Class victory remains the main objective for every Gold Cup crew at the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa. However, the category’s leading contenders will also keep a close eye on the overall classification.
The 2026 Gold Cup field features eight cars from six manufacturers, with McLaren accounting for three entries. Porsche, BMW, Ferrari, Audi and Corvette complete a varied grid that combines ambitious young drivers with some of GT racing’s most experienced professionals.
A top-10 overall finish represents a realistic target for the strongest crews. An overall podium would require an exceptional race and some misfortune for the Pro contenders, but the quality of the leading Gold Cup line-ups makes that prospect difficult to dismiss completely.
Garage 59 arrives as the early favourite after winning the Endurance Cup opener at Circuit Paul Ricard and finishing third overall. However, ROWE Racing, CSA Racing and several other experienced teams have assembled crews capable of challenging throughout the 24 hours.
What is the Gold Cup?
The Gold Cup limits teams to a maximum driver combination of three Gold-rated competitors and one Silver-rated driver. This structure allows crews to call on established professionals while also creating opportunities for younger or less experienced racers to compete at the highest level of GT endurance racing.
Teams can use up to four drivers, although they do not need to fill every available place. Garage 59 and ROWE Racing have both selected three-driver line-ups for Spa, which gives each driver more time behind the wheel but also increases the physical demands placed on the crew.
The class regulations prevent teams from using Platinum-rated drivers, but the Gold Cup still features an exceptionally high standard. Several entrants have already challenged Pro cars during the 2026 season, while the strongest combinations possess enough speed to move well inside the overall top 10.
Nevertheless, the Gold Cup crews must balance their overall ambitions with the class battle. A risky move against a Pro car could damage their chances of victory, while a conservative approach could allow a direct rival to escape. That tension should shape the category throughout the race.
The Gold Cup at a glance
- Entries: Eight cars
- Manufacturers: Six
- Maximum line-up: Gold / Gold / Gold / Silver
- 2025 winner: Verstappen Racing – Aston Martin Vantage
- Race start: 16:30 on Saturday, 27 June
McLaren holds the numerical advantage with three entries from Garage 59, CSA Racing and Optimum Motorsport. Each team brings a different combination of experience and emerging talent, giving the British manufacturer several routes to class victory.
However, BMW can rely on three-time overall winner ROWE Racing, while Ferrari receives support from AF Corse through Selected Car Racing. Tresor Attempto Racing brings extensive Spa experience with Audi, Steller Motorsport introduces the Corvette Z06 GT3.R to the class, and Boutsen VDS hopes to end a frustrating start to the season with Porsche.
Garage 59: the Gold Cup benchmark
Garage 59 enters the weekend as the leading Gold Cup contender following an excellent start to the Endurance Cup season. Louis Prette, Tom Fleming and Benji Goethe won the opening round at Circuit Paul Ricard, where they also secured an impressive third place overall.
That result demonstrated the crew’s ability to compete beyond the class classification. The trio combines Prette’s experience with the speed and potential of Fleming and Goethe, creating a line-up that can maintain a strong pace across every stint.
Garage 59 also carries unfinished business from the 2025 24H of Spa. The #58 McLaren led the Gold Cup with only 10 minutes remaining before a puncture destroyed its hopes of victory. The late setback provided a painful reminder that Spa can punish a crew even after almost an entire day of faultless racing.
The team has retained a three-driver line-up for 2026 rather than adding a fourth competitor. That decision should give Prette, Fleming and Goethe more time in the car and greater continuity across the race. However, each driver must also complete a heavier workload through the day and night.
Garage 59 has already shown that it possesses the pace to win the class and challenge near the front overall. This time, the team must combine that speed with the reliability and good fortune that deserted it during the final minutes last year.
ROWE Racing: experience meets emerging talent
ROWE Racing brings one of the strongest team records in the entire 69-car field. The German squad has won the 24H of Spa overall three times, and that experience makes the #998 BMW an immediate Gold Cup favourite.
Jens Klingmann, Ugo de Wilde and Tim Tramnitz will share the BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Like Garage 59, ROWE has chosen to use three drivers rather than the maximum four, placing greater responsibility on each member of the crew.
Klingmann provides the line-up with extensive experience. The long-serving BMW factory driver has completed countless laps at Spa-Francorchamps and understands the changing rhythm of a 24-hour race. He can guide the crew through traffic, difficult weather and the strategic decisions that often define the overnight running.
De Wilde and Tramnitz supply the youth and outright speed. Tramnitz arrives from single-seater competition and will make his 24H of Spa debut, while de Wilde continues to establish himself in GT racing. Both drivers must adapt to the demands of one of the world’s busiest endurance events, but they have the pace to support a serious class challenge.
