GT World Challenge Europe 2021

[bella]

this is the most impressive bit from the drivers.

they've been up for about 30 hours, power naps aside. they're in the most demanding driving conditions since the first hour or so. visibility is lousy and the only mercy is that they won't be having to worry about tyre wear, as long as their engineers have called the pressures right. and the gap for the lead is tiny.

brilliant. 24hour racing at its finest.

[WyldStallion]

Credit to get this race green again. Pier Guidi has cleared lapped cars. It is a straight duel for the victory now....on a wet track.

[J Jay]

Brilliant from Pier Guidi, and respect to Vanthoor for not chopping him off.

Iron Lynx back in the lead.

[WyldStallion]

Now that is a pass, done with 9 minutes to go. Pier Guidi about to become a Ferrari sportscar ledgend now.

[bentley speed 8]

Vincent Vosse was right not to call it a win yet...

Congrats to Iron Lynx for the stellar drive

[Mike E]

Amazing finish. The 32 winning from the back would have been a great story but the 51 owned most of that race. Well deserved.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by Mike E

Amazing finish. The 32 winning from the back would have been a great story but the 51 owned most of that race. Well deserved.

A race punctuated, if not defined by, mistakes:

- #32 being caught out in qualifying, starting 54th

- #51 staying out a lap longer on slicks, losing the lead before FCY/SC

In the end, the former mistake was bigger than the latter. Well-deserved win for Iron Lynx, first non-German win at Spa since ... 2004?

[bentley speed 8]

2009, when the Corvette C6R won

In any case, it would have been a win well deserved by any of the top two crews.

[Pandamasque]

What a show-off! Could Pier Guidi pick a more spectacular place and manner to pass for the lead 7 minutes before the end?

The last hour was entertaining and enjoyable to watch. A long time ago I used to follow this race flag to flag without sleep, but that would be pointless right now. The way to watch this is tune in 23 hours into the race, catch up watching the long highlight reel and then enjoy the sprint to the flag.

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by Pandamasque

What a show-off! Could Pier Guidi pick a more spectacular place and manner to pass for the lead 7 minutes before the end?

The last hour was entertaining and enjoyable to watch. A long time ago I used to follow this race flag to flag without sleep, but that would be pointless right now. The way to watch this is tune in 23 hours into the race, catch up watching the long highlight reel and then enjoy the sprint to the flag.

From 2018-2020 that was true. Not this Spa 24. It was mostly a proper endurance race with long green periods. Otherwise how would you explain just 3 cars on the lead lap..although the 3rd place car was nearly a lap down and never a contender to win. It rained this year but not to the extend of races in the past. This year it was more like you had these short heavy bursts of rain, then it would be dry for serveral hours with long green flag racing.

[WyldStallion]

Our beloved Corvette team is going to have one helluva time trying to win Le Mans this year with that #51 Ferrari running around.

[tux]

A great race, a wonderful event. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Although the #107 Bentley didn't end up finishing i think the young South African in the car this weekend Stuart White is a potential star of the future. Fastest overall in his qualifying session, Posted fast, consistent lap times in the race despite this being his first ever GT3 race.

[WyldStallion]

This is wierd. Just finding this out now myself. Lawrence Vanthoor got in a ATV crash in and around the padock in the 5th hour of the race. He got injured. Tandy and Maxime had to do the rest of the race in the KCMG Porsche with 2 drivers.

A high level manager in my company I work for got killed in an ATV. Those thigns are so dangerous. Don't ride them folks.

[J Jay]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

This is wierd. Just finding this out now myself. Lawrence Vanthoor got in a ATV crash in and around the padock in the 5th hour of the race. He got injured. Tandy and Maxime had to do the rest of the race in the KCMG Porsche with 2 drivers.

A high level manager in my company I work for got killed in an ATV. Those thigns are so dangerous. Don't ride them folks.

Laurens wasn't riding it. He was on his scooter and an quad bike crashed into him. Luckily it wasn't more serious than a broken nose and some lost skin, but as it was all head-based, he had to sit out the race.

Still, your point stands. I know a couple of people whose lives have been changed in ATV accidents.

[bella]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

This is wierd. Just finding this out now myself. Lawrence Vanthoor got in a ATV crash in and around the padock in the 5th hour of the race. He got injured. Tandy and Maxime had to do the rest of the race in the KCMG Porsche with 2 drivers.

A high level manager in my company I work for got killed in an ATV. Those thigns are so dangerous. Don't ride them folks.

unfortunately they’re a necessity in motorsport on this side of the pond, particularly at spa where the tyre (and fuel) place is at the bottom of the hill in the middle in the big tarmac lake thing. away from that they’re used to transfer support race kit from paddock to pitlane. there’s no other way to move stuff around.

generally they’re ridden responsibly but when the paddock is busy with pedestrians with their brains switched off or you’ve got three or four trolleys behind you it can be a headache sometimes.

[chunterer]

Well done Iron Lynx!!
Very racey car throughout but I did think it was ending up a bit of an Audi benefit at 2/3 distance.

