CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa 2025: The world’s greatest GT race

Jean-Pierre
juillet 1, 2025

From 25 to 29 June 2025, we covered the 77th edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa live, at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was through the invitation of young Romanian driver Tudor Tudurachi, competing in the GT4 European Series, that we were able to experience this event from the inside, cameras in hand.

A week unlike any other

Well before the start of the main race, the event sets its own pace. On Wednesday evening, the Parade through the streets of Spa offers a rare spectacle: dozens of GT3s making their way down from the circuit to the town centre, in front of thousands of spectators lining the road. Drivers, cars and fans come together in a closeness that only this event can create. We were there, in the middle of the crowd, capturing those moments of connection between enthusiasts and competitors.

On Thursday and Friday, the circuit comes alive with qualifying sessions, the Superpole and the opening rounds of the support series. The atmosphere is different from the weekend, more intimate, with nocturnal Pit Walks allowing visitors to stroll freely through the pitlane and sometimes even onto the circuit itself. Rare moments, hard to describe without having experienced them firsthand.

Photo : Stefan Caliman / GUS

Tudor Tudurachi, the thread running through our time at Spa

It was through Tudor Tudurachi that our Spa adventure began. At 18 years old, this driver from Iași, Romania, was competing at Spa in the third round of the GT4 European Series, alongside his coach Sergiu Nicolae, under the colours of Willi Motorsport. Together, they form the first 100% Romanian team in the history of the GT4 European Series Championship, behind the wheel of the brand-new BMW M4 GT4 EVO, one of just 30 examples produced for Europe in 2025.

Tudor’s journey is already remarkable for his age. In January 2025, he won his first 24-hour race in Dubai, also claiming the GT4 Middle East Champion title after a 6-hour race in Abu Dhabi. Before that, he had been crowned champion of the Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy in Germany with a BMW M4 GT4, becoming at 16 the youngest winner in the competition’s history, while also winning the Romanian national endurance championship Logan Cup in 2024.

At Spa, we followed him closely throughout the weekend. Tudor Tudurachi and Sergiu Nicolae took the start in the number 310 BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Willi Motorsport at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on 26, 27 and 28 June 2025. Watching a young driver of this age manage the pressure of qualifying on such a circuit, going up against far more experienced crews within an event of this scale, was a story worth telling in itself. We were able to capture those moments in the paddock, at the pit wall, from the grandstands and from the spectator areas, documenting this race weekend through the eyes of this unusual Romanian team, made up of a student and his coach.

Photo : Stefan Caliman / GUS

128,000 spectators and a historic entry list

The main race was no less central to the event. This 2025 edition set a new attendance record with 128,000 people present over five days at Spa-Francorchamps. On track, 75 GT3s lined up on the grid, the largest field in the GT era of this centenary event. Ten manufacturers represented, more than 280 drivers from over 40 countries, and a fiercely contested battle across each of the five classes.

Photo : CrowdStrike 2025

A finish for the ages

On the sporting side, the 77th edition delivered on every promise. Victory went to the Grasser Racing team, giving Lamborghini its very first win at this event after years of attempts. Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler triumphed at the end of an intense duel with the Porsche Rutronik Racing squad, the two cars trading the lead in the closing hours, sometimes separated by just a few seconds. It was at the Bus Stop chicane that Bortolotti finally took the upper hand, going on to win by 8.7 seconds. The AF Corse Francorchamps Motors Ferrari completed the podium after a stunning comeback, having dropped to 65th place following a technical issue early in the race.

In the other classes, Verstappen.com Racing claimed the Gold Cup in the final moments, benefiting from a puncture on the Garage 59 McLaren. The Silver Cup went to Walkenhorst Motorsport in a highly emotional atmosphere, following the loss of their Pro class car during the Superpole. Kessel Racing took the Bronze Cup, while AV Racing by Car Collection Motorsport won the Pro-Am class, with Belgian driver Fabian Duffieux, born just a few kilometres from the circuit, among the victors.

Comprehensive on-the-ground coverage

The GT4 European Series, in which Tudor Tudurachi was one of the competitors at Spa, was fully woven into this week of racing. The championship, organised by SRO Motorsports Group, featured six rounds in 2025 at circuits including Paul Ricard, Zandvoort, Spa-Francorchamps, Misano, the Nürburgring and Barcelona, all as support events to the GT World Challenge Europe.

The 2026 edition promises to be equally exceptional. With the same motivation, and an already established track record of on-the-ground work, we are keen to return and continue telling the stories, big and small, that make the 24 Hours of Spa so unique.