24 Hours of Spa Beckons for Marc VDS

BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS take on the world’s biggest GT race, the 24 Hours of Spa, tomorrow. The Belgian squad will run with two BMW Z4 GT3: #45 for Maxime Martin, Augusto Farfus and Dirk Werner, and #46 for Nick Catsburg, Lucas Luhr and Markus Palttala.

The two cars are in good shape ahead of the race, with perfect running throughout the practice and qualifying sessions. Both will line up in the top 20 on the grid – #46 in 8th place, and #45 in 12th – and are completely prepared for the 24-hour enduro ahead.

The 24 Hours of Spa demands total respect, concentration and focus from drivers, with nearly 60 cars on track. The biggest challenge is the traffic, with all the cars in the same technical specification. It makes passing cars further down the order tricky, and can lead to incidents aplenty – the Marc VDS drivers will be looking to avoid any entanglements. One error, and the race can slide away.

It is not just a challenge for drivers – teams must stay ready and concentrated for the duration. The Marc VDS crew will be looking to maintain their reputation for swift pitwork, with a four-tyre change taking less than 20 seconds – even after 23 hours’ work! They must also be prepared to manage any technical issue, damage or unexpected problem during the race.

The race begins at 16:30 local time, and all the race resources, including TV schedules and live streaming, are available at MarcVDS.com/car/live

P8: BMW Z4 GT3 #46, Nick Catsburg, 2:18.451
P12: BMW Z4 GT3 #45, Maxime Martin, 2:18.711

Sebastien Metz, Technical Director
“This race is one of the toughest in the world, but we’re ready. We saw in qualifying today that even when we are running to our absolute maximum, there is some speed that we cannot match, though I’m still confident for the long run pace. On the team side, I’m extremely happy with the pitstop work. The guys are fast, and solid, and I am sure they’ll do a perfect job. It’s a cliché, but we really just have to do our jobs, keep focused and see where we are at 16:30 on Sunday afternoon.”

Maxime Martin, BMW Z4 GT3 #45
“We’re starting from the top-15, which was the aim. We knew the grid position would not affect the race too much as long as we met that aim. We’ve got a great car for the long stints, that’s the most important thing for this race. We’re going to fight, and do everything in our power to win this race. Luck has not been kind to us here in the past, but I hope that this year that changes. It’s great to see so many fans here – it’s a great feeling when you see the support here. I hope we can give them what they want.”

Nick Catsburg, BMW Z4 GT3 #46
“Eighth isn’t perhaps what we dreamed of, but I’m happy with it. We’ve got a great race set-up, but the real deal is the race tomorrow. It’s so close. Three tenths here or there could decide the race, and it’s so easy to win or lose that. It’s great to be with Marc VDS, and with such strong team mates. These guys are the best there is, and I’m just looking forward to getting started. The aim is clear – win the race.”