Lamborghini joins the immortals as Grasser Racing storms to sensational CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa victory

Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler triumphed at an event that drew an attendance of 128,000 across five days of world-class entertainment on and off the circuit. The fans that packed the grandstands were treated to a dramatic conclusion, with less than a second separating P1 and P2 during the final hour.

The #63 Lamborghini started 10th and remained part of a highly competitive leading pack throughout the opening half of the race, hitting the front while the sun was rising over Spa-Francorchamps. As Sunday morning progressed it became clear that the Huracan GT3 EVO2 was the fastest car on-track, but victory at Spa is not simply about speed: quick thinking also plays a significant role.

It was this that brought the #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche into play. The car was strong in the hands of Patric Niederhauser, Sven Müller and Alessio Picariello, though perhaps a fraction adrift of the Lamborghini. But it vaulted up the order when the German squad ducked in to make a pit stop just as a full-course yellow was about to begin. The Rutronik car was now in the lead, albeit on a different schedule to its rivals.

As morning became afternoon the Lamborghini and the Porsche took turns at the head of the field, with no obvious answer as to which was on the better strategy. On pace, however, the Grasser Racing machine was clearly a step ahead, particularly as the temperature rose. With a little under two hours remaining Bortolotti made a pass on-track, charging past the Porsche on the run to the Bus Stop. Müller was at the wheel of the Rutronik car, which was struggling with tyre pressures at the end of its stint.

The result still wasn't secure, however. The Porsche made its final stop with a little over 45 minutes to go, the Lamborghini doing so 10 minutes later. For a few moments, the Grasser Racing machine seemed unable to pull away from its pit box; when it eventually did so, it had lost around five seconds – and Niederhauser was pushing.

Bortolotti had enough time in hand, but only just. Incredibly, the Lamborghini led by just eight tenths of a second, the Porsche looming large in its mirrors on the Kemmel Straight. Crucially, however, Bortolotti made very quick work of lapped traffic, preventing Niederhauser from getting a clear opportunity to strike. The Italian finally made a break, pulling 8.7 seconds clear over the closing stages. After more than a little heartbreak, Lamborghini finally had a CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa victory. 

"This place kick-started my career back in 2017 when I got an opportunity to come here for the first time with a big dream,” said an emotional Pepper. “I’ve been through a lot here and pretty much every year hasn’t gone my way. I think when we crossed the finish line those emotions from the last nine years came out.”

The Porsche took runner-up spot, with Picariello earning the Paul Frère Trophy as the best-finishing Belgian driver. Though it ultimately missed out, the Rutronik squad made a heroic effort to snatch the win.

The #51 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari completed the overall podium after a stellar comeback drive. This was among the pre-race favourites, only for a technical issue at the start of the second hour to drop the car to 65th. The Italian squad gradually climbed back up the order, ultimately securing P3 during the final stint.

The battle for Gold Cup victory was remarkably competitive, with the #58 Garage 59 McLaren and the #33 Verstappen.com Racing Aston Martin swapping positions throughout Sunday. With less than 10 minutes left it seemed that the McLaren had prevailed, only for a puncture to drop it behind the Aston Martin. Without doubt, both would have made very worthy winners. 

"Verstappen.com Racing is growing so fast," said Thierry Vermeulen, who shared with Chris Lulham and Harry King. "It’s been hard work over the winter but I’m extremely proud to do well here, and not just in the Gold Cup but overall too. I think the Verstappen mindset is to be always looking at the overall picture and the team did a really great job."

Walkenhorst Motorsport scored an emotional Silver Cup victory with its Aston Martin, which was in control throughout Sunday. The German squad withdrew its Pro car after a crash in Superpole, making the sister entry’s charge to Silver honours especially sweet.

“I think this is the perfect gift back to the team," said Romain Leroux, who shared the #35 Aston Martin with Mateo Villagomez and Oliver Söderström. "It’s definitely not been the easiest week because there was definitely a lot of pace in the Pro car, so to lose it before the race began was tough. The team bounced back very well, and we never lost focus. We showed the speed in the car and got the result the team deserved.”

Kessel Racing won the Bronze Cup class with a fine run to 15th overall. The #74 Ferrari of Dustin Blattner, Dennis Marschall, Conrad Laursen and Zacharie Robichon was among the pre-race favourites for class honours and took the lead on Sunday morning after a long-running battle with the #81 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG.

“It’s very special, because last year we had a very bad start; it’s great to have a successful race that was very clean, with great strategy from Kessel,” said Blattner. “And to be accompanied by such talented drivers made it a really great experience.”

AV Racing by Car Collection completed the list of winners by triumphing in the Pro-Am class with its #29 Porsche. It was an emotional win for the entire driver line-up, all of whom were making their maiden starts in the event, but especially for local driver Fabian Duffieux.

“This is so special for me,” said Duffieux, who shared with Mathieu Detry, Noam Abramczyk and Bob Yuan. “I was born eight kilometres from the track, so it was my dream to compete in this race. My first student job was working on the recovery truck here, so to compete and win this race… I’m just super happy.”

The Coupe du Roi, which is awarded to the best-performing manufacturer across all classes, went to Porsche. The German marque was in stellar form this year, finishing as overall runner-up and taking victory and Pro-Am.

Given the resounding success of the 77th CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, there will be even greater excitement for next year’s edition. While the celebrations begin at Lamborghini, its rivals up and down the paddock will already be plotting their revenge as they look to conquer the biggest GT race in the world. Rendez vous in 2026.

Results are HERE