Aston Martin wins Spa 24

Comtoyou Racing ended a 76-year spell between Spa 24 Hours win for Aston Martin in a centenary race attended by Supercars and Bathurst 12 Hour heavyweights.

The 2024 24 Hours of Spa was won by the #007 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO of Nicki Thiim, Marco Sorensen and Mattia Drudi, who hit the lead with less than 50 minutes to go.

The won by 33s over the Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi, Davide Rigon and Alessio Rovera, who appeared in the box seat until its path to the pits was blocked.

A broken down Lamborghini in the narrow part of the pits before the Formula 1 pit boxes saw the factory Ferrari lose over 50s of time in a race-changing moment.

It handed the victory to Comtoyou Racing, which gave Aston Martin a first win of the special GT World Challenge Europe event since 1948.

“Finally! First off, I want to say sorry to those boys there (the #51 Ferrari drivers),” said Nicki Thiim.

“We have a long history with them, and I really feel for them, but for me it’s about time. I’ve finished P3 two times here and this year we reunited the Dane Train and added the Italian Stallion, and this is the result.

“I’m just happy and proud. It was a chaotic race, but we came through it and I’m so happy.”

Completing the podium was the Team WRT BMW of Dries Vanthoor, Sheldon van der Linde and Charles Weerts.

After 24 hours of racing through the Belgian rain, the leading Australian was Matt Campbell in eighth.

The Aussie racing with two Frenchmen Mathieu Jaminet and Frédéric Makowiecki had taken the lead for a while in the early morning hours. 

However, unexpected heavy rain shortly after switching to slicks relegated them back behind the safety car.

“The bad weather during the night made conditions difficult – even driving slowly behind the safety car,” Campbell said. 

“But we survived the night without any major issues and our performance under green was good.”

Triple Eight Race Engineering was in action,  but its race ended in dramatic fashion with Martin Konrad flipping the #888 Mercedes at Eau Rouge.

Konrad walked away and before the incident Aussie Jordan Love had pushed it to third in Pro Am, while Brad Schumacher’s Audi was a non-finisher with mechanical issues.

There were also some key Australians keeping a close eye on the action from off the track too in Supercars Head of Broadcast Nathan Prendergast and Bathurst 12 Hour Event Director Shane Rudzis.

The pair were on a “fact-finding” mission in the Ardennes Forest to see how they can improve the annual Bathurst 12 Hour.

“It’s been my first time to Spa Francorchamps and it is everything you expect and more,” Prendergast said.

“There’s amazing elevation and it’s beautifully prepared and surrounded by stunning forest. It’s got similarities with Bathurst with a nearby small town and an epic track. It’s been a fantastic experience.

“We have been treated extremely well by SRO and have been really impressed by their professionalism and attention to detail in putting on the event as a whole and the race itself.

“I’ve certainly been inspired with ideas for both Supercars and the 12 hour and I’d like to believe that we can adopt some of the learnings from this trip.”

Rudzis believes there is a strong interest in Mount Panorama from many at Spa.

“It has been a very fruitful event with engagement from all vehicle brands to discuss current GT programs and the opportunities to come to Bathurst for 2025,” Rudzis said.

“Of course, there is lots to work through regarding schedules, logistics and budgets but the timing is perfect for these face-to-face discussions. There is no doubting that we are on the agendas of many key brands and teams who want to be part of Australia’s International Enduro.

“The affection from race team personal, drivers and fans of the Bathurst 12 Hour is mind-blowing. To have so many fans talk about getting up in the middle of the night from Europe or North America to tune into the 12 Hour race start to watch our sensational broadcast of the iconic sunrise is something we’re very proud of.

“We are currently working through our Sporting and Technical regulations, and it has been fantastic to get feedback from the teams and other parties to plan the 2025 event. Our goal is to have these finalised in July for race entries to open.”

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