Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed led the combined Qualifying classification for the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa, beating the #51 AF Corse Ferrari by just 0.019 seconds. Maxime Martin, Maximilian Götz and Fabian Schiller produced an average lap time of 2:17.049 in the #17 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO to head Thursday evening’s Qualifying classification.
Meanwhile, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO of Alessio Rovera, Tommaso Mosca and Nicklas Nielsen finished second with a 2:17.068 average, while Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining and Bastian Buus placed the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche third on 2:17.108.
The leading 32 cars progressed to Friday’s Superpole session, where the starting order at the front of the field will be decided.
Owega leads opening session
As in previous editions of the event, the combined classification was calculated using the fastest lap set by each driver. Cars featuring four-driver line-ups competed in all four Qualifying sessions, while the three-driver entries joined the action from Q2 onwards.
The 2026 format also separated the classes during each 30-minute session. Bronze Cup and Pro-Am Cup competitors took to the circuit first, followed by the Gold and Silver Cup cars, before the Pro Cup entries completed the final part of each segment.
In Q1, reserved for four-driver line-ups, the #5 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 EVO topped the timesheets with Salman Owega at the wheel. Owega completed the lap in 2:17.867, giving the Silver Cup McLaren an early benchmark before the three-driver Pro Cup entries joined Qualifying.
Two stoppages disrupt Q2
The opening section of Q2 was interrupted twice following separate incidents involving the Bronze Cup and Pro-Am Cup competitors. The first red flag followed contact between Jordan Boisson’s #999 GetSpeed Team PCX Mercedes-AMG and Reinhold Krahn in the #8 Car Collection Motorsport Porsche. As a result, Krahn was sent into the gravel at Fagnes and could not return to the circuit.
Only a few minutes after the session resumed, Kenzie Reiss Beecroft spun the #914 razoon – more than racing Porsche. Mathieu Castelein in the #28 Haas RT Audi was unable to avoid the incident, leaving both cars stranded in the gravel during Qualifying at the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa.
The interruptions prevented several drivers from recording representative times and had a significant effect on the final averages of a number of Bronze Cup and Pro-Am Cup entries. Once the session resumed, Rovera delivered the fastest lap of Q2. The AF Corse driver recorded a 2:17.012 in the #51 Ferrari, helping place the car firmly in contention for the top spot.
Gachet sets the fastest lap of Qualifying
Simon Gachet produced the fastest individual lap across the four Qualifying sessions in Q3. Driving the #111 CSA Racing McLaren, Gachet recorded a 2:16.685 to lead the segment and help the Gold Cup entry secure 15th position in the combined classification. The result placed CSA Racing ahead of several Pro Cup contenders and safely inside the 32-car Superpole field. Q3 and Q4 ran without further red flags, although Tim Heinemann survived a trip through the gravel aboard the #60 JMW Motorsport Ferrari.
Schiller then led the final session in the #17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG. His 2:16.817 lap, combined with Martin’s 2:17.122 and Götz’s 2:17.208, gave the crew its session-leading 2:17.049 average.
GetSpeed edges AF Corse by 0.019 seconds
The #17 Mercedes-AMG ultimately beat the #51 Ferrari by the narrowest of margins, while the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche ended qualifying another 0.040 seconds behind in third. Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci and Alessio Picariello secured fourth for the #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche, ahead of the second AF Corse Ferrari shared by Lilou Wadoux, Arthur Leclerc and Sean Gelael.
The #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER entry of Lucas Auer, Luca Stolz and Maro Engel completed the top six. Garage 59’s #59 McLaren finished seventh with Joseph Loake, Dean Macdonald and Marvin Kirchhöfer, followed by the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing car of Daniel Juncadella, Chris Lulham and Jules Gounon.
Mattia Drudi, Marco Sørensen and Nicki Thiim placed the #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin ninth. The Gold Cup-leading #58 Garage 59 McLaren of Thomas Fleming, Louis Prette and Benjamin Goethe completed the overall top 10.
All Pro Cup cars reach Superpole
All 18 Pro Cup entries secured a place inside the top 32 and progressed to Superpole after Qualifying at the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa.
Among them were the two Team WRT BMWs. Kelvin van der Linde, Jordan Pepper and Charles Weerts qualified 17th in the #32 car, while Valentino Rossi, Daniel Harper and Max Hesse placed the #46 BMW 24th.
The new Lamborghini Temerario GT3s also avoided elimination. The #63 TGI Team by GRT entry of Franck Perera, Maximilian Paul and Mirko Bortolotti qualified 26th, while Luca Engstler, Marco Mapelli and Patric Niederhauser placed the #96 Rutronik Racing car 29th. Alongside the 18 Pro Cup cars, seven Gold Cup, six Silver Cup and one Bronze Cup entry progressed to the final Qualifying stage.
Kessel Racing earns surprise Superpole place at the Qualifying of the 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa
The #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari was the only Bronze Cup entry to qualify for Superpole. Dustin Blattner, Ben Tuck, Mathys Jaubert and Dennis Marschall recorded an average time of 2:18.448, placing the Ferrari 30th overall.
The #44 Greystone GT McLaren and #52 AF Corse Ferrari claimed the final two positions inside the top 32. Team Motopark narrowly missed the cut. The #20 Mercedes-AMG of Levente Révész, Christian Mansell, Yannick Mettler and Rui Andrade finished 33rd with a 2:18.527 average, only 0.010 seconds behind the final qualifying position.
The #45 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari was classified 34th, a further 0.009 seconds behind the Motopark entry.
New knockout challenge for Superpole
The 32 qualifying cars will now contest a revised three-stage Superpole format.
First, 16 cars will be eliminated following the opening ten-minute segment. Then, the remaining competitors will contest a seven-minute second session, after which the field will be reduced to eight.
Finally, those eight cars will take part in a shootout to determine pole position for the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Combined qualifying top 10 at 2026 CrowdStrike 24H of Spa (provisional)
- #17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed — Martin/Götz/Schiller — 2:17.049
- #51 AF Corse — Rovera/Mosca/Nielsen — 2:17.068
- #80 Lionspeed GP — Feller/Preining/Buus — 2:17.108
- #2 Boutsen VDS — Schuring/Boccolacci/Picariello — 2:17.164
- #50 AF Corse — Wadoux/Leclerc/Gelael — 2:17.195
- #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER — Auer/Stolz/Engel — 2:17.243
- #59 Garage 59 — Loake/Macdonald/Kirchhöfer — 2:17.272
- #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing — Juncadella/Lulham/Gounon — 2:17.293
- #7 Comtoyou Racing — Drudi/Sørensen/Thiim — 2:17.308
- #58 Garage 59 — Fleming/Prette/Goethe — 2:17.364
Full results (provisional)
Full entry list
Weekend schedule
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