Driving the famous Ford GT40 in which they won Roadbook’s 2014 Spa Six Hours, Martin Stretton and Portugal’s Diogo Ferrao ran out victorious in Saturday’s classic enduro, with Danes Nicolai Kjaergaard and Alexander Weiss finishing on the same lap in Palle Pedersen’s Ginetta G4R.
Fourteen GT40s – of which the Ferrao family’s GT40 P/1022 was a rare original in the FIA HTP compliant pack – started the race, first run in 1993. Five finished in the top 10, completed by 26R-spec Lotus Elans when the chequered flag fell.
“If there’s anything this race has taught me it’s not to practice your victory speech,” said Stretton, winner in 2002, 2008 and 2010 in Jon Minshaw’s Jaguar E-type. “For the last hour I was waiting for Spa to bite me, as it has many leaders before.”
His success equalled Simon Hadfield’s – spanning 1997-2013 – atop the roll of honour: “I’ve won it at 55 and 66, but don’t think I’ll be doing it again at 77!”
Here’s how the fight unfolded, along with some other highlights from a busy Belgium.
Ginetta close to toppling GT40s
Martin Brundle, Alex Brundle
Photo by: Red Water Images
In a dry but at times unruly race characterised by 10 safety car interludes, little ground was covered in the opening hour. Indeed, as the 75-car grid stampeded away just before 1500 on Saturday, there was high drama as the top 10 GT40s exited La Source hairpin and accelerated savagely downhill towards the iconic Eau Rouge/Raidillon sweeper.
Stretton, running just outside row five partner Tony Wood, found himself in a diminishing gap between Wood and popular event debutant Martin Brundle in the GT40 qualified sixth by fellow TV racing commentator son Alex. A clash of fibreglass sent Wood’s white car spinning into the pitwall and Stretton’s red example into Brundle’s midnight blue one, pushing it over the outside kerbs.
“I heard contact more than felt it,” said the 1988 world sportscar champion, who rode the moment out, calmly rejoined and ended the opening lap seventh, behind Michael Funke, Nico Verdonck, polesitter Seb Perez (sharing with Christian Albrecht, 2003 and 2011 winner Glaesel), Sam Hancock, David Hart and Georg Griesemann in snarling GT40s. Although carnage was avoided, Wood’s car was repatriated to the F1 pits under caution, whereupon it was repaired and rejoined spiritedly 17 laps down.
Although only five of the first 19 laps were green, between three safety cars, Brundle had an enlightening joust with Kjaergaard in the Ginetta, then clawed his way past Hart, only to be cannoned onto the grass by the Dutchman at Fagnes. “Some of the driving was crazy, a bit desperate,” said Martin, who pitted immediately, under more yellows. When Hart ventured into his garage to apologise, Brundle Sr was livid. “I raced Michael Schumacher, I raced Ayrton Senna but I’m actually scared of you,” said the 66-year-old.
The Brundle Motorsport GT40 continued, with flesh wounds, through strong stints by Gary Pearson and Alex Brundle, but Junior retired after four and a half hours with flagging oil pressure. Moments later the gold Hart/Nicky Pastorelli/Olivier Hart car was pushed away, also with engine problems, having covered one lap more.
While Stretton/Ferrao seized the opportunity for a ‘splash and dash’ stop after 89 laps, Martin resumed, still clear of the Ginetta, which Kjaergaard bookended. Had the race had fewer interruptions and the GT40s expended more fuel, the G4R might have sprung the surprise of the century. The Danes finished less than 90 seconds adrift after 109 laps.
Best of the big GTS cars was the Valley Motor Sport run Jaguar E-type of German father and son Stefan and Philip Konig and Briton Ben Mitchell. They outran the Shelby Daytona Cobra coupe of Paul Pochciol/James Hanson/Matt Wrigley and the 2005-winning Aston Martin DP214 clone shared 20 years on by Hadfield and owner Wolfgang Friedrichs’ son Paul.
Lotus Elans the new big ticket?
Gordon Shedden, Andy Priaulx, Rory Butcher
Photo by: Red Water Images
The GT40 entry was down from a record 18 but, inspired by Andrew Jordan/Sam Tordoff/James Dorlin’s second place overall in 2023 and Gordon Shedden/Ben Barker/Rory Butcher’s third last year, Lotus Elan numbers were up to 15.
