LIVE STREAM: Total 24 Hours of Spa - 29th - 30th July

[Paul Jeffrey]

This weekend sees the might Spa Francorchamps play host to the biggest GT3 endurance race on the planet - the Total 24 Hours of Spa. Catch the live stream details and race preview below!

2017 will mark the 69th running of the Total 24 Hours of Spa, and with an incredible 66 GT3 cars lining up on the grid for the most high profile race of the Blancpain GT Series, Saturday's event could well prove to be the most closely fought race in the events long history of competition.

In the PRO category no fewer than 36 cars look set to be entered by ten prestigious manufacturers: Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Nissan and Porsche are all represented by an array of top International racing teams, fielding drivers with touring car, Formula One and Le Mans experience, as well as seasoned professional GT drivers.

Audi look set to be the most represented manufacturer in the field, with eight cars, lending official support to five of those outfits, run by the ISR, Saintéloc and Belgian Audi Club Team WRT teams. André Lotterer, formally of the works Audi LMP1 World Endurance team has signed to take part for the WRT team alongside Marcel Fässler and Dries Vanthoor, and with his immense experience and outright pace should prove to be one of the main contenders for victory come Sunday afternoon.

The surprisingly nimble but incredibly large Bentley GT3 found itself victorious during the previous endurance round and will no doubt be looking to make amends for last year's Spa 24 disappointment, so should be a challenger at or near the front of the field, alongside the reigning drivers champion in the works McLaren team, and the ever fast but occasionally wild Nissan Nismo GT-R could well spring a surprise or two in Belgium thanks to the straight line speed advantage enjoyed by the Japanese cars.

As well as the main focus in the PRO category, the PRO-AM Cup is well represented this weekend too, with a total of 23 cars expected to enter the race on Saturday afternoon. As has been the case for the last couple of years, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Ferrari 488 GT3 cars should hold much of the advantage at Spa, however a field rich in talent and variety comprising of four Lamborghinis, two Audis, two Porsches, a BMW, a McLaren and an Aston Martin the battle should remain hard fought throughout the event.

The Entry List
This season the Total 24 Hours of Spa will feature an incredible array of top class GT machinery. With cars from the likes of Nissan, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Bentley, Porsche and Aston Martin fighting it out over the course of 24 exhilarating hours, what isn't to like? You can see the full provisional entry list below:

Spa 24 Hour Race - Saturday 29th July - 15:00 BST / 14:00 GMT

The Cars

• Audi R8 LMS
• Mercedes-AMG GT3
• Bentley Continental GT3
• Ferrari 488 GT3
• Lamborghini Huracan GT3
• Emil Frey Jaguar G3
• Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3
• BMW M6 GT3
• McLaren 650 S GT3
• Aston Martin V12 GT3
• Porsche 991 GT3 R

The Calendar
01st-02nd April - Misano (ITA) – Sprint
22nd-23rd April - Monza (ITA) – Endurance 3 hours
06th-07th May- Brands Hatch (GBR) – Sprint
13th-14th May - Silverstone (GBR) – Endurance 3 hours
02nd -04th June - Zolder (BEL) - Sprint
23rd-24th June - Circuit Paul Ricard (FRA) – Endurance 1000kms
04th July Official Test Day - Total 24 Hours of Spa (BEL)
27th-30th July - Total 24 Hours of Spa (BEL) – Endurance 24 hours
25th-27th August - Budapest (HUN) - Sprint
15th-17th September - Nürburgring (DEU) – Sprint
30th Sept-01st October - Barcelona (ESP) - Endurance 3 hours

The Drivers Championship
Because I'm lazy, formatting is hard and this series has lots of drivers, I'll direct you to the full championship standings pre Total 24 Hours of Spa on the link HERE. Mirko Bortolotti and Christian Engelhart continue to lead the drivers championship, with a reduced advantage of just four points over the intimidating trio of Maxi Buhk, Franck Perera and Vincent Abril in the Mercedes and Bentley cars respectively.



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Drop a comment or two below about centrepiece event of the 2017 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup season, the Total 24 Hours of Spa!

Happy viewing everyone!

 

[PaulH]

66 cars on track, Bloody Amazing!
Think I better get some beer & snacks

 

[Andrew Harper]

66 cars on track, Bloody Amazing!
Think I better get some beer & snacks

Totally agree, I've been looking forward to this one for a few weeks now.

Watched qualifying last night. 20 cars covered by half a second, planning on attending next year if I can as Spa is one of the tracks on my "to do" lists.

