ROWE RACING embarks on the “Mission Title Defence” at the 24 Hours of Spa
#Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann and Nick Yelloly aim to repeat last year's success / Augusto Farfus, Dan Harper and Max Hesse arrive in Spa with the season‑opening victory in their bags
St. Ingbert, 24th June 2024– A double anniversary in the Ardennes: The 24 Hours of Spa turns 100 years old, and ROWE RACING is participating in this traditional race for the tenth time – with an impressive record: Last year's triumph was already the third in nine starts for the team from St. Ingbert, including two second places in 2018 and 2019, making it five podium finishes in total. This makes ROWE RACING by far the most successful team of the last decade in Spa and also the only one that has won more than once during this time.
Now, ROWE RACING faces the great challenge of successfully defending the title in Spa. The last time a team managed this feat was 18 years ago when Vitaphone, with former Formula 1 driver Michael Bartels among others, triumphed in 2005 and 2006 in a Maserati MC12 of the then GT1 category, and also set the still‑standing distance record of 4,092.961 kilometers.
ROWE RACING has two strong contenders for the “Mission Title Defence”. The #98 BMW M4 GT3 is manned by the same driver trio as in the 2023 victory. For the two‑time German DTM champion Marco Wittmann it was the first success ever in a 24‑hour race, for the Brit Nick Yelloly the second after the success in 2020 at the Nürburgring also with ROWE RACING, and for the Austrian Philipp Eng even the third in Spa. The three BMW M works drivers are perfectly in tune with each other.
Their three works driver colleagues in the #998 sister car go into the 24 Hours of Spa with a lot of momentum and as leaders in the Endurance Cup. The Brazilian Augusto Farfus, the Brit Dan Harper and Max Hesse from Germany had a dream start to the GT World Challenge Europe season in Le Castellet, southern France, winning the race. With this tailwind, the two “young guns” Dan Harper and Max Hesse, along with veteran “Gustl” Farfus, aim to reach the podium in Spa for the first time and defend their lead in the overall standings of the Endurance Cup.
La Source, Eau Rouge/Raidillon and the ultra‑fast Blanchimont – every motorsport fan knows these legendary sections of the Circuit de Spa‑Francorchamps. The 7.004‑kilometre Formula 1 track in the Belgian Ardennes is the longest circuit on the GT World Challenge Europe calendar and by far the most demanding. At many points on this rollercoaster‑like track, traditional gravel beds offer little room for error, and the risk of tyre damage on the sometimes sharp‑edged curbs adds another challenge. This can lead to full‑course yellow phases and safety car interventions, further complicating the teams' already complex strategies.
The race week in Spa begins on Tuesday (25th June) at 14:55 with a three‑hour test session, followed on Wednesday evening (26th June) by the traditional parade of cars from the race track to the centre of Spa. An autograph session and driver briefing will take place there, before the entourage heads back to the circuit. The Thursday (27th June) then features plenty of time on the track, starting with the 90‑minute free practice from 11:20 to 12:50. Pre‑qualifying is scheduled from 16:30 to 17:30. Each of the maximum four drivers per car will have a 15‑minute qualifying session between 20:35 and 21:56. The busy day concludes with a 90‑minute night practice from 22:25 to 23:55. On Friday (28th June) from 15:45 the 20 fastest cars from qualifying will battle in Superpole – an individual time trial against the clock – to determine pole position, the winner of the ROWE Pole Position Award and the final grid positions for the race, which starts at 16:30 on the Saturday (29th June).
Hans-Peter Naundorf, Team Principal ROWE RACING: “Being able to participate in the 100th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Spa – and as the defending champions – is a great honour for ROWE RACING. All the more so as we are also celebrating a small anniversary, as this year marks our tenth start at this extraordinary race, to which we have a special connection. In Spa we won our first 24‑hour race in 2016, and in our nine starts so far we have achieved three victories and a total of five podium finishes. That is a very good rate that we want to improve on this year. To finish at the front again would, of course, be a dream, but that is incredibly difficult in this high‑calibre field with so many top drivers and teams. It is no coincidence that the last successful title defence was 18 years ago. But with our partner BMW M Motorsport and our six first‑class BMW M works drivers, we are happy to take on this challenge.”
Marco Wittmann (#98 ROWE RACING BMW M4 GT3): “I am very excited to compete in my third 24‑hour race in a month. Of course, this comes with a lot of stress, but the anticipation for Spa is still huge. We are coming as the defending champions and would love to repeat the success. Last year it was my very first 24‑hour victory and something very special. We had an extremely strong weekend, especially in the race with Nick, Philipp, and me in a good combination. I am totally happy that we have exactly the same lineup again. Accordingly, the expectations are high, but, of course, we also know that the competition is not sleeping and is very strong. I can’t wait for the 24 Hours of Spa to start.”
Max Hesse (#998 ROWE RACING BMW M4 GT3): “Expectations are high. We have a good starting position for the 24 Hours of Spa with last year’s victory for ROWE RACING and our opening win this season in Le Castellet. Our goal is to collect as many points as possible in the fight for the Endurance Cup title and hopefully drive onto the podium. I am very much looking forward to my first 24‑hour race with Augusto in a long time. We are ready.”
