The 24 Hours of Spa is the most prestigious GT3 race in the world. Held annually at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, the race gathers top professional and amateur drivers alike for a full day and night of endurance competition. From its roots in 1924 to today’s global showcase, Spa has remained the ultimate test of GT endurance. It is fast, unforgiving, and fiercely contested.

This year, the 77th running of the race (28–29 June 2025) concludes a brutal three-week midsummer triple crown of endurance: Le Mans, Nürburgring, and Spa. Many of the same drivers and teams will have tackled two or even all three. Now comes the final reckoning: the most competitive GT3 race on Earth.

A century of racing in the Ardennes

1924: The first steps

Just one year after Le Mans, Spa launched its own 24-hour race. It was a national affair at first, run on public roads connecting Francorchamps, Malmedy and Stavelot, but it quickly established itself as a marquee event in European endurance racing. To illuminate the night in the absence of adequate car lighting, organisers positioned 200 acetylene lamps around the 15-kilometre course. Adding to the challenge, each car had to carry a mechanic in the passenger seat for the full 24 hours.

1927: Belgium’s only win

In torrential rain, Belgian manufacturer Excelsior scored a dominant 1–2 finish, still the only overall victory by a Belgian constructor in the Spa 24 Hours. No other local marque has repeated the feat, making it a singular moment of national pride in the race’s history.

1949: Chinetti’s double

Luigi Chinetti won both Spa and Le Mans in 1949, driving a Ferrari 166 MM. At Spa, he slid off 30 minutes from the finish but managed to recover and limp the car home to victory.

1953: A World Championship round

Spa briefly held world championship status in 1953 as part of the inaugural FIA World Sportscar Championship, the same series that Le Mans headlined for decades. The race was dropped from the calendar the following year due to scheduling conflicts and modest entries. It wouldn’t regain global recognition until its return under FIA GT rules in the early 2000s and, more briefly, as part of the short-lived World Touring Car Championship in 1987. Today, its global status is cemented by its role in the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

1964–1990: Touring Car Territory

After an eleven-year hiatus, Spa returned in 1964 as a touring car race, later forming a core part of the European and World Touring Car Championships. BMW, Ford, Mazda, Jaguar and Nissan were key players. In 1992, Steve Soper beat Eric van de Poele by just 0.48 seconds after 24 hours.

2001–2010: GT1 power

SRO transformed the race into a GT event in 2001. Chrysler Vipers dominated early on, followed by Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche wins. Wet-weather surprises like the 2003 Freisinger Porsche defined the decade.

Two-time Spa 24 Hours GT1 winner Andrea Bertolini shares his memories of the Maserati MC12 GT1.

2011–Present: GT3’s pinnacle

With SRO’s Blancpain Endurance Series and later GT World Challenge Europe, Spa became the ultimate GT3 battleground. Audi, BMW, Porsche, Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari turned Spa into a 24-hour sprint, none more dramatic than 2020, with eight cars finishing on the lead lap and 59 lead changes with thirteen cars representing seven manufacturers in the lead at some point.

Spa and its place in GT World Challenge Europe

The 24 Hours of Spa is the undisputed highlight of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, serving as its most prestigious and demanding round. Within this five-race championship, which visits iconic tracks like Monza and the Nürburgring, Spa is where the most points are on offer and where teams and drivers make or break their title ambitions.

Spa’s current role is built on a rich GT racing history. After being part of the FIA GT Championship through the GT1 and GT2 eras, the event became the centrepiece of the Blancpain Endurance Series, SRO’s successor to the FIA GT Championship, before evolving into the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup we know today.

Success at Spa also carries weight globally. It is a key round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, bringing together GT World Challenge competitors with factory-supported teams and entries from other SRO regional series like GT World Challenge America and Asia. Points scored at Spa contribute directly to both GT World Challenge Europe and global manufacturer titles in the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

How Spa compares to other endurance races

Unlike Le Mans or Daytona which feature a mix of prototypes and GT cars, the Spa 24 Hours is entirely GT3 machinery, creating a uniquely level playing field. The track may be shorter than the Nürburgring 24 Hours and slower than Le Mans, but Spa’s 7 kilometre of fast, flowing corners and unpredictable Ardennes weather make it just as tough.

With factory teams and pro-am squads sharing the same spec GT3 cars, every second counts across all 24 hours. That’s why a Spa victory is so coveted: it proves outright pace, perfect teamwork and endurance at one of the most competitive GT races in the world.

