Third triumph for ROWE Racing at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)! In a thrilling race that remained close until the final hour, Philipp Eng (AUT), Marco Wittmann (GER), and Nick Yelloly (GBR) drove the #98 BMW M4 GT3 to victory after completing 537 laps, securing the 25th overall win for BMW, the most successful manufacturer in the event’s history. Eng claimed his third Spa triumph for BMW M Motorsport, following his victories in 2016 and 2018. Wittmann celebrated his first win in a 24-hour race ever, while Yelloly crowned a perfect week by adding his second endurance victory after the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER) in 2020, which started with his first win in the BMW M Hybrid V8 at Watkins Glen (USA).
During the early stages of the 24-hour race, the BMW M4 GT3 teams had to work their way through the field after missing out on Super Pole due to heavy rain during qualifying. Initially, the BMW M Team WRT #32 BMW M4 GT3 and the #998 BMW M4 GT3 of ROWE Racing made the best progress, quickly battling for the top positions. Meanwhile, the eventual winning car suffered setbacks due to an unfortunate timed pit stop and a problem with the fuel system, causing it to fall far behind. It was only in the evening that car #98 launched an impressive comeback, taking the lead for the first time during the night. That position was briefly threatened by a 30-second time penalty for exceeding track limits, but in the end, Eng, Wittmann, and Yelloly reclaimed the top spot.
In sixth place, the #46 BMW M4 GT3 from BMW M Team WRT, driven by Augusto Farfus (BRA), Maxime Martin (BEL), and Valentino Rossi (ITA), completed the race. They also showed strong speed but were repeatedly set back by time penalties. The #30 BMW M4 GT3 from the WRT team, with Niklas Krütten (GER), Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (FRA), and Calan Williams (AUS) at the wheel, secured second place in the Gold Cup category, making it onto the podium. The #31 BMW M4 GT3, piloted by Adam Carroll and Lewis Proctor (both GBR) finished 25th overall.
In the twelfth hour of the race, an unfortunate accident occurred between Neil Verhagen (USA) in the #998 BMW M4 GT3 from ROWE Racing and Charles Weerts (BEL) in the #32 BMW M4 GT3 from BMW M Team WRT. One car was directly behind the other, battling for the top positions when race control initiated an unclear Full Course Yellow procedure. That led to a chain of unfortunate circumstances, with both drivers receiving different information about the exact timing of the yellow period. Weerts reduced his speed, catching Verhagen off guard, and preventing him from avoiding a collision with the rear of the WRT car. Both vehicles suffered heavy damage, but fortunately, the drivers remained unharmed. The accident was followed by a roughly two-hour yellow period due to repairs to the barriers. The #35 BMW M4 GT3 from Walkenhorst Motorsport also retired early.
