Thomas Preining led the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa as the race entered Hour 20 after Lionspeed GP converted the #80 Porsche’s pace into a 9.4-second advantage.
The pit-lane starter had already passed the #51 AF Corse Ferrari on track during Hour 16 before losing the lead to Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER during a later neutralisation.
However, contact between Tommaso Mosca and Luca Stolz removed the Ferrari from the immediate battle and opened the door for Lionspeed to regain control through an undercut.
Lucas Auer followed in second aboard the #48 Mercedes-AMG, while Matt Campbell placed the #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche third with five hours remaining.
Preining completes Lionspeed’s recovery from the pit lane
The #51 Ferrari returned to the front during the early stages of Hour 16 as another pit-stop sequence reordered the leading group.
The #48 Mercedes-AMG held second, while the #46 Team WRT BMW ran third ahead of the recovering #80 Porsche.
Lionspeed had started from the pit lane following an engine change, but Preining continued the car’s remarkable progress by passing the BMW before jumping the Mercedes-AMG during the following round of stops.
That sequence promoted the Porsche to second and placed Preining directly behind Nicklas Nielsen’s leading Ferrari.
Preining quickly reduced the gap despite concerns that rising track temperatures could weaken the Porsche’s performance. Rather than waiting for another strategic opportunity, he moved close enough to attack Nielsen on track.
Traffic eventually created the opening. Nielsen ran wide while negotiating slower cars at the Bus Stop, allowing Preining to move to the inside and complete the pass as the pair exited the chicane.
The Austrian therefore took the lead on merit and headed the field towards La Source.
HRT Ford stoppage ends Hour 16 under caution
A brief Full Course Yellow interrupted the race shortly after Preining took the lead.
The #64 HRT Ford Racing Mustang stopped at the Bus Stop after spending significant periods inside the overall top 15.
The car had featured prominently during the opening half of the race and regularly led the Ford challenge, but the stoppage brought its race to an end.
Preining therefore completed Hour 16 at the head of the field, with Nielsen and Maro Engel close behind.
Mercedes-AMG uses the next neutralisation to regain control
Racing resumed only briefly after officials recovered the Ford.
Another stopped McLaren on the start-finish straight prompted Race Control to call a further Full Course Yellow, which later developed into a Safety Car period with a wave-by procedure.
Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER used the neutralisation to bring the #48 into the pits at a reduced time loss.
The stop allowed the Mercedes-AMG to jump the #80 Porsche and regain the effective lead. AF Corse also passed the #51 Ferrari through the pit lane to reset its stint timing while retaining a place inside the leading group.
Behind them, Ayhancan Güven and Raffaele Marciello produced one of the hour’s closest battles. The #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche and #98 ROWE Racing BMW ran side by side for much of a lap and made light contact, although Marciello initially retained the position.
Once the Safety Car returned to the pits, Engel controlled the restart from Bastian Buus in the #80 Porsche.
The #51 Ferrari then passed the #46 Team WRT BMW to reclaim third and restore Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche to the leading three positions.
Porsche strengthens its challenge during Hour 18
The #48 Mercedes-AMG remained ahead as Hour 18 began, but Porsche continued to increase the pressure throughout the leading group.
Güven eventually passed Valentino Rossi’s #46 BMW and promoted the #22 Porsche to fourth. He then began closing on the three cars ahead while Buus remained directly behind the leading Mercedes-AMG.
The next round of stops initially preserved Mercedes-AMG’s advantage.
Lionspeed brought the #80 Porsche in first before the #48 stopped one lap later. Stolz took over the Mercedes-AMG, while Buus remained aboard the Porsche.
The #51 Ferrari briefly dropped behind the #22 after its own stop, but Mosca quickly responded and passed Güven to return AF Corse to third.
Alternative strategies then moved the #51 Ferrari and both Team WRT BMWs towards the head of the order before their required stops.