This years race is going to be awesome!

 

[4 8 15 16 23 42 108]

Totally agree, I've been looking forward to this one for a few weeks now.

Watched qualifying last night. 20 cars covered by half a second, planning on attending next year if I can as Spa is one of the tracks on my "to do" lists.

This years race is going to be awesome!

Tickets with Paddock come for 67 Euros. Without 37 approx. But take the full package!

 

[Jacco van der Zaag]

Will be there tomorrow at around 0900!

 

[Paul Jeffrey]

Will be there tomorrow at around 0900!

Enjoy it fella! Next year for me, for sure...

 

[samcar304]

I look forward to following it. Sadly I will miss the start since I will be at Oulton Park tomorrow but look forward to a whole day of motorsport on Sunday... Spa 24h for the Morning, F1 Hungary in the afternoon and Indycar and Mid Ohio in the evening! two great days coming up!

 

[RustyDriver00]

Qualifying was great!!! I look forward to the race, hopefully seeing the 84 and Maxi Buhk taking the victory!!!

 

[Craig Dunkley]

Indeed I am really looking forward to this

 

[CptAsian]

I'll try and catch some. I don't usually watch GT3 stuff, but I'd like to.

 

[mister dog]

So who stayed home for this?

 

[Xenozoid]

i am home ,what a nice start

 

[Akra]

Hour 1

Giancarlo Fisichella leads the Spa 24 comfortably after the first hour, having pulled a 10 second lead over the second placed Porsche of Kevin Estre. The first hour has been run without major incident, despite the best efforts of Buhk in the HTP Mercedes who took to the grass on the run down to Eau Rouge.

On the move...

#55 Kaspersky Motorsport not only has the lead, but in the hands of Fisichella, also has the pace. The car is becoming a real contender for the win.

The #8 M-Sport Bentley has made up the most ground. Maxime Soulet has piloted the car up to 8th place, currently sitting behind Pro-Am leader, Johnny Adam.

A bad start for Buhk dropped the HTP Mercedes a few spots. The car has made them back and more, showing good speed in traffic.

Johnny Adam is not fussed about the class system and has taken the car up to 7th overall. The Aston Martin enjoys a 30 second lead over the 2nd placed #912 Porsche.

Bad times for...

After an overnight rebuild, the #22 stopped on track and required marshal assistance. The car eventually made it back to the pits, but is now 8 laps down.

The #00 was also rebuilt after a qualifying accident and given a 120 second penalty. This cost the car a lap, and it doesn't appear to have the pace to get back on the lead lap.

#77 Barwell Lamborghini joined the race late after technical problems on the grid. They eventually entered the event 7 laps down.

#48 HTP Mercedes had a spin at La Source, dropping it to the back of the Pro field.

#12 Ombra Racing Lamborghini was given a stop and go penalty for contact with the #27 Lamborghini. Michele Beretta made contact with Luca Filippi at Les Combes.

Keep an eye out for...

Track limits are already an issue. The #84 Mercedes and #42 McLaren are already on a final warning.

There is a train of Audis slowly making their way through the field. Watch for them to improve further as the race goes on.

#50 Ferrari pitted half an hour into the race, putting it on an alternative strategy. There did not appear to be a problem for Pier Guidi, so it should be interesting to see how it pans out.

#63 Lamborghini was in a comfortable second place when it pitted 10 minutes early. The car looked healthy, so presumably this was to avoid the pit lane rabble.

Pit stops are due between 60 and 65 minutes into the race. Strategy should start becoming important.

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net

 

[Akra]

Photo: Blancpain

Unlike the first hour, hours 2 and 3 were filled with incidents and Safety Cars. Alessandro Pier Guidi brought out the first Full Course Yellow with a huge accident at the top of Radillion. The Ferrari 488 spun on the apex of the right hander and went backwards into the tyres. The car was completely destroyed, but Pier Guidi stepped out of the car unharmed and was later discharged from the medical centre.*

The FCY threw the cat amongst the pigeons when it came to pit stop strategies. The #8 Bentley chose not to pit at the beginning of the yellow, instead leaving it to the end. The decision dropped the car out of the top 20. The leading #55 Ferrari and #63 Lamborghini pitted together, putting them back on the same strategy.

Jamie Green caused the second FCY as he made heavy contact with the barrier exiting Bruxelles and required assistance to be moved.*

On the move…

#63 Lamborghini cycled to the lead in the pit stops. Lamborghini veteran Mirko Bortolotti current leads James Calado in the #55 Kaspersky Ferrari.

