Porsche won a battle of the heavyweights to clinch victory at the 2019 Total 24 Hours of Spa. The German marque beat fierce rivals Mercedes-AMG and Audi to climb the top step of the podium for the first time since 2010 and capture a one-two finish in the world’s toughest GT race.
It came in a year that has seen Porsche place significant emphasis on conquering the Belgian endurance classic, with six 911 GT3 R machines contesting the Pro class at this season’s race. Five of of those would finish among the top 10, but ultimately it was the GPX Racing squad that secured the win with a full-factory line-up of Kevin Estre, Richard Lietz and Michael Christensen at the wheel.
The #20 Porsche was the star of Saturday’s opening stages, with Estre scything through the field from 11th on the grid to run second by the time the opening round of pit stops began. Maro Engel led the early stages from pole in the #4 Mercedes-AMG Team Black Falcon entry, which would prove to be one of the GPX Porsche’s biggest challengers for the win.
Estre’s heroics – which included passing another 911 GT3 R around the outside at Blanchimont – looked as though they might have been in vain. The #20 was hit with a drive-through penalty for a pit stop infringement, which dropped the car well over a minute off the lead.
But the crew battled back over the next few hours, returning to the top 10 by the time morning arrived at Spa-Francorchamps. By this stage heavy rain was falling over the circuit, making driving conditions near-impossible and leading to a red flag shortly after 05.40.
With the rain abating as the morning progressed the cars rolled off pit lane again at 11.15. The order took a little time to become clear as a number of cars had not yet taken their five-minute technical stop, a task the #20 GPX Porsche had completed at around 03:30.
The concluding battle took shape with the #1 Audi Sport Team WRT machine out front. The Belgian outfit’s all-star crew of Rene Rast, Robin Frijns and Nico Müller had looked to be a threat from the first stint and they were out front as the race moved towards its final two-hour sprint.
But there was excitement just around the corner. Having always looked to be in contention, the #20 GPX Porsche really came alive shortly before the 22-hour mark. First it overhauled the #4 Black Falcon car, with Estre blasting past Engel on the run down the Kemmel Straight.
Just one lap later he closed on Müller as they headed into Les Combes, where Müller briefly lost control of his car and made rear contact with the outside barrier. Incredibly the Audi was able to continue with almost no damage – but the lead had fallen to the Porsche.
Estre then set about building an advantage, pulling clear at the front while the battle for second continued. Engel eventually came under pressure from the charging Nick Tandy, whose #998 ROWE Racing Porsche was as rapid as the GPX effort during the final hours. The crucial move came with an hour remaining, with Tandy overcoming Engel after an entertaining battle from Bruxelles to Pouhon.
The race now looked to be settled – but there were a few late twists to follow. A full-course yellow and safety car period began with just 25 minutes remaining after the #16 Modena Motorsports Porsche crashed out from third in the Pro-Am class. Estre looked to have successfully dealt with his final restart, only for the #1 Audi Sport Team WRT machine to make contact with the #54 Dinamic Motorsport Porsche and bring out another full-course yellow and safety car.
The French driver made one last push for the finish, eventually bringing the #20 GPX Porsche home to secure the marque’s seventh overall win at the Belgian endurance classic. The #998 ROWE Racing machine shared by Tandy, Patrick Pilet and Frederic Makowiecki completed a fine run to second, with the #4 Mercedes-AMG of Engel, Luca Stolz and Yelmer Buurman third after a faultless showing in the Ardennes.
Audi Sport Team Sainteloc was fourth, a repeat of last year’s result for Markus Winkelhock, Christopher Haase and Frederic Vervisch. Another ROWE Porsche was fifth thanks to Romain Dumas, Mathieu Jaminet and Sven Müller, while Honda scored a superb sixth-place finish from 33rdon the grid with its lone Pro class NSX GT3.
Silver Cup honours were secured to the #78 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini, which went one better than its 2018 result to take a hard-fought victory. Sandy Mitchell was the only driver to return from last year’s crew and led a sterling effort alongside James Pull and Jordan Witt.
The #55 Attempto Racing Audi led the early stages from pole and was a contender for the overall top 10, but dropped out during the night. This made the race a two-horse battle between the #78 Lamborghini and the #90 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG, with the latter taking the points for leading after six and 12 hours despite starting from the pit lane.
But the Barwell car prevailed over the second half of the race, eventually finishing seven seconds clear after the late safety car closed the gap. Having missed out on Silver Cup victory last year by just a few seconds, Barwell made absolutely certain of success this time around. The AKKA ASP crew of Nico Bastian, Felipe Fraga and Timur Boguslavisky can be content with the fact that they have clinched the class Endurance Cup title with a round to spare, while the #6 Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG completed the podium.
The #97 Oman Racing with TF Sport Aston Martin put in a phenomenal comeback performance to take Pro-Am honours. Driven by Ahmad Al Harthy, Salih Yoluc, Charlie Eastwood and Nicki Thiim, this car was severely damaged during Thursday’s opening practice session, forcing the team to switch to its backup chassis.
This would also see the #97 Aston Martin start the race from the pit lane, 30 places behind the class pole-sitter. Despite this setback the car stormed through the field to lead at both six and 12 hours, then ran faultlessly to the finish. Thiim was at the wheel for the final hours and was predictably measured on route to victory, taking 22nd overall and finishing a lap clear of his closest contender.
The #74 Ram Racing Mercedes-AMG took second spot and despite missing out on victory will nevertheless travel to the Barcelona season finale in title contention. The #43 Strakka Racing Mercedes-AMG crew completed the podium.
The #33 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari bagged Am Cup honours, ensuring another class win at the 24 Hours for the German outfit. Having triumphed last year in Pro-Am, Rinaldi was able to conquer a different challenge this year. Alexander Mattschull was part of both efforts, with Christian Hook, Manuel Lauck and Hendrik Still joining his for this year’s assault. The destination of the winners’ trophy not decided until the final hour, with the Rinaldi car battling reigning class winner Barwell Motorsport throughout the second half of the race before prevailing in the final hour.
Despite finishing as runner-up two of the #77 Barwell Lamborghini’s crew – Adrian Amstutz and Leo Machitski – clinched the Endurance Cup crown with a round to spare. The final spot on the Am Cup podium belonged to #29 Raton Racing by Target Lamborghini outfit, while the Coupe du Roi – which rewards the manufacturer with the best results across the classes – was won for a second year in succession by Mercedes-AMG.
A record 72 cars took the start of this year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa, but despite hugely challenging conditions at one of the world’s most daunting circuits the race was able to run without major incident. This was not only a credit to the drivers but the many track workers, who remained on their posts in extremely difficult weather conditions to ensure the event’s smooth running.
For the winners of today’s race, it is now time to celebrate a successful assault on the Belgian endurance classic. For the rest of the field, the first stage of preparation for the 2020 Total 24 Hours of Spa will already be underway.
Kevin Estre, #20 GPX Racing Porsche: “During the night it was extremely difficult out there, with a lot of aquaplaning. In fact, the whole race was difficult. Due to the changing conditions, we were almost never on the right tyres, but we survived and took the win.”
Michael Christensen, #20 GPX Racing Porsche: “When we lost time early in the race due to a penalty, we had to change our strategy to be able to make up ground. That’s why sometimes we took the choice of staying out and continuing on tyres that did not really match the conditions. It was tough, but we had a plan and we stuck to it.”
Richard Lietz, #20 GPX Racing Porsche: “We were asked in June to participate in this race, and I think nobody regrets saying ‘yes’ now! GPX Racing did a fantastic job, and after finishing three times runner-up here I am really happy that I took the win. I really enjoyed this week in Spa.”
Nick Tandy, #998 ROWE Racing Porsche: “During the night I was not sure that we were doing a good job, and to be honest I still don’t know if we were! It was really tough out there, and it seems that we were unlucky in some of the gambles we took. We came up against a great competitor, but it is good to see a Porsche one-two.”
Maro Engel, #4 Mercedes-AMG Team Black Falcon: “Of course we would love to have stood on the top step, but at the end we did not seem to have the pace of the cars in front of us. Doing an extra lap before one of our final pit stops would have been a risk, and we have to think of our chances in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup as well.”
Sandy Mitchell, #78 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini: “This feels a bit like revenge for last year. We managed to put the Lamborghini on top of the podium thanks to an amazing job by the team in really tricky weather conditions. Spa was our aim from the beginning of the season and we managed to show that we have very good pace.”
Ahmad Al Harthy, #97 Oman Racing with TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage: “When I was thinking about endurance racing, I always had Spa in mind. To be able to compete here and listen to the national anthem of my country was an incredible feeling. Thank you to everyone who has supported me over the years, and to my teammates, engineers and mechanics. They did an incredible job.”
Alexander Mattschull, #33 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 488: “I am over the moon to be here again this year. It was a difficult race and it is an incredible feeling. My teammates did an amazing job during the night. Achieving this result is a great honour to me, especially as it is my second class win in a row with Rinaldi Racing.”
Porsche wins Total 24 Hours of Spa with GPX Racing’s Estre/Lietz/Christensen
Porsche claimed its second Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli victory in three races and first at the Total 24 Hours of Spa since 2010 during a weather-affected race at Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.
GPX Racing’s Kevin Estre, Michael Christensen and Richard Lietz starred at the beginning and end of a race that was red flagged for six hours on Sunday morning due to heavy rain. Their win follows Porsche’s first-ever #IntGTC triumph at Bathurst in February and also marks the first for its 2019-spec 911 GT3 R.
Porsche also finished second in the overall classification courtesy of ROWE Racing. However, it was Mercedes-AMG Team Black Falcon’s Maro Engel, Luca Stolz and Yelmer Buurman plus Audi Sport Team Sainteloc’s Markus Winkelhock, Frederic Vervisch and Christopher Haase who ensured three different full-season manufacturers completed Intercontinental’s podium after finishing third and fourth overall.
