Beyond the flag: Last-lap heartbreaks, comebacks and a first for Lamborghini at Spa 24 Hours

Grasser Racing Team delivered Lamborghini its long-awaited first overall victory in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, winning the 77th edition of the Belgian classic in a tense final-hour duel with Rutronik Racing. The #63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 of Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler completed 549 laps and crossed the line just 8.7 seconds ahead of the #96 Rutronik Porsche.

But the headlines only scratch the surface. This year’s race delivered much more: AF Corse staged a charge from 65th to the podium, Winward rebuilt its crashed car overnight to finish second in Bronze, and Maserati marked 20 years since its first Spa win with Andrea Bertolini leading the field in a tribute drive. The real race unfolded through strategy, recovery drives, and decisive calls — not just at the front.

Bertolini leads the field as Maserati honours Spa legacy

The start of the race featured a unique celebration of Maserati’s racing heritage. The Maserati MCXtrema, wearing a blue and black livery inspired by the Vitaphone Racing MC12 GT1, led the full 74-car field to the green flag as the official Leading Car. At the wheel was none other than multiple world champion Andrea Bertolini, who had previously won Spa with Maserati in 2006 and 2008 and who retired from racing following his final start at Monza earlier this year. This tribute marked the 20th anniversary of the MC12’s first victory at the 24 Hours of Spa in 2005 — a milestone moment in GT racing history and a key step in Maserati’s build-up to its 2026 racing centenary.

Bortolotti and Lamborghini’s journey to the top

For Mirko Bortolotti, the victory at Spa marked a major milestone in a decade-long relationship with Lamborghini. Brought into the GT3 programme when the brand entered customer racing in 2015, Bortolotti became the manufacturer’s lead driver, playing a central role in many of its most significant wins, including Blancpain Endurance Series and DTM titles and multiple endurance victories such as the 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans — often racing with Gottfried Grasser’s GRT team.

Reflecting on the result, Bortolotti wrote: “After 11 years of setbacks, we finally did it with the mother of all executions — we won the 24 Hours of Spa. Thank you, Gottfried, for this journey, and to the entire GRT crew and Lamborghini as well. It’s a journey that started all the way back in 2015 and fully reflects the values we live for. Thank you Jordan and Luca for sharing this dream and being incredible teammates. And a special thanks to everyone out there for cheering us on in good and bad times.”

Now, after years of near-misses and factory-backed efforts across the globe, Bortolotti helped deliver Lamborghini’s first overall win in the 24 Hours of Spa, completing the brand’s rise to the summit of GT3 endurance racing.

For team boss Gottfried Grasser, it was the culmination of what he called a “tough 10-year challenge,” a journey with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 that began in 2015 and was filled with “a lot of tears, countless hours of dedicated passion and work for that incredible goal.” He paid tribute to Bortolotti, calling him “my hero” for everything they had shared in those years, and praised Engstler, Pepper and the entire Grasser Racing Team for never giving up. “We made history and a dream came true,” Grasser wrote.

Lamborghini’s victory not only delivered a long-awaited breakthrough but also extended a unique streak. Six different manufacturers have now won Spa in the last six editions, underscoring the depth and unpredictability of modern GT3 endurance racing.

Rutronik challenge falls just short

Rutronik Racing’s #96 Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Patric Niederhauser, Sven Müller and Alessio Picariello, remained a threat into the final hour. The German team had seized the lead during a full-course yellow earlier in the race, gaining track position with an early pit stop. On outright pace, however, the Grasser Lamborghini had the edge.

Bortolotti’s decisive move past Müller on the run to the Bus Stop chicane with just under two hours to go proved critical. The move came at the moment Müller suffered a puncture at Blanchimont, though he was able to steer the Porsche straight into the pit lane, limiting the time loss. Although Niederhauser closed the gap again after the final stops, he was unable to mount a final attack as Bortolotti expertly cleared lapped traffic to break the tow.

AF Corse bounces back to complete the podium

After heartbreak in 2024, when the team lost the lead in the final stages after being blocked at pit entry, AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors returned to the Spa podium with a determined recovery drive.

AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors completed the overall podium with the #51 Ferrari 296 GT3, finishing third after a determined recovery drive from as far back as 65th place. The team lost several minutes early in the race when they were forced to pit for a brake change around the two-hour mark, dropping the car well outside the top 60. Through strategy, consistent pace, and well-timed safety cars, the trio of Alessandro Pier Guidi, Alessio Rovera and Vincent Abril steadily regained ground throughout the night and into Sunday.

“Considering how the race started, I can say I’m satisfied with the result,” said Pier Guidi. “We were certainly lucky to complete the comeback, and we had to maintain a strong pace throughout. The team did a fantastic job, allowing us to gain ground little by little.”

Rovera added: “This third place means much more to us than last year’s second. It was incredibly hard, but the team responded with great strategic work, and I must also praise the guys for their flawless pit stops. The team stayed united and never stopped believing.”

Abril called it “a crazy race,” explaining: “A small issue had huge consequences for us, and honestly, at that point, I wasn’t sure we’d even fight for the podium again. We managed it thanks to the team, the strategy, and us drivers giving everything.”

Pier Guidi also recorded the fastest lap of the race, setting a 2m17.066sec on lap 352.

Garage 59’s dual heartbreak

Garage 59 endured a frustrating end to a promising weekend. The #59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo started from pole and remained in the lead group during the opening hours, but a puncture during the night ended its overall victory challenge. The team fought back to finish sixth.

