Sims Leads 24H Spa After Mandatory Technical Stops

Photo: Olivier Beroud Images

Alexander Sims and ROWE Racing have inherited the lead of the Total 24 Hours of Spa after the front-running cars completed their mandatory technical stops.

The Brit, who drives the No. 99 BMW M6 GT3, has a six-second lead over defending winner Christopher Haase’s Audi Sport Team Sainteloc car, with sunlight again over the Belgian Ardennes. 

Yelmer Buurman follows in third, ahead of Tristan Vautier, both in factory-backed Mercedes-AMG GT3s.

The leading teams all completed their technical stops, which require a minimum duration of five minutes, earlier in the four-hour window.

Long-time leader Walkenhorst Motorsport was one of a number of teams to complete the stops at the last possible moment, as the race counted down to nine hours remaining. 

This decision dropped the No. 34 BMW, now driven by Tom Blomqvist, to sixth, ahead of the No. 7 Bentley Continental GT3 of Jordan Pepper.

Lewis Williamson remains out front for Strakka Racing in the Pro-Am Cup while Barwell Motorsport drivers Michele Beretta and Richard Abra lead in the Silver and Am Cups, respectively.

Since its restart shortly after the halfway mark, the race was again neutralized for over an hour after a crash for Jules Szymkowiak’s AKKA ASP Mercedes, which necessitated lengthy barrier repairs.

Jake Kilshaw

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