Nicklas Nielsen’s #51 AF Corse Ferrari has the overall lead after a chaotic, stop-start beginning to the 2026 Spa 24 Hours.
Overall pole-sitter Nielsen shot into the lead on the start, amidst furious battling behind, quickly resulting in drama.
The race wasn’t even a minute old before a huge crash took out three cars.
The #66 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi of Ariel Levi, spun heading into Pif-Paf, spearing into Jamie Day’s #34 natural elements by Walkenhorst Aston Martin, with Maxime Robin’s #35 Walkenhorst Aston Martin, the reigning Silver Cup winner at Spa, running into the back of Christian Hahn’s #992 Paradine Competition BMW, who had slowed in avoidance of the first shint.
Levi, Robin and Hahn had their races ended on the spot.
The safety car was immediately called out, resulting in a near-25-minute caution period.
When racing got back underway, Nielsen reasserted his lead for just over a lap, before another Full Course Yellow struck.
Behind, the #42 BMW of Pedro Ebrahim had been trailing round at the back with part of his bonnet lifted, repairs from the opening-lap incident not doing the trick.
Debris strewn from the ailing BMW brought out the second FCY, with the green flag then falling a couple of minutes before the half-hour mark.
Nielsen almost immediately pulled out a second, while others squabbled behind.
Another FCY came out after half-hour when Steven Palette in the #28 Haas RT was turned around by Ben Green’s #0 JMR Chevrolet at La Source, the debris bringing out the drama. Green was given a drive-through penalty for causing a collision.
The #58 Garage 59 of Thomas Fleming, who had taken Gold Cup pole, led the Frederik Schandorff’s #71 Selected Car Racing Ferrari, while in the Silver Cup battle saw polesitter #6 GetSpeed Team Bartone Bros’s Cesar Gazaeu maintain his lead.
In the Bronze battle, Kessel Racing’s Ben Tuck had the advantage in his #74 Ferrari over the No74 2Seas Mercedes of Reece Barr.
Adam Christodolou in #177 Grupo Prom Racing Team BMW headed up the Pro-Am, with the pole-sitting #70 AF Corse of Custodio Toledo spending almost the entire opening hour in the pits for repairs after picking up damage on the opening lap.
Image courtesy of SRO/JEP
