Many of the contenders for the 2024 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa completed two days of running on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Belgian circuit to launch the final countdown to the centenary race.
The official Prologue to the twice-around-the-clock contest brought 64 cars to the Ardennes track for a busy testing schedule, with 16 hours of running spread across four sessions. It comes just over a month before practice begins for the centenary edition of the long-distance classic, which runs from Tuesday 25 June to Sunday 30 June.
Fabian Schiller posted the fastest time of the Prologue on Wednesday afternoon. The #2 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed driver set a 2:17.405s on a day dominated by the German brand’s machinery.
Dries Vanthoor set the fastest lap on Tuesday. The #32 Team WRT BMW posted a 2:18.091s during the morning session, after which significant rain prevented any improvements. The #159 Garage 59 McLaren led the way during the afternoon, getting within eight tenths of Vanthoor’s best despite the tricky track conditions.
With a drier circuit on Wednesday morning, Jules Gounon lowered the Prologue benchmark to 2:17.965s aboard the #2 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed entry. Even better conditions arrived for the afternoon, with blue skies and sunshine during the final three hours of the test, allowing Schiller to post his time in the same car.
The full entry list for the centenary edition was revealed during the official Prologue. The 2024 grid features nine brands, each represented by at least one Pro car. The field is led by 24 Pro line-ups, while Bronze Cup honours will be disputed by 22 crews. There will be a further six cars in the Gold Cup, 10 in the Silver Cup, and five in Pro-Am.
The Prologue also brought the return of Pit Café, a live YouTube broadcast covering news, interviews and features from the day. This again aired in French and, for the first time, was accompanied by an English version. Pit Café will return for the 24 Hours.
With the Prologue complete, attention now turns to the main event. In addition to the 24 Hours, support action includes the Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli, the GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club and McLaren Trophy Europe. There will also be historic races, organised by Peter Auto, featuring classic GT and touring cars.
Wednesday’s parade celebrates the race centenary with a special route that takes in the old 14km circuit.
The race proper gets underway at 16:30 on Saturday 29 June.
