The 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa will bring one of the strongest GT3 fields of the season to the Ardennes, with 70 cars, 10 manufacturers and five classes confirmed for the 78th edition of the race.
The event will take place from 24-28 June and will again sit at the centre of the global GT racing calendar. However, this year’s edition brings fresh competitive intrigue through a revised Qualifying and Superpole format, a balanced class structure and a field filled with factory stars, former winners and leading endurance specialists.
As a result, Spa will not only test outright speed. It will also reward clean execution, depth across driver crews, traffic management and the ability to survive one of GT racing’s most demanding 24-hour contests.
Five classes create a layered race
The 2026 entry list divides the 70-car field across Pro, Gold Cup, Silver Cup, Bronze Cup and Pro-Am. That structure should create several races within the race, with each class bringing different strengths, risks and strategic demands.
The Pro class will feature 18 cars and should lead the outright victory fight. Meanwhile, the Bronze Cup will form the largest category with 19 entries, which adds another important competitive layer to the event. The Silver Cup will feature 16 cars, while Gold Cup and Pro-Am will add nine and eight entries respectively.
That class spread should shape the entire rhythm of the race. Faster Pro entries will need to cut through traffic without losing time or taking unnecessary risks. At the same time, class contenders must protect their own races while managing pressure from quicker cars through Spa’s high-speed sections.
Therefore, the race will demand discipline from every crew. One badly timed move at Eau Rouge, Blanchimont or the Bus Stop can ruin a full day of work, especially in a field this large.
Porsche heads a 10-manufacturer grid for the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
The manufacturer battle also promises major intrigue. Porsche will bring the biggest presence with 16 cars, giving the German marque the strongest numerical platform on the grid. Mercedes-AMG follows with 11 entries, while BMW, Ferrari and McLaren will each field eight cars.
Aston Martin will add seven cars, Audi will bring six, and Corvette, Ford and Lamborghini will complete the manufacturer spread with two cars each.
That variety should create a fascinating technical contest. Spa rewards strong aero efficiency, braking stability, traction, tyre consistency and top speed. Consequently, each manufacturer will need to find the right compromise between pace over a single lap and durability across long stints.
Porsche’s large presence may give it more strategic coverage across the field, but Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Ferrari and McLaren all have enough cars to influence the front. Meanwhile, smaller entries from Corvette, Ford and Lamborghini can still disrupt the order if they find strong pace and avoid trouble.
Lamborghini brings new Temerario GT3 to its first 24-hour test
Lamborghini enters the event as the defending winner, but its 2026 challenge carries a major new storyline. The brand will run its new Temerario GT3 in a 24-hour race for the first time.
That debut will place immediate pressure on the car’s reliability. Spa offers little room for weakness, and a new GT3 car must prove itself through traffic, changing temperatures, night running and heavy mechanical stress.
Ferrari, Ford and Porsche will also bring upgraded cars to the race, which adds another layer to the competitive picture. Those updates could influence tyre life, balance, drivability and straight-line performance, all of which matter across a 24-hour race at Spa.
As a result, the 2026 edition should become a major reference point for several GT3 programmes. Victory will matter, but the race will also reveal which manufacturers have made the strongest development gains.
Former winners add proven Spa pedigree
The driver list adds further weight to the race. More than 250 drivers from 43 nationalities and five continents appear on the current entry, and 15 former winners will return.
Last year’s winning trio of Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler will all race again, although they will now compete in three different cars. That split creates a fresh dynamic, as each driver brings recent winning knowledge to a separate programme.
Two-time Spa winner Jules Gounon will represent Verstappen Racing, while Valentino Rossi, Arthur Leclerc, Raffaele Marciello and Nicki Thiim also add star quality to the field.
In addition, the race will feature the winners of the most recent Nürburgring 24 Hours: Maxime Martin, Luca Stolz, Maro Engel and Fabian Schiller. Their presence strengthens the endurance pedigree of the grid and raises the standard for execution across the race.
Belgian contenders chase home success at the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
Spa’s international status does not reduce its Belgian identity. Five Belgian teams will enter the race, giving local fans several crews to follow across the weekend.
Comtoyou Racing returns after winning the centenary edition in 2024, while Team WRT brings its own Spa-winning history after triumphs in 2011 and 2014. Boutsen VDS also begins a new chapter with Porsche, adding another important home interest to the grid.
Haas Racing Team will contest the race for the third straight year with three Belgian drivers in its Audi, while Mühlner Motorsport returns to the event for the first time since 2011.
Belgian drivers should also play a major role. Maxime Martin arrives after winning the Bathurst 12 Hour and Nürburgring 24 Hours this year, while Alessio Picariello and Charles Weerts will aim to go one step further after previous Spa podium finishes.
Sarah Bovy will also draw strong support as she leads an all-Belgian quartet for Comtoyou Racing. As a former class winner at her home race, she gives the local crowd another significant storyline to follow.
New Qualifying format raises the pressure
The biggest sporting change comes through the new Qualifying and Superpole format. Organisers will split Thursday evening Qualifying into three groups to reduce traffic and create cleaner laps.
Bronze and Pro-Am drivers will run first, followed by Silver and Gold drivers, before the Pro drivers complete the session. Each group will receive 10 minutes on track, and the average time of the drivers in each group will determine the initial order.
That format places more responsibility on every member of a crew. Teams can no longer rely only on their fastest driver to rescue a poor session. Instead, each driver must deliver a clean lap and contribute to the average.
This change could prove especially important in the mixed classes. A strong all-round crew may gain an advantage over rivals that depend too heavily on one standout driver.
Knockout Superpole adds a high-stakes fight for pole
The 32 fastest cars from Qualifying will move into Friday’s knockout Superpole at 15:25. The format will immediately increase the tension, as the 16 slowest cars will drop out after the opening 10-minute segment.
The remaining 16 will then contest a seven-minute session, before the top eight fight through another seven-minute phase. Finally, the last four cars will battle for pole with a single flying lap.
That final stage should create one of the most intense qualifying moments in GT racing. A single flying lap around Spa leaves no margin for hesitation, yet drivers must still balance commitment with the risk of track limits, traffic disruption and mistakes.
The new format should also give pole position greater sporting value. Rather than a traditional session shaped by timing and track position, the knockout structure will force the fastest cars to perform repeatedly under pressure.
Traffic management expected to shape the race
With 70 GT3 cars on the grid, traffic will remain one of the defining factors of the 24 Hours. Spa’s layout gives drivers opportunities to overtake, but it also punishes poor judgement.
The climb through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, the run to Les Combes and the high-speed stretch through Blanchimont will all require precision when faster cars approach slower traffic. In a race with five classes, drivers must judge closing speeds constantly, especially at night or in mixed weather.
Therefore, the best crews will not simply chase the fastest lap times. They will protect the car, avoid penalties and manage risk during every stint. Over 24 hours, those decisions often decide the race as much as raw pace.
The 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa: a race built for endurance specialists
The 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa brings together the elements that define elite GT endurance racing: a deep field, major manufacturers, proven winners, local contenders and a demanding qualifying format.
Porsche may lead the entry numerically, Lamborghini may arrive as defending winner with a new car, and several upgraded GT3 machines may change the competitive order. However, Spa rarely rewards one strength alone.
Instead, the race will demand complete execution. Teams must qualify well, manage traffic, protect tyres, avoid mistakes and keep their cars alive until Sunday afternoon.
With 70 cars chasing class honours and overall glory, the 2026 edition has the ingredients for one of the most competitive Spa 24 Hours in recent years.
Provisional Entry List for the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
