The season highlight of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS Endurance Cup took place, as it does every year, on the traditional Belgian circuit of Spa-Francorchamps. At the CrowdStrike 24h of Spa, the team from Wegberg, supported by MOTUL, brought a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO 2 to the start. The CrowdStrike Lamborghini #70 was driven by Gerhard Watzinger (USA), Kerong Li (CH), Jean-Francois Brunot (USA) and Brendon Leitch (NZ).
The driver quartet started in the Pro-Am classification. The team’s goals were to reach the finish line at the 24-hour endurance race and to achieve a top-10 finish in the Pro-Am classification. A total of 70 GT3 cars were on the entry list for the 24-hour race at the traditional Belgian race track.
The free practice sessions went off without any major problems. Qualifying and the subsequent night practice suffered from the extremely difficult external conditions. The four-part qualifying session started in dry conditions, but only a short time later rain set in and became heavier and heavier. Due to the reflections, the visibility conditions were extremely problematic, so that even the night practice had to be cancelled.
The rain had stopped right on time for the start of the 24h race, but the track was still damp in places. From the beginning, the driver quartet tried to drive a faultless and collision-free race. In the first hour, however, the #70 had a collision in which some aerodynamic parts such as the front splitter were severely damaged, but this could be provisionally repaired during a later scheduled pit stop. Otherwise, the Leipert Lamborghini GT3 ran absolutely smoothly. After nine hours the team was within the Top10 of the ProAm ranking. The set goals seemed to be achievable. Then, after 185 laps, the team unexpectedly had to retire. The CrowdStrike Lamborghini #70 with Leitch at the wheel spun on the gravel-strewn track and was hit on the rear by a following GT3 car.
Managing Directors Marcel Leipert & Marc Poos:
“We started the long-distance classic with realistic goals and were well on the way to achieving our targets in this top-class field. But then everything turned out differently. The track was so dirty with gravel that Brendon had to move to the even dirtier outside lane during a duel, which made a spin almost unavoidable. The hit by a competitor after the spin then meant the end for the driver crew and the team. In motorsport, such situations are unfortunately part of the game. However, we remain positive and will attack again next time.”
The next round of the Le Mans Cup is already on the agenda for Leipert Motorsport in just under two weeks. In Paul Ricard (France, 14-15 July) Gerhard Watzinger (USA)/Brendon Leitch (NZ) and Gabriel Rindone (I)/Patrick Kujala (SF) will start with their Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2.