In the Gold Cup, the #58 McLaren was spun on the opening lap and dropped to the rear of the field. Over the following 23 hours, the car worked its way back into the class lead — only for a puncture with seven minutes remaining to force an unscheduled final stop. The car rejoined in second and finished runner-up in class.

Garage 59’s Bronze Cup entry, the #188 McLaren, also showed potential. The car led the class during the night before being rear-ended. Major repairs had to wait until the scheduled technical stop on Sunday morning. It finished fifth in class.

Verstappen.com Racing wins Gold Cup

Victory in the Gold Cup ultimately went to the #33 Verstappen.com Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo. Thierry Vermeulen, Chris Lulham and Harry King kept the car in contention throughout, taking the lead after Garage 59’s late misfortune. “Verstappen.com Racing is growing so fast,” Vermeulen said. “It’s been hard work over the winter but I’m extremely proud to do well here, and not just in the Gold Cup but overall too.”

The 2 Seas Motorsport-ran Aston Martin finished ninth overall, the first of the non-Pro classes.

Silver honours for Walkenhorst

Walkenhorst Motorsport claimed the Silver Cup win with its #35 Aston Martin Vantage after a consistent run from Romain Leroux, Mateo Villagomez and Oliver Söderström. The result was a rewarding turnaround for the German squad, which had seen its Pro car crash out and retire during Superpole on Friday. “This is the perfect gift back to the team,” said Leroux. “We never lost focus.”

Bronze Cup goes to Kessel Racing

Kessel Racing won the Bronze Cup with the #74 Ferrari of Dustin Blattner, Dennis Marschall, Conrad Laursen and Zacharie Robichon. After a tight contest with the #81 Winward Mercedes-AMG — a remarkable story in its own right, read more below — the Ferrari took control in the final hours. “Last year we had a very bad start,” Blattner said, “so it’s great to have a successful race that was very clean, with great strategy from Kessel.”

Pro-Am victory for AV Racing

In the Pro-Am class, AV Racing by Car Collection took victory with the #29 Porsche shared by Fabian Duffieux, Mathieu Detry, Noam Abramczyk and Bob Yuan. The win was especially meaningful for Duffieux, who made his race debut at his home circuit. “I was born eight kilometres from the track,” he said. “My first student job was working on the recovery truck here. To compete and win this race — I’m just super happy.”

Winward’s comeback from the back

Winward Racing completed one of the standout drives of the race with its #81 Mercedes-AMG GT3. After a major crash in Thursday practice at the top of Eau Rouge destroyed the car, the Winward crew rebuilt it in less than 20 hours. The team missed qualifying and started last, from 75th on the grid.

What followed was a 24-hour climb through the field. Daan Pijl, Gabriele Piana, Rinat Salikhov and Marvin Dienst gained 57 positions to finish 17th overall and second in the Bronze Cup. “We weren’t expecting to start at all,” Pijl wrote. “Huge thanks to the Winward crew for never giving up.” The car briefly led the class before settling into a secure P2 in the final hours.

Endurance spirit for Rutronik’s second entry

While the #96 Porsche battled for overall victory, Rutronik Racing’s second car endured a different kind of 24-hour challenge. The #96’s sister entry, the #97 Porsche driven by Antares Au, Martin Rump, Morris Schuring and Loek Hartog, was delayed by over 20 laps after sustaining severe damage in an incident on the second lap. Despite the setback, the team pushed through and completed the race, living up to the endurance spirit that defines Spa. Their determination and teamwork saw them finish 45th overall and 13th in the Bronze Cup — a quiet success in one of the toughest races of the year.

High attrition, high execution

This year’s race ran entirely in dry conditions — a rarity at Spa — but was anything but straightforward. There were 15 full-course yellows and nine safety car periods across the 24 hours, with 74 starters (one down from the final entry list after Walkenhorst’s Superpole crash) and only 51 classified finishers. The warm, dry conditions pushed teams to the limit, both mechanically and physically, with track temperatures nearing 49°C on Saturday afternoon.

Race results – Top 10

Bortolotti / Pepper / Engstler (#63 GRT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) – 549 laps
Niederhauser / Müller / Picariello (#96 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R) – +8.703s
Rovera / Abril / Pier Guidi (#51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) – +26.639s
Donno / Fuoco / Leclerc (#50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3) – +47.575s
Farfus / Krohn / Marciello (#98 Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO) – +54.753s
Loake / Kirchhöfer / Goethe (#59 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO) – +1:26.109s
De Wilde / Weerts / van der Linde (#32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO) – 548 laps (+1 lap)
Vanthoor / van der Linde / Wittmann (#31 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO) – 548 laps (+1 lap)
Vermeulen / Lulham / King (#33 Verstappen.com Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3) – 548 laps (+1 lap) – Gold Cup
Engel / Cairoli / Auer (#48 M-AMG Team MANN-FILTER Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO) – 548 laps (+1 lap)

Full results

Looking ahead: Championship battles heat up

With Grasser’s victory, Lamborghini joins the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) winners’ list for the first time. Porsche, meanwhile, collected the Coupe du Roi as the best-performing manufacturer across all classes, thanks to its overall runner-up finish and Pro-Am win.

Next up in the IGTC is the Suzuka 10 Hours in September. This marks the first race back in Japan since the 2019 after the 2020 cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS resumes with a Sprint Cup double-header at Misano on 18-20 July. Following its overall win at Brands Hatch and big-points score at Spa, AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors climbs to sixth in the overall teams’ standings, while Grasser Racing Team moves into the top five. Team WRT currently leads the championship ahead of Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter and Rutronik Racing. WRT also continues to lead the drivers’ championship with Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts.