Black Falcon Leads Grasser as Race Settles into Rhythm

Photo: Kevin Pecks/SRO

Black Falcon’s Maro Engel leads the Total 24 Hours of Spa as of around 3 a.m. local time, running 20 seconds ahead of Mirko Bortolotti with the race settling down into a rhythm.

Weather conditions are still changeable, with on and off rain showers, while the race has also been in and out of caution periods, but the cars at the head of the field are now becoming clearer.

Engel, who started from pole, is beginning to increase his lead over second-placed Bortolotti in the lead Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo. 

Sixteen cars are still on the lead lap, all within one minute of each other, while the top seven or eight cars appear to be in the lead battle proper.

These include two of ROWE Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Rs, AKKA ASP and GruppeM’s factory Mercedes-AMG GT3s and SMP Racing Ferrari 488 GT3.

Crashes for two AF Corse Ferraris brought out separate Full Course Yellow and safety car periods in the last couple of hours.

Giancarlo Fisichella first went off in one of the Pro-Am cars, before Alessandro Pier Guidi hit the barriers in the car he shares with Sam Bird and James Calado.

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.