Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Scores Double Class Wins at Spa 24H
Aston Martin thrilled 128,000 spectators by sweeping the Gold and Silver Cup classes at the 77th CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, its Vantage GT3 delivering the brand’s strongest GT3-era result with an additional Pro-Am runner-up. Verstappen.com Racing’s Vantage GT3, guided by Thierry Vermeulen, Harry King and Chris Lulham, surged from class pole to ninth overall and Gold Cup victory, outpacing several Pro contenders. “It’s an amazing feeling,” said Vermeulen, who grabbed the decisive lead in the final ten minutes after a rival McLaren punctured. “For sure, a lot of preparation went into it, learning the car, and plenty of testing, and I think the car has been in a perfect window, with good support from Aston Martin, so a huge thanks to them. Then, of course, my teammates, the team… It’s a long and demanding race. I think we have learned a great deal, and I hope we can return next year. With some fine-tuning of minor details, we can certainly do even better. We’re very proud of everyone, and I’m super happy that I had the privilege to be here and to achieve this.” Earlie, Full-Course Yellows had dropped the car to the clutches of the McLaren, yet bold stints from Lulham and a decisive overtake by King restored control before the final drama.
Walkenhorst Motorsport’s #35 Vantage GT3 dominated the second half of the race to claim Silver Cup honours and 14th overall, a reward after a challenging build-up that included a Super Pole accident for its #34 Pro entry. Former Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy graduate Romain Leroux, sharing with 2025 Academy candidates Oliver Söderström and Mateo Villagomez, relished redemption: “I think it is the perfect gift back to the team, it’s not been the easiest week,” said Leroux. “We had a lot of pace in the Pro car, so to lose it even before the race began was very tough. The team bounced back very well, we didn’t lose focus, and we showed the pace the car had, and we as drivers gave the team back the result they deserved.”
Beechdean Motorsport’s quartet of Andrew Howard, Ross Gunn, Valentin Hasse-Clot and debutant Anthony McIntosh battled searing heat to finish second in Pro-Am, cutting a deficit to under 25 seconds after leading comfortably earlier. Comtoyou Racing, the 2024 overall winner with the Vantage GT3, ran eighth on the grid and climbed to third before a technical issue halted Marco Sørensen, Nicki Thiim and Mattia Drudi during a night stint.
“To win multiple classes of the 24 Hours of Spa, with different partner teams, and come close to recording a triple, is a huge testament to the quality of the teams we choose to work with. Moreover, it is the perfect demonstration of the pace, adaptability and compliance of the Vantage GT3 to triumph in one of the world’s most demanding endurance races on earth. Congratulations to Verstappen.com Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport on outstanding performances and to Beechdean Motorsport for its hard-fought second place in Pro-Am,” said Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport.
Aston Martin’s focus now shifts to the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at Misano on 18–20 July, where Comtoyou Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport will field the Vantage GT3, before the Endurance Cup resumes at the Nürburgring from 29–31 August.