ROWE’s knowledge should reduce some of the uncertainty surrounding the younger drivers. The team understands how to prepare a car for Spa, manage the opening hours and remain in contention until Sunday afternoon. If the #998 avoids trouble, it could challenge for both Gold Cup honours and a significant overall result.
CSA Racing: last year’s podium finishers aim higher
CSA Racing returns with an unchanged line-up after finishing third in the Gold Cup at the 2025 24H of Spa. Arthur Rougier, Simon Gachet and James Kell continue as the team’s full-season drivers, while Jim Pla joins them for the Belgian endurance classic.
The continuity within the crew should help CSA Racing. Rougier, Gachet and Kell already understand each other’s driving styles and the team’s working methods, while Pla adds both speed and substantial experience in GT machinery.
Their 2025 podium also gives the squad a clear reference point. CSA Racing knows that it can compete near the front of the category, but it will now target victory rather than another supporting position.
The four-driver structure provides a different challenge from the three-driver approaches used by Garage 59 and ROWE Racing. CSA can distribute the physical workload more evenly and create greater flexibility around stint lengths, weather conditions and driver availability.
However, the team must also maintain consistency across four competitors. Each driver needs to match the pace of the leading crews and avoid incidents in heavy traffic. If CSA achieves that balance, the #111 McLaren should remain firmly involved in the fight for victory.
Selected Car Racing: Monza winners carry momentum
Selected Car Racing arrives at Spa after securing Gold Cup honours at Monza. That result established the Ferrari crew as a genuine contender and added another strong challenger to the class battle.
Conrad Laursen, Malte Ebdrup, Simon Birch and Frederik Schandorff form an all-Danish line-up in the #71 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. Schandorff provides the crew with proven speed and considerable GT experience, while his team-mates give the car depth across its four-driver rotation.
AF Corse supports the programme, which strengthens Selected Car Racing’s prospects. The Italian organisation has vast experience with Ferrari machinery and understands the operational demands of major endurance events.
The Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO should also provide a strong platform for the race. Ferrari has performed well at Spa in recent years, while AF Corse knows how to keep its cars in contention across long distances.
Selected Car Racing may attract less attention than Garage 59 or ROWE Racing, but its Monza victory showed that the team can capitalise when opportunities arise. Another controlled performance could place the #71 among the class leaders on Sunday afternoon.
Tresor Attempto Racing: Audi brings proven Spa knowledge
Tresor Attempto Racing has extensive experience at the 24H of Spa and continues to rely on the proven Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II. Although the car ranks among the oldest designs in the field, teams still extract significant pace from it.
Dylan Pereira, Andrea Frassineti and Alex Aka share the #99 Audi. The three-driver line-up combines GT experience with the speed required to challenge the category’s leading McLaren and BMW entries.
The crew demonstrated its potential at Monza by qualifying second overall. However, an opening-corner incident eliminated the Audi before the team could convert that performance into a result.
That early exit left the crew without the reward its qualifying pace deserved, but it also showed that Tresor Attempto can compete near the front of the entire field. Spa now offers the team another opportunity to turn speed into a complete endurance performance.
Audi’s long record at the event should help. The R8 understands Spa, and Tresor Attempto knows how to manage the car over long distances. If the #99 survives the opening stages and remains clear of trouble, it can challenge for Gold Cup victory.
Steller Motorsport: Corvette adds variety to the fight
Steller Motorsport brings one of the most distinctive cars in the Gold Cup field. The team will run the #24 Corvette Z06 GT3.R for Mikkel Pedersen, Lenny Ried, Antoine Doquin and Dennis Lind.
The Corvette has quickly become a favourite among spectators, but the programme offers more than visual appeal. The car possesses the pace to compete near the front, while Steller has assembled a balanced four-driver line-up.
Lind provides considerable professional experience and should play an important role during the most demanding phases of the race. Pedersen, Ried and Doquin complete a crew that can challenge the more established Gold Cup programmes if it maintains consistent performance.
However, Steller must prove the Corvette’s durability over a complete day and night at Spa. The relentless traffic and changing conditions will test every aspect of the car, from tyre management to mechanical reliability.
The #24 may enter as an outsider, but a clean run could quickly move it into contention. In a race where several favourites could encounter problems, Steller has enough quality to take advantage.
Optimum Motorsport: McLaren adds another credible challenger
Optimum Motorsport gives McLaren its third Gold Cup entry and another realistic chance of success. Adam Smalley, Freddie Tomlinson, Harry George and Ruben Del Sarte will share the #4 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO.
The four-driver crew features several young competitors with strong potential. Smalley and Tomlinson bring proven McLaren experience, while George and Del Sarte add further pace to an ambitious line-up.
Optimum may not carry the same pre-race expectations as Garage 59, but the team understands McLaren machinery and has extensive experience in endurance competition. That background should help it navigate the strategic and operational challenges of the 24H of Spa.
