Round two of the GT Cup Europe brought us back to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps – a circuit that demands everything from both car and driver. After racing here just two weeks ago, the team was well-prepared to return for another high-pressure weekend on one of the most iconic tracks in the world.
We headed into the weekend with a strong three-car line-up. Stienes Longin and Nicolas Saelens returned in the #11, aiming to fight at the front in the ProAM class. Gonçalo Fernandes and Lars Zaenen were behind the wheel of the #53 in the SILVER class, determined to bounce back after bad luck in Portimão. And Nicolas Vandierendonck and Nathan Brauns rounded out the team in the #57, representing us in the AM category.
A special shoutout goes to our crew, who worked tirelessly to get the #53 of Gonçalo and Lars race-ready again after the unfortunate incident at the start in Portimão. With damage to repair and a tight turnaround between events, getting the car back on track in time was no easy task. Hats off to the entire team for their dedication and effort!
Friday – Strong pace right from the start
The weekend began with two free practice sessions on Friday, giving all three crews time to get dialed in. Right from the start, we saw strong pace across the board.
The #53 of Gonçalo and Lars was immediately among the front-runners in the SILVER class, while Stienes and Nicolas (#11) showed solid pace and consistency in ProAM. Nicolas and Nathan (#57) steadily improved throughout the sessions, ending the day with competitive AM times.
With top-three positions in both the ProAM and AM classes during practice, the tone was set for the weekend: the speed was there, and we were ready to fight.
Saturday – Double podium and an overall victory!
Saturday morning brought the first qualifying session. Lars Zaenen delivered a brilliant lap to put the #53 on pole in the SILVER class and P2 overall.
Meanwhile, Stienes and Nicolas qualified P6 in ProAM
(16th overall) in the #11, and Nicolas and Nathan secured P7 in AM (20th overall) in the #57.
All three cars were ready to battle in their respective classes.
Race 1 turned out to be a thriller. The field was incredibly close, and every position was fought for tooth and nail. In the end, it was Gonçalo and Lars who stormed to victory – winning both the SILVER class and the race overall, with just 0.505 seconds to spare.
At the same time, Nicolas and Nathan delivered a calm and consistent drive to claim victory in the AM class, finishing just 0.6 seconds ahead of the next car.
Two wins in one race – a super result for the team.
Stienes and Nicolas crossed the line P5 in ProAM, adding valuable points to their campaign.
The Saturday couldn’t have gone better – celebration all around.
Sunday – Strong qualifying, cruel setbacks
Sunday’s qualifying showed that the momentum was still with us. Stienes put the #11 on pole in the ProAM class and P2 overall, mirroring Lars’ performance from the day before.
Gonçalo and Lars qualified P4 in SILVER (6th overall), and Nicolas and Nathan locked in P2 in AM (10th overall).
The team was ready to go again.
But motorsport can be cruel. Despite a fantastic start and strong pace, Stienes had to retire the car on lap two due to a sudden brake disc failure while leading the race. A devastating blow with so much promise on the table.
Things went from bad to worse when Nicolas and Nathan were also forced to retire after 12 laps due to a mechanical failure on the #57.
That left Gonçalo and Lars to fly the team flag. They stayed consistent and pushed to the end, securing P5 in the SILVER class and rescuing important points from a difficult day.
From the double podium on Saturday to the setbacks on Sunday – this weekend had it all. But despite the challenges, the team kept pushing and showed what we’re made of.
We leave Spa proud of what we achieved and take the lessons from this weekend into the next round – ready to fight back, stronger than ever.
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