Amaury Cordeel made the switch from single-seaters to GT3 racing and is enjoying the process to the fullest. The Spa 24 Hours marks something special: his first 24-hour race. With a nearly full Belgian line-up at the Belgian team WRT, Cordeel aims to make it a successful event.

The first days at the track were not the easiest, he admits. All BMWs were slightly struggling on pace, but expect to run better when the temperatures drop slightly at night. “It was indeed a little difficult, maybe because of the heat,” Cordeel tells GT REPORT. “We will try to give our all. It’s a long race, so as a driver I will do everything I can to deliver clean stints.”

The fact that it’s Cordeel’s home race always provides extra motivation. Two of the three co-drivers are also Belgian: Mathieu Detry and Matisse Lismont. “If we manage to get a podium, that would be a mega result. It would be amazing to have three Belgian drivers on the podium!” Cordeel smiles, while staying realistic with his predictions for the 24-hour race.

From a Formula car to a GT3 car: “It’s completely different”

For the 23-year-old, the Spa 24 Hours is one of the first ‘big events’ of his career in GT3 racing. Switching from single-seaters to sportscars was a major adjustment, he explains: “The car is of course something completely different: you have ABS, traction control, the way the brakes work is different. It’s a different way of driving,” he says.

“Every session I try to learn as much as I can and to adapt even more. There is still some work left to do,” Cordeel says modestly. While he raced in Formula 2 until 2025, his older brother Ghislain does have experience in sportscar racing. The Belgian also did some single-seater work, after which he drove in Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

“I’ve done a test with him,” Cordeel says. “The Porsche is a completely different platform than the BMW. It’s a mid-engine car, and the feeling is more comparable to what you have in a single-seater in terms of weight distribution and the driving style – so I have to adapt to it as quickly as possible.”

Cordeel learns from BMW’s works drivers: “To become as fast as they are”

The plan for Cordeel was to move from Formula 2 to Formula 1, but after a while, it became clear for him that it was not realistic to make that step. “It becomes hard after some time,” he explains. “You don’t just need to be fast, you need everything: sponsors, management, a combination of all things. Maybe something didn’t go smooth in that process.”

Cordeel continues candidly: “The results weren’t there either. We decided to make the step to GT. If you come from the Formula 1 world, it’s easier to go into GT than to begin from zero. I think that WRT provides the right environment to progress. They give me a lot of confidence too, and I trust them. It’s an amazing collaboration.”

“Before making this step, I also explored options in LMP2, but I preferred the opportunity to drive with WRT. I can also measure myself against Jordan (Pepper, ed.) in the Sprint Cup of GT World Challenge Europe, who’s a BMW works driver.”

The Belgian driver hints at the link between BMW’s Hypercar programme in WEC and the chances the German manufacturer offers drivers to progress. “With my background in Formula 2, that step might be a little easier. That’s something I have in the back of my mind for sure. For now I’ll keep focussing on becoming as fast as someone like Jordan, or Kelvin (van der Linde, ed.) or Charles (Weerts, ed.).”