The team must prioritise consistency and keep the car clear of damage during the opening hours. If the drivers settle into a competitive rhythm, the #4 McLaren could move steadily through the class and emerge as a factor during the second half of the race.
With three McLarens in the Gold Cup, the manufacturer holds a clear numerical advantage. Optimum gives it an additional opportunity if misfortune affects the more highly favoured Garage 59 and CSA Racing entries.
Boutsen VDS: Porsche searches for a change in fortune
Boutsen VDS enters the 24H of Spa after an extraordinarily frustrating start to the season. The #10 Porsche has not completed a racing lap in 2026 after incidents outside the team’s control eliminated it from each event.
Gilles Magnus, Robin Knutsson and Alessandro Ghiretti will share the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The crew possesses enough speed to challenge the Gold Cup leaders, but circumstances have prevented it from showing that potential in race conditions.
Spa therefore gives Boutsen VDS an opportunity to reset its campaign. A strong result at its home event would provide the perfect response to a run of misfortune and allow the drivers to demonstrate the performance that earlier incidents have concealed.
The team must avoid allowing its recent setbacks to create unnecessary pressure. A 24-hour race rewards patience, and Boutsen VDS cannot recover its entire season during the opening stint.
If the Porsche completes the early hours cleanly, the crew can gradually build confidence and move into contention. A Gold Cup victory would create one of the weekend’s most compelling stories, but even a trouble-free run would represent an important step forward.
The full 2026 24H of Spa Gold Cup entry list
- #4 Optimum Motorsport — McLaren 720S GT3 EVO: Adam Smalley / Freddie Tomlinson / Harry George / Ruben Del Sarte
- #10 Boutsen VDS — Porsche 911 GT3 R: Gilles Magnus / Robin Knutsson / Alessandro Ghiretti
- #24 Steller Motorsport — Corvette Z06 GT3.R: Mikkel Pedersen / Lenny Ried / Antoine Doquin / Dennis Lind
- #58 Garage 59 — McLaren 720S GT3 EVO: Tom Fleming / Louis Prette / Benji Goethe
- #71 Selected Car Racing — Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO: Conrad Laursen / Malte Ebdrup / Simon Birch / Frederik Schandorff
- #99 Tresor Attempto Racing — Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II: Dylan Pereira / Andrea Frassineti / Alex Aka
- #111 CSA Racing — McLaren 720S GT3 EVO: Jim Pla / Arthur Rougier / Simon Gachet / James Kell
- #998 ROWE Racing — BMW M4 GT3 EVO: Ugo de Wilde / Tim Tramnitz / Jens Klingmann
The key Gold Cup storylines
Garage 59 seeks redemption: The #58 McLaren lost a likely 2025 victory to a puncture with only 10 minutes remaining, but it returns after winning the 2026 Endurance Cup opener.
ROWE Racing brings overall-winning expertise: The three-time Spa winner supports Klingmann, de Wilde and debutant Tramnitz in one of the strongest Gold Cup entries.
Three-driver crews take a different approach: Garage 59, ROWE Racing, Tresor Attempto Racing and Boutsen VDS will place a heavier workload on fewer drivers.
CSA Racing aims to improve on third: The unchanged #111 crew returns after reaching the Gold Cup podium in 2025.
Selected Car Racing carries Monza momentum: The all-Danish Ferrari crew arrives after claiming class victory at the previous Endurance Cup round.
Audi looks to convert qualifying pace: Tresor Attempto started second overall at Monza before an opening-corner incident ended its race.
Corvette joins the class fight: Steller Motorsport gives the Z06 GT3.R an opportunity to challenge six established manufacturers.
Boutsen VDS needs a clean race: The #10 Porsche hopes to complete its first racing lap of 2026 and turn a difficult season into a home success story.
More than a battle for class victory
Garage 59 enters the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa as the Gold Cup benchmark. Its Paul Ricard victory, overall podium and painful memories from last year give the #58 McLaren both momentum and motivation.
However, ROWE Racing’s experience makes the #998 BMW an equally serious contender. CSA Racing already knows how to reach the class podium, while Selected Car Racing and Tresor Attempto have demonstrated their speed during the opening part of the season.
Steller Motorsport and Optimum Motorsport also bring credible four-driver crews, while Boutsen VDS has the talent to transform its campaign if fortune finally turns in its favour.
The Gold Cup contenders will focus first on their class rivals, but the strongest crews can also influence the overall classification. A top-10 finish appears achievable, while an exceptional race could take one of them even higher.
Spa rarely follows a predictable path. Weather, traffic, punctures, safety cars and mechanical problems can change the order within minutes. The crew that combines Pro-level speed with disciplined decision-making will give itself the best chance of winning the Gold Cup — and perhaps achieving something even greater.
Full entry list
Weekend schedule
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