The 2025 Midsummer triple: Le Mans, Nürburgring, Spa

This year’s Spa 24 Hours completes an extraordinary three-week stretch:

  • 14–15 June: 24 Hours of Le Mans
  • 21–22 June: 24 Hours of Nürburgring
  • 28–29 June: 24 Hours of Spa

Several teams and drivers are attempting two of the three. Among the real diehards attempting all three, are Augusto Farfus, Mattia Drudi, Kelvin van der Linde, Raffaele Marciello and Maxime Martin. And let’s not forget about the countless individual team and manufacturer personnel doing the triple.

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

Spa-Francorchamps is a drivers’ circuit: fast, flowing, and dangerous. Its 7.004 kilometre layout features iconic sections:

  • Eau Rouge–Raidillon: Flat out. Blind. Legendary.
  • Les Combes: Top-speed braking zone and prime overtaking spot.
  • Pouhon: A double-apex left-hander taken at over 220 km/h.
  • Blanchimont: Fast and narrow. Mistakes here are costly.
  • Bus Stop: Heavy braking and a final chance to strike.

And then there’s the weather. Microclimates mean rain can hit one sector while another basks in sunshine. Nightfall? Deep darkness in the forest. There’s no other track that combines risk and rhythm like Spa.

Classes and cars

Spa features five GT3-based classes:

  • Pro: All-professional line-ups. No driver ratings, only talent. This class usually, but not always, delivers the winner.
  • Gold Cup: Mainly Gold and Silver-rated drivers. The class is designed to offer a competitive platform just below the Pro tier.
  • Silver Cup: All Silver drivers: mostly young, fast, and hungry.
  • Bronze Cup: At least one Bronze-rated amateur. This class attracts everything from ambitious gentleman drivers to emerging talents paired with experienced pros.
  • Pro-Am: Typically made up of two professional drivers and two Bronze-rated amateurs. The line-up must balance speed with experience and consistency. This class rewards smart team management and has long been a popular entry point for ambitious amateur racers and gentlemen drivers seeking victory on the biggest GT3 stage.

All cars run to the same GT3 regulations, creating a level playing field in machinery, but not necessarily in skill. This year, 75 entries and 10 manufacturers will battle for five class wins.

Learn more about the different GT classes including GT1 and the current GT3.

The 2025 entry: Records, winners, and stars

The 2025 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa features the biggest GT3 grid ever assembled. Key storylines include:

  • BMW’s five-car armada, including past winners Philipp Eng (with wins in 2016, 2018, and 2023 the most successful driver in the field) and Marco Wittmann (2023). Rowe Racing, a three-time Spa winner with both BMW and Porsche, returns with strong line-ups featuring Raffaele Marciello, Augusto Farfus and Jesse Krohn, who just won the Nürburgring 24 Hours, while co-driver Kelvin van der Linde is back on the #32 Team WRT BMW. BMW seeks win number 26.
  • Comtoyou Racing returns with its 2024-winning trio Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen, and Mattia Drudi to defend Aston Martin’s first-ever Spa 24 Hour victory.
  • AF Corse brings Ferrari back with a vengeance, including Arthur Leclerc and 2021 overall winner Alessandro Pier Guidi.
  • Valentino Rossi and Kevin Magnussen join the BMW factory effort in the #46 alongside two-time winner René Rast.
  • Mirko Bortolotti anchors Lamborghini’s charge for its first win.
  • Porsche squads from Dinamic, Rutronik, Schumacher CLRT, and Pure Rxcing bring depth, with names like Mathieu Jaminet, Sven Müller, Thomas Preining and Richard Lietz.
  • Mercedes-AMG fields a formidable contingent, led by GetSpeed, Winward Racing (Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER), and Boutsen VDS. Japanese fan favourite Goodsmile Racing returns with Kamui Kobayashi, Nobuteru Taniguchi, and Tatsuya Kataoka, while Jules Gounon, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maro Engel headline the brand’s factory talent pool.
  • Newcomer Mustang (HRT Ford Performance) back for its second try, featuring Arjun Maini and Jann Mardenborough.
  • Garage 59 McLaren, fresh off a podium at Monza, returns with high hopes.
  • Corvette returns to Spa for the first time since 2011, fielded by Johor Motorsports JMR in the Bronze Cup.

