The 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa will be remembered as a masterclass in endurance, a grueling test of machinery and spirit that saw the record books rewritten in the Ardennes forest. Among the 69 starters that descended upon the legendary circuit, the race began in a haze of heat and high-stakes aggression, with temperatures approaching 40°C. The opening lap set a frantic tone, as a massive multi-car pile-up involving the Walkenhorst Aston Martin and the Attempto Audi triggered an immediate scramble for order. Race Director Neils Vitic was forced to manage a series of Full Course Yellows and safety car deployments throughout the opening hours, a necessary intervention that kept the field under control while track crews cleared the debris of an unusually chaotic start.
Against this backdrop of attrition, the narrative of the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche emerged as the most compelling comeback story in the history of the event. After a pre-race engine change forced the team to start from the pit lane—effectively placing them at the back of the pack—the squad faced what seemed like an insurmountable deficit. Yet, throughout the relentless 24-hour cycle, the team executed a flawless, disciplined strategy. By keeping their car clean, avoiding the mechanical pitfalls that claimed many of their rivals, and maintaining a blistering pace, they systematically dismantled the field. By the 16th hour, the Porsche had surged into the overall lead, a position they would never relinquish, ultimately gaining an unprecedented 64 positions to take the chequered flag.
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While the Lionspeed GP squad celebrated, the race proved cruelly indifferent to the aspirations of other heavy hitters. The AF Corse Ferrari, which had captured Superpole and looked like the car to beat, suffered a sequence of tire punctures and technical gremlins that systematically eroded its early advantage, leaving the Italian powerhouse off the top step of the podium. The Pro-Class battles remained intense, featuring a rotating cast of challengers that included Valentino Rossi in the WRT BMW and Jules Gounon in the Mercedes-AMG. These high-level duels provided a relentless rhythm to the event, with the Mercedes-AMG eventually securing second place after a near-perfect run, while the AF Corse Ferrari salvaged a podium finish despite its mid-race heartbreaks.
The event’s structure allowed for a diverse range of winners across the highly competitive classes, showcasing the depth of modern GT3 racing. In the Gold Cup, the ROWE Racing BMW—driven by Tim Tramnitz, Ugo de Wilde, and Jens Klingmann—delivered a dominant performance, securing a class victory by a six-lap margin. The Silver Cup saw a thrilling tactical battle between the Rinaldi Racing Ferrari and the Team WRT BMW, with the Italian marque ultimately prevailing. The Bronze Cup fell to the Kessel Racing Ferrari, while the Johor Motorsports Racing Corvette clinched the Pro-Am honors, marking a significant milestone for the American manufacturer at Spa.
As the final classified cars crossed the line, with approximately 44 of the original 69 starters remaining, the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa stood as a testament to the endurance required to conquer such an unforgiving track. For SRO Motorsports Group, the success of the event was underscored by record-breaking fan attendance and a level of technical competition that few other endurance races can match. The victory of the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche serves as a transformational framing for the team’s identity, moving them from the uncertainty of a pit-lane start to the historic pinnacle of GT racing. It was a race defined not by the dominance of the favorites, but by the relentless resilience of those who refused to believe that a poor start was a prelude to a losing finish.