#1 WRT audi has quietly inserted itself into third, and is holding onto the leaders, and #43 Strakka McLaren has broken into the top 10 in the FCY mess.

Bad times for…

#8 Bentley pit stop strategy has dropped the car outside of the top 20. It has the speed to make up the time, but it has lost significant track position.

#97 Aston Martin has dropped to 19th overall after switching to their Am driver. They still lead Pro-Am, but only by a handful of seconds over the chasing Mercedes.

#50 Ferrari and #17 Audi have retired due to their incidents.

#188 McLaren ground to a halt in the pit lane entry. It has rejoined, but laps down.

#14 Jaguar in the hands of Ortelli did not observe safety car procedure correctly. The Safety Car train was being signalled through the pit lane during the clean up of the #50 Ferrari. Ortelli did not get the message and stayed out, taking the lead. The car was black flagged, but allowed to rejoin 2 laps down after Ortelli was summoned for a discussion with the race stewards.*

Keep an eye out for…

Track limits, again. Several cars are on final warnings, and some have even served penalties already. Track limit penalties could be a major factor in the race.

Lamborghini versus Ferrari is heating up at the front. It has been clean but could become physical very quickly.

#8 Bentley is out of position outside the top 20. Watch it climb, the car has the speed to win if they can make up the positions.

#1 Audi is sitting quietly in third, not getting involved in the lead battle. It clearly has the speed to challenge the leaders, but is holding back for now.

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net

 

[Akra]

Photo: Blancpain

#55 Kaspersky Motorsport Ferrari 488 has retaken the lead of the race in a commanding way with James Calado managing to pull a 30 second lead before a Safety Car. The #63 Lamborghini defended the lead but quick pit work by the Ferrari crew lept the Lamborghini, allowing Calado to run off and hide.

The 30 second lead was lost when a SC was called for simultaneous breakdowns from the #6 Audi and #333 Ferrari. Audi had managed to get the #1 and #2 cars into 2nd and 3rd before taking advantage of the FCY and pitting the cars.

Penalties were the theme of the last 2 hours. The following cars have been penalised for track limits infringements (and other assorted rule violations!): 3, 4, 5, 6, 17, 19, 22, 42, 51, 75, 90, 99, 117, 488 (x2), 777 and 912. The #8 Benalty was given a 5 minute stop and go for a drive time violation, but this was rescinded after further investigation found that the Bentley could not pit in time as the pit lane was blocked by the stopped #188 McLaren.

On the move…

The #55 is currently the fastest car in the race. Even when it loses positions in stops, it's able to reclaim them. The car easily pulls a lead in clear air.

#8 Bentley has moved from 28th to 8th in 2 hours. They are still on an alternative strategy and take the lead when the 'regular' strategy runners pit.

#23 Nissan is quietly following the #8 Bentley up the order. It's been 1 position behind the Bentley for the last few stints, and the car is improving as the temperatures drop.

Before the FCY there were 4 Audis in the top 10. They have dropped a couple of those out in a pit stop cycle, but they are on the up.

#98 BMW has been dragged up into the top 10. Currently it sits 6th but owes us a pit stop. But it's a huge jump from the 25th the car was stuck in earlier.

Bad times for…

#114 Jaguar spun and nosed into the tyre wall. The car has retired.

#58 McLaren stopped on the exit of the Bus Stop. It eventually returned to the pits and has not rejoined the race.

#48 HTP Mercedes suffered yet another puncture and was taken into the garage for repairs.

#5 Audi was had an extended garage stay. It has returned to the track 3 laps down.

#75 ISR Audi entered pit lane trailing fluid and blowing steam from the engine bay and hasn't rejoined.

Keep an eye out for…

Track limits! The race director is, even if the drivers aren't.

#8 Bentley and #23 Nissan. Both cars have speed and are climbing up the order every time their alternative pit strategy cycles through.

#84 Mercedes is hovering around the podium. Currently it sits ahead of the leading Audis, but only by a cars length.

Pro-Am battle is heating up. #97 Aston Martin still leads, but the #16 Black Falcon Mercedes matches the Aston for speed when they run together. Pit stop strategies has artificially inflated the gap for now.

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net

 

[4 8 15 16 23 42 108]

Like every year (it seems to me), a lot of penalties very early into the race. Some teams really need to keep their patience and understand that you cannot win this race by collecting penalties.