Six teams were in the overall running. Triple world touring car champion Andy Priaulx joined Scots Shedden and Butcher in the yellow Ecurie Hinxton car, which proved the pacemaker. They were denied an overall podium when the German-entered GT40s of Funke/Luco Sanchez/Nick Salewsky – despite at least one drive-through – and Verdonck/Marcus Graf von Oeynhausen/Andy Newall snorted past in the latter stages. A GTS10 class-winning fifth was still a brilliant performance.
A lap adrift, Shaun Lynn and Andrew ‘Ralphie’ Haddon reprised their 2009 winning (GT40) partnership with Shaun’s lad Max in a strong Elan and finished sixth, split from Graham Wilson/Andy Wolfe/Scott Malvern and Portugal’s Goncalo Gomes with Jameses Claridge and Denty in their pale blue version by the GT40 of Germany’s Nick Ditting and Sam Hancock. Behind Perez/Albrecht, British club racers Connor Kay/Dominic Mooney finished a sensational 11th, ahead of Ivan Ivanov/Ed Morris who made it six Elans in the top 12.
Danner returns to scene of F1 debut
Christian Danner
Photo by: Red Water Images
Forty years after he made his Formula 1 debut for Zakspeed in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, Germany’s Christian Danner, 67, competed in the Six Hour race and Alfa Revival Cup in different cars.
“Christian is a friend of a friend and a really cool guy,” said Matthias Korber. “I met him in a restaurant in Munich more than a year ago and – as he’s an ex-DTM Alfa Romeo driver – asked him if he would like to do an historic race in one.
“He raced with me at the Red Bull Ring earlier this year, enjoyed it and said he was free for the Spa Six Hours weekend.”
Danner, Korber and Italian Roberton Restelli finished a class-winning 36th overall in the big race – his first participation – in Korber’s Giulia Sprint GTA. “It’s a wonderfully uncomplicated car to drive, no bull**** parts, just great fun,” said Christian, who also shared Korber’s hotter GTAm, which was fifth in the Alfa Revival Challenge race.
Wacky works Morgan wows Youngtimers
Morgan
Photo by: Red Water Images
Two second places and a ninth put unique Morgan Plus 8 caricature racer MMC4 back on the racing radar in the Dutch Youngtimer Touring Car Challenge, a charismatic ‘run what ya brung’ promotion run internationally for 33 years.
Built by Rob Wells, owner of dealer Libra Motive in North London, with Morgan Motor Company support, the monster – noted for its rear-hinged one-piece ‘funny car’ body – won the British STP Modsports championship in 1981, driven by its creator.
Subsequently sold to Switzerland, the Rover V8-engined car was acquired by historic racer Felix Haas around five years ago. The Lotus and Lola enthusiast, who intends to race a Formula Junior Brabham BT6 next season, was in the thick of battle at Spa.
Outdragged from the final chicane to the chequer by Miles Masarati’s Porsche 964 Turbo by 0.424s on Friday, Haas and the mighty Morgan – on wets – was just beaten by Stephen Scott-Dunwoodie’s Ford Sierra Cosworth on Saturday. Alex Taylor (TVR Tuscan Challenge) won Thursday’s race.
F3 wins for de la Roche and Drybrough
Peter de la Roche
Photo by: Red Water Images
Peter de la Roche and Ross Drybrough emerged victorious in the final rounds of the Historic One Litre F3 championship. Thirty screamers representing 11 chassis marques of the 1964-70 era, many with superb period histories, rent the air in Belgium’s Ardennes.
A magnificent slipstreaming battle raged between champion de la Roche (Alexis Mk17B) and polesitter Michael O’Brien (Titan Mk3) in Friday’s leg of the European Trophy double-header. Their order changed constantly before O’Brien’s engine threw a rod. Charlie Martin (de Sanctis) and Jason Timms (Brabham BT21) chased de la Roche home.
Saturday’s sequel lost de la Roche when his gear lever snapped on the green flag lap. Outgoing champion Andew Hibberd, watching from the pits, duly welded it up, enabling Peter to join in a lap down. He finished 24th, having lapped 10s quicker than the leaders in the damp at one point.
Spa debutant Ross Drybrough (ex-Patrick Champin Merlyn Mk14A) led after Martin punctured and managed the gap to Brabham trio Richard Trott (ex-Erkki Salminen BT28), Timms and Christoph Widmer (ex-Wal Donnelly BT18A) to score his first win. Trott, who had scorched from the back following a clutch problem the previous day, was bumped to fourth by a track limits penalty.
