TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022: Epilogue
Hour 18
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Sunday 10:45’ AM, the #98 Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 driven by Nicky Catsburg, Augusto Farfus, and Nick Yelloly was again in P1.
A particularity of the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa is that an FCY for an incident is followed by the Safety Cars (SC) allowing competitors to regroup during the three laps the SC leads the leader of the race. This procedure occurred once more at the end of the 18th hour (around 10:30 AM) reducing the gap with the then-leading BMW M4 GT3 #98. In our view, this one was significant for the Rowe Racing leaders as it reduced considerably their advance.
As many drivers say, the first 18 hours are about survival. Being in the lead lap at that time of the race is critical for the win.
10 cars were still in the lead lap within 44.150 seconds.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
AMG Team AKKODIS ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3 #88 was second, 2.067 seconds behind the #98 BMW.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
KCMG Porsche 911 GT3 #47 was third, 9.431 seconds behind the leader.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
AMG Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 #55 was 4th with a gap of 11.613 seconds.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 #50 driven by BMW Junior Team and Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 #51 were following 27” behind the leader.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Jota McLaren 720S GT3 #38 and AMG Team GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 #2 were 7” behind.
Maxime Martin with #95 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 and Antonio Fuoco with Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 #71 were fighting for P9 9” behind and closing the cars in the same lap as the leader.
New PRO-CUP retirements
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
The last 6 hours were fatal for 3 more contenders:
Dries Vanthoor, Kelvin van der Linde, Charles Weerts with Audi Sport Team WRT Audi R8 LMS evo II GT3 #32,
Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas, Charlie Eastwood with Heart of Racing with TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 #23,
Julien Andlauer, Marvin Dienst, Sven Müller driving Toksport WRT Porsche 911 GT3-R #100.
The Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 #71 troubles
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
At the beginning of the 11:30 Safety Car, Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 #71 pitted for Fuoco’s end of stint time but had to be pushed in the garage for an issue at the back of the car. Davide Rigon was taking over after he suffered a penalty for exceeding stint time limit during a previous Safety Car. The team lost P1 at that time.
The fatal pit-stop for Rowe Racing #98
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
During the same FCY-SC process, Rowe Racing chose to pit the two BMW M4 GT3 #98 and #50 during SC’s last lap.
There comes the second specificity of Spa-Francorchamps race track which was fatal for the win of #98 Rowe Racing team: the pit lane is very long with the Formula 1 pit lane followed by the old pit lane which is covering all the long straight of the formula 1 start plus all the way down from “La Source” to “l’Eau Rouge”.
Unfortunately for Augusto Farfus, who took the wheel back, when he arrived at the bottom of l’Eau Rouge, red light was on as Safety Car was entering the pit lane. He then had to wait for all the cars to climb the “Raidillon” to be released! In our view, this incident caused the end of #98 Rowe Racing team’s hope for victory after dominating the race so well.
As you may see on the copy of the screen Augusto Farfus was back in P9 more than 1.11 minutes behind the leaders.
To top it all, Yelloly sustained a right-rear puncture in the penultimate hour.
The last hour for Mercedes-AMG.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Luca Stolz, Steijn Schothorst, Maxi Götz pitstop with AMG Team GetSpeed #2 made its final stop with just over 60 minutes to go. Marciello (#88) was then leading by 15s the GetSpeed entry and would increase the gap.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Marciello (#88) then pitted with just under 40 minutes left and came out of the pits with an advantage of four seconds over Mercedes-AMG GT3 #2.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
The AMG Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 #55 was then leading the race with different pitstop strategy hoping for a new FCY-SC procedure to avoid a last splash. But, with less than 20’ to go, Maro Engel, Maxi Buhk, Mikael Grenier had to splash dropping into 4th.
Top 10 end result.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Victory for Raffaele Marciello, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon driving AMG Team AKKODIS ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3 #88.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
P2 for Luca Stolz, Steijn Schothorst, Maxi Götz pitstop with AMG Team GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 #2.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
P3 for Antonio Fuoco, Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon with Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 #71.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
P4 for Maro Engel, Maxi Buhk, Mikael Grenier driving the AMG Team GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 #55.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Both Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 are ending P5 with #50 driven by BMW Junior Team Daniel Harper, Neil Verhagen, Max Hesse and P6 for #98 driven by Nicky Catsburg, Augusto Farfus, Nick Yelloly.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Dennis Olsen, Nick Tandy, Laurens Vanthoor with KCMG Porsche 911 GT3-R #47 end 7th.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Marvin Kirchhöfer, Oliver Wilkinson, Rob Bell driving Jota McLaren 720S GT3 #38 are 8th, the last car in the leading lap.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
Miguel Molina, James Calado, Nicklas Nielsen with Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 #51 took P9.
📷 © Luc Warnotte @ TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022.
P10 for #95 Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 driven by Maxime Martin, Marco Sorensen, Nicki Thiim who made a wild spin in Eau Rouge at lunch time after side-by-side contact battling with the winning #88 Mercedes driven by Jules Gounon at that time.