Just goes to show it ain't over till the lady sings!

[tux]

Just wanted to add that SRO should be announcing the 2022 calendars at the Nürburgring endurance round on the weekend of 3 - 5 September 2021 IF it is able to go ahead.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by tux

Just wanted to add that SRO should be announcing the 2022 calendars at the Nürburgring endurance round on the weekend of 3 - 5 September 2021 IF it is able to go ahead.

Good info, thanks. I was searching in vain yesterday for the announcements that are usually made at Spa.

[IdealLine]

Great event this year! Must've been one of the best 24 hour races surely. A lot of DNF's this year though. A couple of weeks ago during the 25 hours we only had two cars out of 103 who didn't actually cross the finish at the end. I find it annoying that teams like Walkenhorst and Attempto just retire a car once it's a couple of laps down just because it can't fight for overall victory anymore. There were also cars stranded around the track with minor issues that can be resolved in a couple of minutes, maybe they should start allowing them to get back to the pits? It's such a shame to loose just so many cars because of no real reason

Also real good decisions by race control this year! They were quick with FCY's, always brought the field back together by going SC to ensure competition and they were very consistent with the track limits. That was a really well run race! BOP seemed to be spot-on too

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by IdealLine

They were quick with FCY's, always brought the field back together by going SC to ensure competition

Your comment was good until this sentence. 100...not 1000% percent disagree. "Ensure competition" Seriously? That is articially bunching the field together. Its an endurance race. The gaps between cars is fine because it was earned and it occured during the green flag racing and the events that occured because of it. It should not be just erased especially when they clean the track during the FCY. I thought our points about this issue were clearn and made frequently during the course of the chat on this forum when the race was going on. I guess it needs to be brought up gain.

[IdealLine]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

Your comment was good until this sentence. 100...not 1000% percent disagree. "Ensure competition" Seriously? That is articially bunching the field together. Its an endurance race. The gaps between cars is fine because it was earned and it occured during the green flag racing and the events that occured because of it. It should not be just erased especially when they clean the track during the FCY. I thought our points about this issue were clearn and made frequently during the course of the chat on this forum when the race was going on. I guess it needs to be brought up gain.

I enjoy that part of it. We see it in IMSA and they usually get great races. Also this race had long stretches of (dry)green flag running with plenty of strategy (more so than other years), it was a good ratio. Any kind of neutralisation will benefit some more than others. From a neutral spectator point of view it makes for good racing, and it makes sense with an eye on safety too as it gives drivers time to warm up the tires/brakes and get a feel for grip-levels. That's just my personal opinion though, everyone can have their preferences, right? Can't wait for next year!

[Badlands99]

Really enjoyed the race!
However, it's about time we stopped the whole FCY/SC debate. It's SRO's train set so they can do as they see fit.
If the teams actually do want a SC so they can warm their tyres then so be it.
For me, I really don't mind it - makes for great racing and closely packed fields. False? Maybe. But having been to the race a number of times I think it works.
Well done to Iron Lynx, WRT and Garage 59 - Great result for all of them and an absolutley brilliant last couple of hours. That last pass by Pier Guidi was something else! Brilliant.
Just pleased that the Radillon crash had a good outcome - seen it from a couple of different angles now and only the strength of these GT3 cars saved all drivers involved. Well done to all the manufacturers, rule makes etc who have contributed to make this sport as safe as possible.

[Mike E]

In light of what happened at Brands Hatch over the weekend I am also grateful that no marshals were injured in that shunt. The engine from Aitken's Lamborghini ended up on top of the tyre barrier, briefly on fire. Could have been so much worse in so many ways.

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by Badlands99

However, it's about time we stopped the whole FCY/SC debate. It's SRO's train set so they can do as they see fit.

Yes, it's SRO's show. No, I won't stop whining about the disgrace to sportscar racing that is the embarassing FCY->SC abomination. Because of that I just can't take the Spa 24 seriously as a race - it's fake and I don't care who wins.

It is, however, one of the most awesome spectacles in motor racing and I urge everyone who enjoys 24 hour races to make the trip there at least once. There is nothing like walking round Spa at night while 50-odd GT3s thunder past. I plan to go every year I am able to walk unaided, once I am again free to make my way around the whole of the wonder that is the Spa circuit.

[AndrewCherry]

I can't wait for a chance to visit the Spa 24 - one day! Only just got round to watching the highlights as I was racing at the weekend (with much less joy) - and what a cracking race (I did watch the first half pretty much live). That final move from Pier Guidi - around the outside of Blanchimont in the swirling rain and spray - chapeau. Not many drivers would have both gone for that, and kept it within track limits. Most would have been picking it out of the tyre wall.

I'm less fussed by the FCY->SC than many - all racing is artificial to some extent, the rules are the same for all drivers and you race within the conditions. I'm sure as the leading driver it's frustrating, but that's a feeling you get used to pretty quickly in motorsport - part of the game.