down to the hot temperatures. But never mind: tomorrow we’ll be attacking as hard as we can from the back and hope to catch up with the leading group quickly. »
Overview: The Porsche customer teams and drivers
Pro Cup:
Boutsen VDS (#2) – Morris Schuring / Dorian Boccolacci / Alessio Picariello
Schumacher CLRT (#22) – Ayhancan Güven / Matt Campbell / Frédéric Makowiecki
Lionspeed GP (#80) – Bastian Buus / Thomas Preining / Ricardo Feller
Gold Cup:
Boutsen VDS (#10) – Gilles Magnus / Robin Knutsson / Alessandro Ghiretti
Silver Cup:
Pure Rxcing (#9) – Aleksei Nesov / Alex Malykhin / Max Hofer / Enzo Trulli
Dinamic GT (#54) – Tanart Sathienthirakul / Francesco Simonazzi / Angus Whiteside / Loris Cabirou
Razoon (#914) – Edward McDermott / Kenzie Reis Beecroft / Carl Bennett / Bryce Fullwood
Bronze Cup:
Lionspeed GP (#89) – Alex Fontana / Bashar Mardini / Patrick Kolb / Axcil Jeffries
Herberth Motorsport (#91) – Ralf Bohn / Huub van Eijndhoven / Alfred Renauer / Mathieu Jaminet
Ziggo Sport (#93) – Jonathan Hui / Christopher Froggatt / Eddie Cheever / Mex Jansen
Rutronik Racing (#97) – Michelle Gatting / Antares Au / Martin Rump / Sven Müller
Muehlner Motorsport (#123) – Tobias Müller / Armand Fumal / Bayley Hall / Andres Latorre
Pro-Am Cup:
Car Collection (#8) – Reinhold Krah / Nicolò Rosi / Niccolò Schirò / Joel Sturm
Tsunami RT (#79) – Johannes Zelger / Fabio Babini / Hiroshi Hamaguchi / Nico Menzel
High Class (#86) – Kerong Li / Anders Fjordbach / Bo Yuan / Hongli Ye
Holger Eckhardt,