GT4 European Series heads to Hockenheim with ultra-competitive 51-car field

The GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club will resume its 2024 campaign next weekend (July 19-21) when the grid assembles at Hockenheim to kick off the championship run in.

It comes three weeks after the series visited Spa-Francorchamps and launches what promises to be a fiercely competitive second half of the season. Indeed, with six of the 12 races complete the pressure is mounting with each passing event. Every mistake will feel more costly, while wins become even more valuable.

A field of 51 cars representing 10 manufacturers will contest a pair of hour-long sprint races at the 4.6km German venue, with all to play for across the championship’s three classes.

Silver: Rattican and Lebbon prove Elite at Spa

Josh Rattican and Tom Lebbon tore up the form book last time out at Spa-Francorchamps. The #78 Elite Motorsport McLaren duo bagged a maiden victory in the opening contest, then doubled up to become the first repeat winners of the season.

The British drivers have only once finished outside the podium places, and their dominance at Spa has allowed them to a establish a 47-point lead in the standings. But in such a competitive championship a single off-weekend can close things up again – as their main rivals know all too well.

Robert Consani and Benjamin Lariche endured a tough opening event at Circuit Paul Ricard, but since then the #3 Team Speedcar Audi has played a starring role. Indeed, a run of three second place finishes from the past four races has helped the French duo emerge as the closest challengers to Rattican and Lebbon.

Ricardo van der Ende and Benjamin Lessennes (#17 L’Espace Bienvenue BMW) are a further two points in arrears. Thus far their season has been highlighted by two standout results – a second place at Spa and victory at Misano – drawing them into the championship battle.

In contrast, the campaign has not been nearly as smooth for Enzo Joulié and Etienne Cheli (#9 Matmut Évolution Toyota), who led the standings after round one. They have since taken just nine points from the past four races, with two retirements dropping them to fourth, 59 points behind Rattican and Lebbon.

Raphael Rennhofer/Hugo Sasse (#99 PROsport Aston Martin) and Lluc Ibañez/Alexandre Papadopulos (#15 NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG) have also had stop-start seasons. Both crews have been winners, though they are yet to add consistency and currently sit fifth and sixth in the points respectively.

Likewise, the Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW crews of reigning champion Gabriele Piana/Berkay Besler and Yagiz Gedik/Pedro Ebrahim Carvalho have been podium finishers and shown race-winning speed, albeit without enjoying the luck required to secure a breakthrough victory.

Pro-Am: Five winners from six sets up a tight second half

Before the trip to Spa it seemed that Aleksandr Vaintrub and Stanislav Safronov were beginning to open up an advantage over the Pro-Am pack. The #7 Mirage Racing Aston Martin drivers made a superb start to the year and were yet to finish lower than second, but a disappointing weekend in the Ardennes meant they scored just 10 points.

This allowed the W&S Motorsport crew of Max Kronberg and Finn Zulauf to close the gap thanks to a second victory of the season (pictured above). The #30 Porsche drivers are the only pairing to have won the class more than once in 2024, and they now sit just nine points off the summit.

Misano winners Paul Petit and Noam Abramczyk are third in their #75 AV Racing Porsche despite suffering a non-score at Spa. Julien Briché/Jean Laurent-Navarro were also victorious at the Italian track and have continued to look a real threat in their #46 JSB Competition-run Cayman.

Defending Pro-Am champion Gregory Guilvert celebrated his first win of the year at Spa alongside Chazel Technologie Course team-mate Antoni de Barn. This moved the French duo up to fifth in the standings, just ahead of the all-female #66 Matmut Évolution Toyota crew of Gabriela Jílková and Cindy Gudet.

Am: Huteau and Hurgon keep up the pace in Am

With five wins from the opening six races, Schumacher CLRT Alpine drivers Laurent Hurgon and Pascal Huteau have set a high benchmark in the Am class. Indeed, they enjoy the largest points advantage at the halfway point, sitting 50 clear of their closest rivals.

But they have not been perfect: more than once, they have had to fight their way through the pack to claim victory. A suspension problem ruined their flawless run at Misano, and the ever-increasing pace of the #72 GPA Racing Aston Martin shared by Kevin Jimenez and Florent Grizaud will be cause for concern. The only other winners so far this year, Jimenez and Grizaud would be considerably closer in the points had it not been for an unlucky retirement last time out at Spa.

The #155 Toyota Gazoo Racing Sweden crew of Mikael and Christoffer Brunnhagen are just two points down on the green Aston, while #16 NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG driver Andy Cantu is still in the hunt, albeit solo after switching team-mates. The return of Adrien Paviot and Nicolas Markiewicz in the #300 Team Speedcar Audi could also mix things up: this pairing has already demonstrated its pace by taking a brace of podium finishes at Circuit Paul Ricard.