Marc van der Straten, founder and owner of the Marc VDS Racing Team, has passed away peacefully at the age of 77 at his home in Switzerland on July 5, the team has announced. While his name became strongly connected to success in Moto2 racing, his legacy in GT racing remains one of the defining chapters of Belgian endurance racing.
Through Marc VDS, Van der Straten built a team that became a major force in international GT competition, most memorably with BMW. The Belgian outfit’s greatest GT moment came at the 2015 24 Hours of Spa, where the #46 BMW Z4 GT3 took overall victory. It was a landmark home triumph for Marc VDS after several years of chasing success in the Ardennes.
That GT story later continued through Boutsen VDS, the collaboration between Boutsen Racing and Marc VDS that began at the end of 2022. The partnership brought the VDS name back to the GT World Challenge Europe paddock and kept Van der Straten’s colours and spirit present in GT racing.
Boutsen VDS team owner Olivier Lainé paid tribute to Van der Straten in a short statement, writing: “The seasons we shared together, and especially these last 24 Hours of Spa, will stay with me forever. Thank you, Marc.”
Recognisable for his chequered cap and remembered for the family atmosphere he created, Van der Straten leaves behind more than results. In GT racing, his legacy is one of ambition, Belgian pride and the belief that passion and excellence could carry a private team to victory on one of the world’s biggest endurance stages.
Love what we do? Support GT REPORT with a donation and fuel our next trip to the racetrack.
Even €5 makes a difference!
