Optimum McLaren Leads 24H Spa After Lengthy Caution

Photo: SRO/JEP

A lengthy caution period saw the No. 5 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo lead the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in the moments after the race reached its mid-point.

Salman Owega led once the race resumed following a full-course yellow for barrier repairs after a hefty shunt at Blanchimont for Sarah Bovy in the No. 700 Comtoyou Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.

The restart followed a chaotic eleventh hour which saw both a FCY and a heavy downpour.

Optimum’s Silver class McLaren enjoyed a rapid ascent up the order during the FCY period as it cycled into the lead after a swathe of pit stops for most of the field.

Bovy’s incident was not the only reason for the caution as the No. 11 Comtoyou Aston and the No. 42 Oman Racing by Century Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO both stopped on track on the same lap.

At this point many teams decided to take their mandatory five-minute technical pit stop while the race was neutralised.

Team WRT was the first to adopt this strategy, while the No. 5 crew were one of the last teams to pit under the FCY. As a result, its car held the lead at the restart.

The No. 58 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo had led the race at the moment the clock ticked past the 12-hour mark, so bagged the points available for leading the race at that point. It sacrificed the lead immediately afterwards when it entered the pits for its technical stop.

The No. 48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo had traded positions with the No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 EVO for several hours before the 12-hour point thanks to an alternative pit strategy for the two teams.

The No. 46 Team WRT BMW was in second place when the race resumed, followed by the No. 48 Mann Filter-sponsored Mercedes-AMG.

Lilou Wadoux’s No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo remained in contention, sitting fourth overall.

Walkenhorst Motorsport’s No. 34 Aston Martin claimed fifth place at the restart, with the Gold class leading No. 111 CSA McLaren in sixth.

The No. 3 Mercedes-AMG was close behind in seventh ahead of HRT’s No. 64 Ford.

The No. 991 Paradine Competition BMW snatched the lead in Bronze Cup during an FCY period, besting a dominant Kessel Racing Ferrari which seemed almost untouchable before the final caution.

The No. 74 car showed rapid pace with Mathys Jaubert at the wheel. The Frenchman fought his way up to fourth place overall in the eighth hour of the race before handing over to teammate Ben Tuck to maintain a hefty class lead.

Benjamin Paque controlled the Pro-Am class in the No. 999 GetSpeed Team PCX Racing car just ahead of the No. 0 JMR Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.

Finlay Ringer

Finlay Ringer is a freelance motorsport journalist covering the 24H Series for Sportscar365. He is also a journalism student at City St George's, University of London, and has contributed to publications such as The Race and Autocar.