The third of three major endurance races in June kicks off this weekend as the 2024 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps mark the 100th anniversary of the iconic around-the-clock contest in the Ardennes. Here's our preview, including live streams!
June is a spectacular month to be a racing fan in 2024, basically already starting in late May with the Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix. The trio of iconic endurance races was kicked off by the Nürburgring 24 Hours, followed by the 24 Hours of Le Mans in mid-June - and now, it is time for the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The green flag flies at 14:30 UTC on Saturday, June 29.
And it is a special occasion for the Ardennes-based endurance race, as it celebrates the 100th anniversary of its first running in 1924. Of course, the track looked vastly different back then, making use of public roads for the entirety of its 15-kilometer lap. The layout bypassed what would later become the Eau Rouge-Raidillon combination via a slower hairpin around an old customs office, and Stavelot corner was actually located inside the village of the same name, also as a hairpin.
The first time the 24 Hours were run with the fast uphill combination in place was in 1948, when the iconic super-fast layout of Spa debuted. No more Malmedy chicane, no more Stavelot hairpin, just 14.1 kilometers of speed. And the La Source hairpin, of course.
In this shape, Spa proved to be extremely dangerous, not just in F1 competition, but also for sportscar races like the 1000 km - imagine a Porsche 917 rocket approaching the Masta Kink well north of 300 kph with hardly any safety measures in place. At least some armco was installed for 1970, but the long, high-speed layout of Spa was on borrowed time at that point - the final time it saw racing action was in 1978.
Back to the 24 Hours, though. For most of its post-WWII existence, the race was a Touring Car contest, having previously been a sportscar race. After the race had not been held from 1954 to 1963, tin tops close to their production counterparts took over the event. Cars such as the Mercedes-Benz 300SE, BMW 3.0 CSI or Ford Capri RS were among the winners in the early years, with Group A in the 1980s and Super Touring cars in the 1990s taking over as the race's top class.
The final time the 24 Hours of Spa were run as a Touring Car event was in 2000. Afterwards, the FIA GT series made it one of their crown jewel events, with iconic GT cars such as the Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Ferrari 500-GTS Maranello or Aston Martin DBR9 appearing. Since 2011, the GT World Challenge (then Blancpain Endurance Series) focuses on GT3 racing, which is the only type of car on the grid these days.
However, their biggest competitor from 2023 is missing: Second-placed AKKodis ASP team is not on the grid, with two of the #88 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 Evo drivers having found new homes. Timur Boguslavskiy is not part of the 2024 24 Hours of Spa, while Jules Gounon will drive a GetSpeed Mercedes this year. Rafaele Marciello is behind the wheel of the #46 Team WRT BMW, partnering with Maxime Martin and crowd favorite Valentino Rossi.
Speaking of crowd favorites: Fans looking for a certain pink Lamborghini will be disappointed. The Iron Dames squad decided to withdraw from the event after Sarah Bovy's big crash in IMSA's six-hour race at Watkins Glen on the previous weekend. The Belgian was not seriously injured, but still needs time to recover. Bovy was set to partner with Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey.
The Iron Dames' withdrawal means that 66 of the originally entered 67 cars will take the start on Saturday, barring anything unforeseen. Two car models will make their debut at Spa, namely a sole Ford Mustang GT3 in the hands of Christopher Mies, Dennis Olsen and Frédéric Vervisch, and the Evo version of the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, of which seven cars will take the start.
Meanwhile, sim racers should keep an eye out for James Baldwin. The 2019 World's Fastest Gamer winner is back in a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo entered by Garage 59 in the Bronze category. The British driver will attempt the race for the second time after a DNF in 2022, this time sharing the car with Nicolai Kjærgard, Chris Salkeld and Mark Sansom.
Who are you rooting for in the 2024 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
June is a spectacular month to be a racing fan in 2024, basically already starting in late May with the Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix. The trio of iconic endurance races was kicked off by the Nürburgring 24 Hours, followed by the 24 Hours of Le Mans in mid-June - and now, it is time for the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The green flag flies at 14:30 UTC on Saturday, June 29.
And it is a special occasion for the Ardennes-based endurance race, as it celebrates the 100th anniversary of its first running in 1924. Of course, the track looked vastly different back then, making use of public roads for the entirety of its 15-kilometer lap. The layout bypassed what would later become the Eau Rouge-Raidillon combination via a slower hairpin around an old customs office, and Stavelot corner was actually located inside the village of the same name, also as a hairpin.
