2025 24 Hours of Spa: Mid-Race Update
As the 2025 24 Hours of Spa reaches its halfway mark, the #998 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo, driven by Philipp Eng, leads the field with a 2.023-second advantage over Mirko Bortolotti in the #63 GRT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2. The BMW, which initially lagged behind for the first ten hours, capitalized on a Full Course Yellow to jump to the front after driver Max Hesse’s strategic pit stop.
Despite the #998 BMW’s lead, the competition remains fierce. Bortolotti has closed the gap considerably, maintaining a distance of less than one second in the recent stint. In pursuit, Arthur Leclerc in the #50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 is currently third, about 10 seconds off the lead, followed closely by the pole-sitting #59 Garage 59 McLaren.
The #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche sits sixth, trailed by the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER and two entries from ROWE Racing and Team WRT. Notably, 15 cars remain on the lead lap.
The deployment of the Full Course Yellow was triggered by a serious incident involving the #17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed, which had led the race until a pair of collisions with backmarkers forced its retirement. Defending champions, the #007 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin, also retired due to drivetrain issues, while the #9 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG exited early due to terminal damage.
In class standings, the #33 Verstappen.com Racing Aston Martin has lost its lead in the Gold category to Dean MacDonald in the #58 Garage 59 McLaren. Ricardo Pera is leading the Bronze class in the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche, while Cesar Gazeau commands the Silver category in the #10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG.
Overall, 58 of the 74 starting cars remain in contention. Further retirements include the #66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi and the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG.
As the race progresses, strategy and endurance will play crucial roles as teams navigate the challenges of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.