Once those cycles aligned, Stolz returned to the lead from Buus, Mosca and Güven. Little more than two seconds covered the four cars, leaving no room for a slow stop, traffic delay or minor mistake.
Penalties create further pressure
Race Control issued another series of penalties as the leading battle tightened.
The #998 ROWE Racing BMW received 15 seconds for speeding under Full Course Yellow conditions, while the #46 Team WRT BMW collected a 10-second sanction for the same offence.
Several other entries received drive-through, stop-and-go and time penalties for Full Course Yellow infringements, pit-lane speeding and repeated track-limit violations.
The sanctions added further strategic complications as teams tried to preserve track position while meeting their fuel, tyre and driver-time requirements.
Mosca attacks Stolz for the lead
Mosca immediately used the Ferrari’s pace once the pit sequences settled.
The #51 passed Güven’s Porsche and closed onto the rear of Stolz’s leading Mercedes-AMG. Traffic prevented Stolz from building an advantage and allowed Mosca to move within half a second.
The Ferrari repeatedly pressured the Mercedes-AMG as Buus and Güven followed closely enough to benefit from any mistake.
However, Mosca’s attempt to take the lead ended in contact with Stolz.
The Ferrari suffered what appeared to be a puncture or suspension damage and slowed as Mosca attempted to return to the pits.
AF Corse repaired the car and installed Alessio Rovera, while Race Control reviewed the incident and decided that it required no further action.
The setback removed the #51 from the immediate lead fight after the car had recovered from its earlier puncture and penalties.
Three Porsches close on the Mercedes-AMG
The Ferrari’s problem left three Porsches directly behind the #48 Mercedes-AMG.
Güven passed Buus to take second and reduced Stolz’s advantage to approximately half a second.
The #80 Lionspeed and #2 Boutsen VDS Porsches remained close behind, creating a four-car lead battle involving Mercedes-AMG and three Porsche teams.
With Stolz unable to escape in traffic, Lionspeed prepared to use the next pit-stop sequence rather than risk losing more time while fighting on track.
Lionspeed converts the undercut into the lead
The #80 Porsche stopped before the other leading contenders and used the undercut to turn its pace into track position.
Preining returned to the cockpit and produced a rapid out-lap while the #48 Mercedes-AMG and #22 Porsche remained on track.
When the pair completed their stops, the Lionspeed entry carried enough momentum to move ahead of both cars along the Kemmel Straight.
Auer took over the #48 Mercedes-AMG, while Campbell climbed into the #22 Porsche.
Once the strategies aligned, Preining had built a 9.4-second advantage over Auer.
Campbell followed in third, with Alessio Picariello fourth aboard the #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche.
Rovera recovered the damaged #51 Ferrari to fifth, ahead of Daniel Harper’s #46 Team WRT BMW, Jamie Day’s #34 Natural Elements by Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin and Arthur Leclerc’s #50 AF Corse Ferrari.
WRT remains a strategic threat
The #32 Team WRT BMW remained a potential factor despite running behind the immediate leaders.
Its alternative stint sequence gave the team greater strategic flexibility than several cars ahead.
A well-timed Full Course Yellow could allow the BMW to extend its run, complete a cheaper stop and emerge much closer to the lead during the final five hours.
The unpredictable sequence of neutralisations throughout the race ensured that none of the leading teams could rely entirely on outright pace.
Lionspeed leads into Hour 20
Preining entered Hour 20 with a clear advantage after a decisive four-hour period.
The #80 Porsche had led through an on-track pass, lost the position during a neutralised pit cycle and then regained control with a successful undercut.
Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER remained firmly in contention through Auer, while Campbell and Picariello kept two more Porsches inside the leading four.
AF Corse’s contact dropped the #51 Ferrari away from the immediate fight, but Rovera remained close enough to recover if another Safety Car erased the gaps.
With five hours remaining, Lionspeed held track position, but traffic, strategy and the continuing threat of neutralisations left the outcome far from settled.
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