A victory that will go down in history
There are successes that mean more than just a simple victory, and the one achieved by Lionspeed GP at the 24 Hours of Spa 2026 undoubtedly belongs to this category. The Porsche 911 GT3 R #80 entrusted to Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining, and Bastian Buus wrote one of the most incredible pages in the recent history of the Belgian classic, climbing from last place after a pit lane start to the top step of the podium. The engine change carried out before the start had indeed forced the team to give up the position earned in Superpole, turning the race into a long chase.
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Twenty-four hours later, however, the Lionspeed trio completed a true feat, giving Porsche a victory built with pace, strategy, and impeccable management of the many crucial phases of the race.
A race fought until the last hours
The 2026 edition of the 24 Hours of Spa lived up to the promises of spectacle, offering continuous lead changes and an extraordinary balance among the main manufacturers. Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche alternated at the top during much of the competition, while neutralizations and pit stop strategies continuously reshuffled the cards.
The Ferrari #51 of AF Corse, starting from pole position thanks to Alessio Rovera’s extraordinary lap, set the pace in the early stages of the race, confirming the great potential shown since qualifying. The Mercedes-AMG #48 of Team MANN-FILTER also remained constantly in the fight for victory, creating a tight battle with the cars from Maranello and Stuttgart.
The decisive incident that changes the balance
The key moment came in the final phase of the race. During the duel for the lead, contact between Tommaso Mosca in the Ferrari #51 and Luca Stolz in the Mercedes #48 slowed the Italian car’s race, allowing the Porsche Lionspeed to enter the battle for first place.
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The German team then perfectly exploited the pit stop window, anticipating their rivals and gaining the lead thanks to an effective strategy. From that moment on, Feller, Preining, and Buus managed the advantage with great maturity, no longer giving opportunities to the chasers.
Mercedes and Ferrari complete the podium
Behind the winning Porsche, the Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER finished in second place after staying in the fight for victory practically until the checkered flag. The third step of the podium went to the Ferrari #51 of AF Corse with Alessio Rovera, Tommaso Mosca, and Nicklas Nielsen, protagonists of a solid race but penalized by several punctures and the incident with the Mercedes #48 in the decisive phases.
For Ferrari, it remains an important result, achieved after leading the race for many hours and confirming the competitiveness of the 296 GT3 EVO on the Ardennes circuit.
Class winners: victories for BMW, Ferrari, McLaren, and Corvette
In addition to the overall victory of Porsche Lionspeed GP, the 24 Hours of Spa 2026 also rewarded the protagonists of the categories reserved for crews with different driver compositions. In the Gold Cup, the winner was the BMW M4 GT3 EVO #998 of ROWE Racing, while the Silver Cup saw the success of the Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO #45 of Rinaldi Racing. In the Bronze Cup, the Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO #74 of Kessel Racing celebrated, confirming the excellent tradition of the Swiss team in the Ardennes marathon. The victory in the Pro-Am category, finally, went to the Corvette Z06 GT3.R #0 of Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR), protagonist of a regular and error-free race that allowed it to prevail in its category.