Interesting cars in the pack included two more BT28s, Belgian Philip Demeyer’s Sports Motors Manchester/Tim Schenken chassis and Swede Anders Lofthammar’s ex-Torsten Palm 1970 national championship winner. Stefano Carminati’s rare Italian BWA 322 was also in action.
Brabham’s HGPCA winners
Rudi Friedrichs
Photo by: Red Water Images
Sixty-five years after Jack Brabham won the 1960 Belgian GP at Spa, the Cooper T53 in which he dominated the middle part of the season won again in the hands of Germany’s Rudi Friedrichs.
Ex-Brabham cars formed the front row of the Historic Grand Prix Cars Association’s traditional Spa Six Hours pre-1966 showcases and won a race apiece. Friedrichs qualified on pole, with Tim Child alongside in the Brabham BT3/4 that won in the hands of two F1 world champions.
This car was driven to victory by ‘Black Jack’ at New Zealand’s Levin circuit in 1963 before being sold to the ambitious David McKay for his Scuderia Veloce. McKay hired Graham Hill to race it in 1964 and, after Brabham retired, BRM’s 1962 title winner won the Tasman championship finale on the Longford road circuit in Tasmania.
Third on Friday was the ex-Innes Ireland/Dan Gurney Lotus 18 of Belgian Maxime Castelein, celebrating his 29th birthday. Dutchman Michel Kuiper (Brabham BT4) and Castelein completed Saturday’s podium. Front-engined honours on both days were earned by John Spiers in his ex-Jean Behra Maserati 250F.
Legends of all ages on track
Fred Wakeman, Chris Ward
Photo by: Red Water Images
Reconstituted for 2025 under Shaun Lynn’s leadership, Motor Racing Legends cut a dash at Spa with races for pre-Second World War sportscars, their 1950s’ equivalent and modern GT3 machinery.
The earliest set was dominated by the Alvis Firefly of Charlie Martin and owner Rudi Friedrichs once gear linkage issues forced the retirement of Gareth Burnett’s Alta.
Josh and Rob Beebee’s Frazer Nash TT Replica led the chase, pursued by Alex Hewitson (Riley 12/4 TT Sprite Rep) after a spirited duel with Clive Morley (Bentley 3/4.5). Belgian Francois Rivaz jumped from a 1971 Chevron B19 into a sonorous Bugatti T44 and finished fifth, ahead of the bold Sue Darbyshire’s brakeless Morgan Super Aero.
The Royal Automobile Club Woodcote Trophy race was won from the concurrent Stirling Moss Trophy set by American Fred Wakeman and Chris Ward in the former’s Cooper-Jaguar T38 from John Spiers’ Lister-Jaguar Knobbly after Andy Wolfe retired the Lister-Chevrolet Costin started by Max Lynn with a misfire. Local ace Guy Peeters and Will Nuthall (Lotus 15) were third. Paul Pochciol/James Hanson (Jaguar D-type) claimed Woodcote gold.
The GT3 Legends races were depleted following damage to three Audi R8s in wet qualifying. Graham Davidson won both night and day in his Aston Martin V12 Vantage, reducing his best lap time to 2m18.930s (112.78mph) under pressure from Max Lynn (Nissan GT-R Skyline), but Christoph von Oeynhausen (BMW Z4) finished second each time.
Giant-slaying Vitesse stuns allcomers
Steve Osborne
Photo by: Red Water Images
If the sight of a Triumph Vitesse starting from the front row of Friday’s 44-car Classic Sports Car Club and British HTGT race grid was one thing, witnessing it lead eventual winner Steve Osborne’s Jaguar E-type and retain second overall was extraordinary.
That Luxembourger Philippe Vermast was racing it for the first time defied belief, but to be quicker through the technical middle sector of the circuit in wet conditions almost unbelievable.
“I bought the Vitesse three years ago on Car & Classic because it was cheap,” he said. “I got its for my son, who was too young, but because we are running a Lotus Elan in the Six Hours decided to bring it.”
The two-litre straight-six engine makes 165bhp, and needed refuelling in the 40-minute pitstop race, but Vermast finished ahead of talented Dane Nicolai Kjaergaard’s Lotus Elan to win the HTGT section in the wet. Suspension failure while running competitively in Saturday’s sequel forced an early bath.