What’s more, Honda Team Motul’s NSX came home an impressive sixth overall after starting 33rd, while Walkenhorst’s BMW made it five different full-season #IntGTC manufacturers in the top-11.
A RACE OF TWO HALVES (LITERALLY!)
In a sign of things to come, a wet race began behind the Safety Car before blasting into life after four laps.
Maro Engel converted his pole position into an early lead over Porsche trio Earl Bamber (KUS Team75 Bernhard), Fred Makowiecki (ROWE Racing) and Kevin Estre (GPX Racing) who subsequently stormed from 11th to second before the end of the opening stint. However, four Full Course Yellow periods prevented a rhythm or pattern from emerging.
Instead, SMP Racing’s Ferrari and WRT’s #1 Audi traded places via diverging strategies during hours three-to-six before the latter opted to make its mandatory five-minute technical pitstop at one-quarter distance. That dropped the car shared by Robin Frijns, Nico Muller and Rene Rast outside of the top-20.
Back at the front, the advantage continued to swing between SMP, Sainteloc’s Audi and GPX Racing until the two latter entries were handed drive-through penalties. That made the Ferrari shared by Davide Rigon, Mikhail Aleshin and Miguel Molina the de facto race leader, despite running fourth on the road, when heavy rain halted the race at 05:41. It would remain red for much of the next six hours.
Having also made its technical pitstop before the delay, SMP began the final five hours in the box seat. But it wouldn’t remain there for long after Aleshin hit KCMG’s #35 Nissan, forcing the car in for lengthy repairs.
That handed the advantage to WRT’s #1 Audi which had spent much of the race slowly but surely working its way back to the front. The R8 remained out of reach while the track stayed wet, but started to struggle relative to its rivals when a dry line appeared.
Indeed, Estre’s superior pace in the improving conditions first helped him pass Engel into Les Combes and then reel in Muller at a rapid rate of knots. That pressure forced the WRT driver into a mistake just one lap later at the same corner where the Audi spun into the tyre wall.
Estre and Engel both took advantage as the race ticked into its final two hours but were still being tracked by ROWE’s non-Intercontinental-nominated Porsche. Estre’s pace kept him out of range of Nick Tandy who managed to pass Engel just after their final pitstops. Incredibly, Black Falcon’s Mercedes-AMG took the chequered flag just four seconds inside the maximum 65-minute stint length after extending its final pitstop accordingly.
The top-three remained as they were despite a late race Safety Car period that bunched the pack and finally ended WRT’s challenge once and for all when Rast crashed with just minutes remaining.
Fortunately, the sister Sainteloc R8 was there to pick up the pieces despite incurring a drive-through penalty in the night for a pitstop infringement. It completed an Intercontinental podium featuring as many different manufacturers.
The late Safety Car period also denied Honda a fifth place overall finish. However, the Team Motul crew and their drivers Renger van der Zande, Mario Farnbacher and Bertrand Baguette will be delighted after coming through from 33rd on the grid to sixth.
Their place in the overall top-five was taken by ROWE Racing’s fellow Intercontinental-entered 911 GT3 R, which bagged #IntGTC points for finishing fourth in the hands of Romain Dumas, Mathieu Jaminet and Sven Muller. Those along with GPX Racing’s have moved Porsche to within eight points of Manufacturers’ Championship leaders Mercedes-AMG.
ROWE’s third entry and KUS Team75 Bernhard’s 911 ensured all four Porsche #IntGTC entries finished in the top-nine, while Drivers’ Championship leaders Maxi Buhk and Maxi Goetz, plus GruppeM Racing co-driver Lucas Auer, completed the top-10.
Intercontinental’s other full-season manufacturers all endured a tough Total 24 Hours of Spa.
Walkenhorst’s decision to delay its mandatory technical pitstop kept Christian Krognes, Mikkel Jensen and Nick Catsburg artificially near the front of the field until the final two hours. They eventually finished 11th. Elsewhere, Team Schnitzer’s M6 retired during the night when John Edwards was knocked out of fifth place.
Ferrari had the pace and strategy to win before SMP’s accident and subsequent retirement, while AF Corse’s Pro entry never had a chance to show its true potential after an accident overnight.
KCMG’s #35 Nissan pitted for repairs to its exhaust system in the opening hour after being rear-ended at the Bus Stop. It played catch-up after that along with the team’s #18 GT-R, which made progress from a lowly grid slot before being delayed by a puncture.
Meanwhile, Bentley lost two of its Continentals before quarter-distance due to gearbox issues. The #107 car ran as high as 12th but ultimately lost time in the pits, which left the #110 to soldier on from a lowly grid slot to 29th.
Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli continues at the Suzuka 10 Hours on August 23-25.
Richard Lietz, #20 GPX Racing Porsche: “We were asked in June to participate in this race, and I think nobody regrets saying ‘yes’ now! GPX Racing did a fantastic job, and after finishing three times runner-up here I am really happy that I took the win. I really enjoyed this week in Spa.”
Source. SRO Motorsports Group
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