2025 Spa 24 Hours Update: Mid-Race Insights and Developments
10:30 AM Update: Bortolotti Leads as Race Nears Three-Quarters Completion
As the 2025 Spa 24 Hours approaches its final hours, Mirko Bortolotti is leading in the #63 Grasser Lamborghini, which is now the only Pro Cup contender for the Italian marque following the retirement of the #163 VSR entry. Bortolotti’s commanding position comes amidst rising track temperatures and a lengthy green-flag period, allowing significant gaps to form among the front runners.
Currently, Philip Eng in the #998 ROWE Racing BMW trails by approximately 13 seconds in second, while Vincent Abril in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari holds third, eight seconds further back. The #50 AF Corse Ferrari, driven by Antonio Fuoco, sits fourth, and Kelvin van der Linde completes the top five in the #32 WRT BMW.
Class Standings:
- Gold Cup: #33 Verstappen.com Aston Martin retains a strong overall position in 11th.
- Silver Cup: Century Motorsport’s #42 BMW leads.
- Bronze Cup: Daan Arrow heads the #81 Winward Mercedes.
- Pro-Am: Noam Abramczyk in the #29 AV Racing by Car Collection Porsche leads.
Key Incidents:
At 6:00 AM, the #23 RJN McLaren, driven by Ben Doerr, suffered a mechanical failure, emitting white smoke and prompting a full-course yellow. Most front-running Pro cars seized this opportunity for technical pit stops, save for the #31 and #46 WRT BMWs and the #64 Haupt Racing Ford, enabling the recovering #31 to get back on the lead lap.
The full-course yellow concluded with a safety car period. The #992 Paradine Competition entry succumbed to a rear brake fire during a pit stop, while the #59 Garage 59 McLaren experienced a setback due to a puncture.
The race resumed just after 6:30 AM with the Grasser Lamborghini piloted by Jordan Pepper at the front, closely followed by Dan Harper in the #998 BMW and the two AF Corse Ferraris. Shortly after, sector yellow flags waved for a stationary #2 Johor Corvette.
Class Dynamics:
Changes in the class leaderboard continued during the green flag phase. Thierry Vermeulen regained the Gold Cup lead in the #33 Aston Martin following several competitive exchanges. Meanwhile, a collision between Maro Engel’s #48 Mann-Filter Mercedes and Thomas Drouet’s #64 Haupt Mustang triggered another full-course yellow, during which many frontrunners completed mandatory technical stops.
Following a brief race interruption, Engel served a drive-through penalty for prior contact, and the Pro-Am class saw a leadership shift when Mathieu Detry in the #29 AV Racing Porsche passed Andrew Howard’s #100 Beechdean Aston Martin.
Conclusion:
As of now, Max Hesse has clawed the net race lead for the #998 ROWE BMW after a daring overtaking maneuver on Luca Engstler’s #63 Lamborghini at Blanchimont. With the race nearing its completion, tension escalates as strategies and car performances will determine the eventual champion of the Spa 24 Hours.
Images: SRO/JEP, Marcel Wulf, Frozenspeed
