GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club set to star at Spa with bumper 57-car field

The GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club will boast one of its biggest and most diverse entries when the championship joins the support line-up at the centenary CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.

A total of 57 cars will compete at the legendary Belgian venue, where a pair of hour-long sprint contests will run ahead of the biggest GT race in the world (26–30 June). The action won’t be limited to the track, with the GT4 grid also joining the traditional Wednesday parade to Spa city centre. Taking a special route that incorporates the original circuit, this free public event brings hundreds of world-class competition cars to the fans in a celebration like no other.

An event like the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa always draws the largest field of the season, with a total of nine new entries from across Europe and America bolstering the grid. Notable newcomers include British GT frontrunner Forsetti Motorsport with an Aston Martin Vantage AMR Evo, a third Ford Mustang from TeamFloral–Vanspringel, and two entries from across the Pond thanks to American Porsche specialist Nolasport and BMW outfit Samanta Tan Racing. The arrival of three Ginettas, run by the French squad CMR, brings the total number of brands represented to 11, the most since 2020.

Consistency pays for Silver leaders

Josh Rattican and Tom Lebbon are proving that success in a series as tight as GT4 Europe is about more than just winning races. The Elite McLaren duo may be winless so far this season, but three podium finishes from four races makes them by far the most consistent crew.

They are one of just two Silver entries to have scored points in all four outings, giving Rattican and Lebbon a slim lead over early pace-setters Enzo Joulié and Etienne Cheli after the Matmut Évolution Toyota pair suffered a costly retirement last time out.

Robert Consani and Benjamin Lariche were the standout crew at Misano. The Team Speedcar Audi pairing finished second in both races to move to third in the standings, ahead of NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG drivers Lluc Ibañez and Alexandre Papadopulos, who celebrated their first win of the year in Italy.

Benjamin Lessennes and Ricardo van der Ende made it four different winners from as many races by staying clear of trouble at Misano in their L’Espace Bienvenue BMW. The only other team to earn a victory this year, Hugo Sasse and Raphael Rennhofer, failed to score last time out in their PROsport Aston Martin. A brilliant recovery drive from 47th to fifth at Misano moved Wimmer Werk Porsche drivers Ivan Ekelchik and Nicolaj Møller-Madsen up the table, ensuring the top seven heading to Spa all represent different manufacturers.

Podium streak helps keep Mirage Racing on top in Pro-Am

Much like in Silver, four different teams have tasted glory this year in the Pro-Am category. In this case, however, the consistency of Mirage Racing Aston Martin drivers Aleksandr Vaintrub and Stanislav Safronov means they are the team to beat.

Since winning the first race of the campaign at Circuit Paul Ricard, Vaintrub and Safronov (pictured above) have yet to finish lower than second, giving them an 18-point advantage heading to Spa. But they are in no position to relax, with several fired-up crews behind them with more recent wins to their names.

A pair of Porsche entries came out on top at Misano: JSB Competition pairing Julien Briche and Jean-Laurent Navarro took top spot in the opening contest, followed by AV Racing drivers Noam Abramczyk and Paul Petit in the second. The weekend was less successful for W&S Motorsport crew Finn Zulauf and Max Kronberg in their 718 Cayman RS CS GT4. They twice suffered damaging punctures while fighting at the front and will be keen to bounce back at Spa.

Others to watch include Matmut Évolution Toyota drivers Cindy Gudet and Gabriela Jilková; reigning class champion Gregory Guilvert and Antoni de Barn in the Chazel Technologie Course BMW; and Rafael Martinez and Jon Lancaster, who took their best result of the season last time out in their RAFA Racing Team McLaren.

Schumacher CLRT still the benchmark in Am

Suspension failure in race one at Misano may have put an end to Laurent Hurgon and Pascal Huteau’s perfect start to the season, but the Schumacher CLRT Alpine still made it three wins from four outings by the end of the weekend.

Hurgon and Huteau have been the standout Am drivers so far, but they face renewed competition from GPA Racing Aston Martin pair Florent Grizaud and Kevin Jimenez (above), who banked opening race honours at Misano. Father and son team Mikael and Christoffer Brunnhagen have scored three podium finishes in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Sweden GR Supra and will now be hungry for their first win, while NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG driver Andy Cantu celebrated his first podium in Italy and will now be partnered by Spaniard Guillermo Aso.