 

[Akra]

Photo: Blancpain

Spa 24: Hour 7 - BF1.exe has stopped working

The #84 HTP Mercedes has retired from the race after a large accident at Raidillon. Jimmy Eriksson clipped the inside kerb, sending the car to the right of the circuit, making heavy contact with the barrier. The car was in a solid podium position at the time and had the pace to challenge for the lead.

The resulting FCY brought out another strategy error down at M-Sport Bentley. The #8 had fought back to a top 5 position, but the team chose not to pit the car under FCY and instead waited until the field was bunched under the Safety Car to make the stop. This dropped the car from 5th to 16th on the restart.

As the light levels dropped, the amount of penalties for track limits dropped in parallel. Are drivers being better behaved in the reduced visibility, or are the stewards just unable to see the infringements?*

On the move…

#55 Ferrari still leads and is still the fastest car on track. No matter which driver you put in that car, it is able to gap the field.

#25 Santiloc Audi is now into the top 5 and matching times with the leaders.

#16 Mercedes leads Pro-Am and is in the top 10. It has a lap lead over the #97 Aston Martin.

Bad times for…

#75 ISR Audi is now officially retired. The car sustained engine damage whilst overheating earlier.

#1 Audi was given a track limits penalty. The car was in second but now sits in eighth position.

#84 has retired after the accident at Raidillon. It was the leading Mercedes at the time of the accident.

#8 Bentley poor pit stop strategy dropped the car out of the top 5, down to 16th. The car has so far recovered to 10th place.*

#97 Aston Martin has lost a lap to the #16 Mercedes, which now comfortably leads the Pro-Am class. This seemed to happen during the FCY and Safety Car procedure as the race leader was between the 2 Pro-Am leaders.

Despite the drivers reporting that the cooler temperatures help, the #23 Nissan has dropped back. Coincidentally, it's managed to find the back of the delayed #8 Bentley again.

Keep an eye out for…

The #55 Ferrari may be leading, but the #2 Audi is matching the Cioci on lap times. A bit of traffic might cause a lead change, keep watching the front of the race.

The #63 Lamborghini has not been hiding its speed, but currently sits third. Perhaps the cooler temperatures aren't working to the GRT Grasser cars favour.*

#8 Bentley will have to make another recovery drive after the error. Watch the timing screens during the night.*

#1 Audi is also on a recovery driver after the penalty. The sector times suggest it has the pace to lead too.

#117 has managed to get a lap back during Safety Car procedures. If they manage to get the second lap back, the car could be a contender for the win.*

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net

 

[Akra]

Photo: Blancpain
A series of FCY incidents has allowed the #90 AKKA ASP Mercedes to take the lead of the race. Helped by a little bit of luck, the team made the right calls at the right time and moved to the front of the pack during the night.

The chasing pack has been shuffled behind as teams made different calls at different times. The #63 Lamborghini now sits second, #2 Audi third and #55 Ferrari is fourth. The Ferrari is still the fastest car on the circuit, so expect to wake up and see it near the front as dawn breaks.

Worth a mention is the improved BoP for this years event. At time of posting, the top 5 positions are occupied by 5 different manufacturers. No team or car is enjoying a big advantage over the rest of the field.

On the move…

#90 AKKA ASP Mercedes has moved to the lead during pit stops. The next Mercedes is down in 6th, the #85 HTP AMT GT3.

#63 has leap frogged the #55 in the stops. The Lamborghini and Ferrari have been fighting for the lead for most of the race.

The #23 Nissan is out of sequence in the pit stops again, but on fresh tyres the car is setting fast sectors.

Bad times for…

#912 sustained heavy damage to the left front at La Source. The car is still in the garage.

#56 RMS Porsche has been recovered on a flatbed. Reports that it was involved in an incident with the #7 Bentley. The Bentley is under investigation for the incident.

TF Sport have apparently suffered an injury to one of their mechanics. The #117 clipped a mechanic whilst pitting, which is why they were given the 3 minute stop and go early in the race. Waiting on confirmation from TF Sport on the crew members condition.

Keep an eye out for…

The #8 Bentley, #23 Nissan and #1 Audi are all running together (when the pit stops sync up). All 3 cars are out of position and very fast. Watch for them to recover during the night.

The Pro-Am lead cars are now back on the lead lap, but only just. The #16 Black Falcon AMG GT3 currently leads.