It’s a who’s who of GT racing, from global stars to rising talents.

Check out the full Spa 24 Hours entry list here.

The single-class effect: Why Spa is so demanding

All cars are GT3-spec. That means even the ‘slowest’ drivers still have machinery capable of running similar straight-line speeds to the leaders.

While driver skill creates clear pace differentials, the equalised performance output (via Balance of Performance) means lapping traffic is uniquely complex. A Bronze driver in clean air can match a Pro car’s speed down the Kemmel Straight, meaning leaders must work hard in the corners to complete passes.

This leads to:

  • Relentless pressure across 24 hours
  • No easy traffic, every pass must be earned
  • Higher baseline race pace compared to multi-class events

It’s part of what makes Spa’s GT3-only format so intense.

Race week schedule

The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa runs across four days of track action and entertainment:

  • Wednesday – Track walks and the traditional parade of cars and drivers into Spa town centre.

  • Thursday – Free Practice, Pre-Qualifying, Night Practice and Qualifying sessions.

  • Friday – Support races, Superpole, Warm-Up.

  • Saturday – Support races, Race start at 16:30 (CEST/local).

  • Sunday – Race finish at 16:30.

Strategy and Pit Stops

  • Stint length: Maximum of 63 minutes per stint (Maximum Driving Time), extendable to 68 minutes if a long Safety Car (SC) or Full Course Yellow (FCY) happens during that stint.
  • Driver time limits:
    • Maximum continuous driving is three times the Maximum Driving Time (3 hours 9 minutes) before a mandatory 1-hour rest period.
    • Total driving time per driver:
      • Maximum drive time per driver is 11 hours across all classes, except in Bronze Cup where the Platinum driver is limited to 8 hours.
      • Minimum drive time per driver is 2 hours across all classes, except in Bronze Cup where Bronze drivers must do at least 4 hours total (with 1 hour in the first 6 hours). In Gold Cup, Silver drivers have a minimum of 4 hours total.
      • In Pro-Am, the Bronze drivers together must complete at least 8 hours total, including at least 1 hour in each 6-hour quarter of the race.
  • Refuelling + tyre change: Can be carried out simultaneously.
  • Minimum refuelling time: Regulated by the event’s Balance of Performance (typically around 44 seconds nozzle-connected).
  • Mandatory Technical Pit Stop: One 5‑minute technical stop must be completed by each car after 11 hours of racing and before the end of the 22nd hour. This stop allows teams to perform maintenance or repairs without losing a competitive advantage, ensuring better reliability and safety.
  • Pit stops under FCY/Safety Car: Allowed and often strategically beneficial due to reduced time loss.
  • Tyre allocation: Teams receive a fixed number of tyre sets for the entire event, including practice, qualifying, and the race, and must manage these carefully to balance performance, wear, and strategy.
  • FCY/Safety Car management: Key to a successful race, making the most of these periods can help gain track position.

Spa by the numbers

  • First held: 1924
  • 2025 edition: 77th
  • Record entries: 75 (2025)
  • Drivers in 2025: 273
  • Most wins by a brand: BMW (25)
  • Most wins by a driver: Eric van de Poele (5)
  • Most consecutive wins (brand): BMW, 4 in a row (1985–1988)
  • Fastest qualifying lap: 2m13.718sec (Franck Perera, 2024)
  • Greatest distance covered: 4,498 kilometre (Jochen Mass & Hans-Joachim Stuck, Ford Capri RS 2600, 1972)
  • Most Spa 24 Hours starts in current field: Stéphane Lémeret (24 since 1996)
  • GT3-only since: 2011
  • Average speed of 2024 winner: 174.2 km/h

Why Spa matters

Spa is where GT legends are forged.

Born in 1924, it stands alongside Le Mans, Daytona, and the Nürburgring as one of the world’s great endurance races, a true jewel in the sportscar crown. It is a race that rewards aggression and punishes overconfidence. It’s where factory heroes and privateers share the same tarmac, the same machinery, and the same dream.

Every year, the world’s top teams, manufacturers, and drivers descend on the Ardennes, knowing that speed alone is never enough. The brutal 7 kilometre rollercoaster, unpredictable weather, and around-the-clock pace mean strategy, consistency, and endurance all count equally. There’s nowhere to hide at Spa, every lap, every pit stop, every move can decide the outcome. Win here, and you don’t just take a trophy. You take your place in history. You claim a legacy.