Spa 24 Hours update 3: Sunday sunrise reshuffles the order

With five hours remaining in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the race has entered its final stretch. After a chaotic Saturday, Sunday has brought a more strategic rhythm, though no less intense. Pit stop timing, tyre discipline, and relentless pace now define the battle for victory. Several early favourites have slipped down the order, while the lead fight remains fiercely contested across manufacturers. Here’s where things stand as the race builds toward a dramatic conclusion.

Lead Battle Intensifies

The overall lead has changed hands multiple times due to divergent pit strategies between the #63 Lamborghini, #998 BMW, and #96 Porsche. As of 11:30, the #63 Grasser Lamborghini driven by Mirko Bortolotti holds the net lead, with the #98 ROWE BMW of Raffaele Marciello close behind and the #96 Rutronik Porsche of Sven Müller around 24 seconds adrift. The #96 Rutronik Porsche briefly led but has just pitted off-sequence, handing back the advantage. Eleven cars remain on the lead lap, and all are looking like contenders. Strategy divergence remains a defining theme, particularly with some front-runners stretching fuel and stint lengths.

Incidents and Neutralisations

A number of race interruptions have punctuated the night and early morning, though the chaos of Saturday has noticeably subsided. A safety car was deployed at 07:30 after the #21 Aston Martin found the gravel at Bruxelles. Earlier, a Full Course Yellow was called when the #48 Mercedes tagged the HRT Ford, sending the latter into retirement. The #19 Lamborghini spun and hit the wall between Blanchimont and the Bus Stop but managed to limp back without further neutralisation.

Penalties and Pit Strategies

There has been one major penalty of note: the #48 Mercedes served a drive-through for its role in the Ford incident and dropped to P13, last on the lead lap. Almost all front-runners have now completed their mandatory technical pitstops. Several teams, including Lionspeed GP, lost time during these stops—Lionspeed’s overlong stop cost them the Bronze Cup lead. Brake disc changes have been completed across the board, with just a few late stragglers noted in the night.

Class Battles Heating Up

Class battles are intensifying. The Bronze Cup is offering one of the best fights on track, with the #81 Mercedes-AMG of Winward Racing that started at the very end of the grid, trading the lead with the #74 Ferrari of Dennis Marschall with the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche involved as well. In the other categories, the #33 Aston Martin leads Gold Cup, the #35 WRT BMW tops Silver, and the #100 Aston Martin remains out front in Pro-Am.

Early Leaders Slip from Spotlight

Once commanding the field, the #59 Garage 59 McLaren has gradually faded from the lead narrative. While free of drama or penalties, it simply couldn’t match the pace of the frontrunners through the night and now sits outside the top five, no longer a podium threat.

Similarly, the #17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG saw its race unravel in the space of a single hour. First came a drive-through penalty for contact, then a costly incident at Eau Rouge that effectively ended its hopes of a comeback.

Meanwhile, the #163 GRT Lamborghini had looked like a serious contender well into the early morning. But a power steering issue shortly after its technical stop knocked it several laps off the pace—too much to recover against this field.

Tyre and Track Conditions

Despite the gravel-strewn track, tyre performance has been stable. No major blowouts have been reported, though pickup remains a constant challenge, especially when lapping slower cars. Drivers seem to be managing it without drama, and teams have shown no signs of adjusting strategies drastically around tyre wear.

Brand Balance and Race Pace

The #63 Lamborghini has stretched its lead to 21 seconds, but gaps continue to fluctuate as the leaders cycles through traffic and pit windows. Pier Guidi has looked quick, climbing to third on the standard strategy, though he has also lost time in traffic. BMW appears strongest in depth, with two ROWE cars and a WRT entry in the mix. Ferrari’s two cars are showing pace, while Lamborghini and Porsche still pose a threat. Mercedes-AMG and McLaren remain just off the back of the lead train.

Calm Before the Storm

The mood of the race has evolved into a tense, tactical phase. Saturday’s interruptions have largely faded, replaced by a rhythmical but high-pressure Sunday. Teams are now focused on execution, with strategy and error avoidance paramount.

The early morning calm has given way to a building sense of urgency. Everyone knows the next pit cycle, the next code 60, or the next lapped car could swing this race one way or the other. Five hours remain. It’s on.