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net

 

[Akra]

Photo: Blancpain

The morning hours were not kind to the Italian teams. Missing from the track are the #55 Ferrari and #63 Lamborghini, which had been so dominant in their fight for the lead. The #62 Lamborghini appeared to have an issue with the brakes and, despite the drivers best efforts, nosed into the tyre wall and retired.

More controversial was the incident which cost the #55 Ferrari any chance of victory. The #90 AKKA ASP Mercedes made a lunge up the inside of the Ferrari into La Source and the cars made side by side contact. The Ferrari suffered broken steering and went off at high speed at the bottom of the hill entering Eau Rouge and retired. The 2 fastest cars were now out of the race.

The #90 Mercedes is leading when pit stop strategies cycle through, but the #117 Porsche, #1 Audi and #8 Bentley all have the speed to challenge the Mercedes.

On the move…

Cars to watch for the lead battle: #90 Mercedes, #98 BMW, #1 Audi, #25 Audi, #8 Bentley, #117 Porsche. Outside shot from the #2 Audi and #4 Mercedes.

#97 Pro-Am Aston Martin has kept the car on the Pro-Am lead lap. The #16 Mercedes still leads, but the Aston is within striking distance.

Bad times for…

#63 Lamborghini and the #55 Ferrari both had incidents after the sun came up. Both cars have retired from the race.

#00 Good Smile Mercedes ends a difficult weekend with a large accident at the bus stop. The car was rear ended by the #3 Audi and both cars retired

#912 Pro-Am Porsche continues its eventuful day and has had multiple incidents, including, but not limited to, penalties, spins, contact damage and more.

Strakka McLaren have had a miserable Spa 24. The highest placed car is currently 43rd and well out of contention. The highest McLaren overall is the #188 Garage 59 Am car. It sits 34th overall, 7th in class.

Keep an eye out for…

The sun has come up, the stewards can see again, so track limits violations are back. The #1 Audi has been pinged multiple times for track limits.

The #90 Mercedes leads, but is not the fastest car at this stage. The #1 and #25 Audis are closing the gap.

The #8 Bentley and #117 Porsche are currently the fastest on track. They're about a minute back on the lead, but with 5 hours to go there is time to make it up.

Despite having been given 6 minutes worth of penalties so far, the #117 Porsche is still 5th and closing on the leader. The car has the pace to win.

Several cars are carrying damage. It doesn't appear to be affecting the drivers too much, but should the damage escalate it could become an issue. In the lead pack, the #8 Bentley is missing the front grill, and the #117 Porsche has a bonnet cover which isn't closing properly.

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net

 

[Akra]

Photo: Blancpain

The race has settled down into a rhythm and has been relatively calm for the last couple of hours, with the lead battle slowly but surely condensing down with every hour that goes by.

Disaster was averted by the #90 Mercedes as it made contact with a backmarker in Eau Rouge. The car did a full 360 and managed to not hit anything solid, rejoining at a cost of 15 seconds. The car retains the lead over #25 Sainteloc Audi, but with the gap reduced to 10 seconds.

On the move…

Markus Winkelhock in the #25 Audi decided he’d spent enough time behind Nic Muller in the #1 Audi and used traffic take second. He has since pulled away and is closing on the leader.

#8 Bentley is still posting fast lap times but is out of sync on pit stops. Tagging along 20 seconds behind is the #117 Porsche which is even faster, and on the same strategy as the #8 Bentley.

Bad times for…

#98 BMW went to the garage for repairs, ending the BMW challenge for the lead. The gap is now 5 laps down, but remains in the top 10.

#888 Ferrari leads the Am class, but was given a drive through for track limits. The Kessel Ferrari still leads, but needless mistakes like this could change it.

The #97 Aston Martin managed to keep the #16 Black Falcon in sight for the Pro-Am lead, but a drive time penalty dropped it back again. The car remains on the Pro-Am lead lap, but only just.

Keep an eye out for…

The lead battle is condensing all the time. The #25 Audi, #1 Audi, #8 Bentley and #117 Porsche are all catching the lead #90 Mercedes.

Almost every corner has debris in some shape or form off line. Whilst there has been short FCYs to deal with some larger parts, cars are constantly driving over smaller car parts, which could lead to punctures.

Pit stop strategy might play a part. The #8, #117 and #25 should make it to the finish on 2 more stops, but the #1 and #90 might have to make another splash due to the 65 minute maximum stint length. They might be ok depending on FCY/SC and the length of time spent in the pit lane, but it will be very very tight.

Report: Dave Ellis / theRacingLine.net