The first time the 24 Hours were run with the fast uphill combination in place was in 1948, when the iconic super-fast layout of Spa debuted. No more Malmedy chicane, no more Stavelot hairpin, just 14.1 kilometers of speed. And the La Source hairpin, of course.
In this shape, Spa proved to be extremely dangerous, not just in F1 competition, but also for sportscar races like the 1000 km - imagine a Porsche 917 rocket approaching the Masta Kink well north of 300 kph with hardly any safety measures in place. At least some armco was installed for 1970, but the long, high-speed layout of Spa was on borrowed time at that point - the final time it saw racing action was in 1978.
Modern Circuit - From Touring Cars To GT
From 1979 onwards, the current-day Grand Prix circuit was used, although slightly modified over the years. The most obvious change in somewhat recent years was the installation of the tight and cumbersome 'Chicane' that replaced the legendary Bus Stop ahead of La Source. More recently, the run-off at Eau Rouge/Raidillon has been widened, and gravel traps have returned in more spots than from circa 2004 to 2021.Back to the 24 Hours, though. For most of its post-WWII existence, the race was a Touring Car contest, having previously been a sportscar race. After the race had not been held from 1954 to 1963, tin tops close to their production counterparts took over the event. Cars such as the Mercedes-Benz 300SE, BMW 3.0 CSI or Ford Capri RS were among the winners in the early years, with Group A in the 1980s and Super Touring cars in the 1990s taking over as the race's top class.
The final time the 24 Hours of Spa were run as a Touring Car event was in 2000. Afterwards, the FIA GT series made it one of their crown jewel events, with iconic GT cars such as the Chrysler Viper GTS-R, Ferrari 500-GTS Maranello or Aston Martin DBR9 appearing. Since 2011, the GT World Challenge (then Blancpain Endurance Series) focuses on GT3 racing, which is the only type of car on the grid these days.
Eng/Wittmann/Yelloly In For A Repeat?
In 2023, Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann and Nick Yelloly prevailed in their BMW M4 GT3. The trio will look to defend their title, as they tackle the race together in their #98 ROWE Racing entry again.However, their biggest competitor from 2023 is missing: Second-placed AKKodis ASP team is not on the grid, with two of the #88 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 Evo drivers having found new homes. Timur Boguslavskiy is not part of the 2024 24 Hours of Spa, while Jules Gounon will drive a GetSpeed Mercedes this year. Rafaele Marciello is behind the wheel of the #46 Team WRT BMW, partnering with Maxime Martin and crowd favorite Valentino Rossi.
Speaking of crowd favorites: Fans looking for a certain pink Lamborghini will be disappointed. The Iron Dames squad decided to withdraw from the event after Sarah Bovy's big crash in IMSA's six-hour race at Watkins Glen on the previous weekend. The Belgian was not seriously injured, but still needs time to recover. Bovy was set to partner with Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey.
The Iron Dames' withdrawal means that 66 of the originally entered 67 cars will take the start on Saturday, barring anything unforeseen. Two car models will make their debut at Spa, namely a sole Ford Mustang GT3 in the hands of Christopher Mies, Dennis Olsen and Frédéric Vervisch, and the Evo version of the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, of which seven cars will take the start.
Meanwhile, sim racers should keep an eye out for James Baldwin. The 2019 World's Fastest Gamer winner is back in a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo entered by Garage 59 in the Bronze category. The British driver will attempt the race for the second time after a DNF in 2022, this time sharing the car with Nicolai Kjærgard, Chris Salkeld and Mark Sansom.
24 Hours of Spa - Live Streams
The 2024 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps are an event that is easy to watch for endurance fans. Like last year, the race will be streamed live via the official YouTube channel of organizer SRO, inlcuding multiple languages for the official broadcast and various onboard cameras.Official Broadcast - English
Official Broadcast - German
Official Broadcast - French
Official Broadcast - Italian
Official Broadcast - Dutch
Onboard - #4 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
Onboard - #93 Sky Tempesta Racing Ferrari 296 GT3
Onboard - #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Onboard - #97 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Who are you rooting for in the 2024 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps? Let us know on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
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