Racing |
A Frenchman wins in Belgium: Klein shines at Spa-Francorchamps.
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6 Mins
Marvin Klein got off to a stellar start, gathering the field behind him and confidently leading through two Safety Car phases all the way to the finish line. Behind him, a thrilling battle erupted among the championship leaders – Spa was electrifying!
The Ardennes rollercoaster at Spa-Francorchamps provided the perfect stage with its unpredictable weather and, of course, hundreds of thousands of motorsport-crazy fans, inviting the drivers to dance over the red and yellow kerbs. Right on cue for the Porsche one-make series highlight as part of the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, sections of the circuit had been freshly resurfaced. This promised better grip and faster lap times. Larry ten Voorde (NLD), who was still leading the Overall Standings of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2024 at Round 6, had lost his aura of invincibility just the previous weekend at the Hungaroring with a disappointing P7, reopening the championship race. Now, he faced the famous Eau Rouge/Raidillon combo, which could shape the rest of the season. Hot on his heels were Harry King (GBR) and Marvin Klein (FRA), both highly talented and proven to be extremely fast competitors. You might want to squeeze an extra tube of mayonnaise on your chips and savour the finest Porsche Supercup excitement from Belgium.
Practice and qualifying in changeable conditions.
In practice, the focus was initially on the new tarmac in several sections of the track, where drivers had to find the right timing for braking and hitting the ideal racing line. This was particularly evident at the entrance to the Bus-Stop Chicane, where several drivers ended up in the run-off area. Francesco Braschi had to quit the session early after damaging his radiator in an off-track excursion. Despite clear guidelines in the drivers' briefing for the race weekend, numerous track limit violations occurred again. Samer Shahin (AUS) had a hair-raising moment approaching Eau Rouge, coming dangerously close to the wall. Additionally, there were several lock-ups and off-track moments, but none had major consequences. Marvin Klein set the fastest practice time, establishing a trend that would continue throughout the weekend.
At the start of qualifying, the track was still damp from the morning's persistent rain. With the racing line already drying out, teams opted to go straight out on slick tyres. The battle for pole position kicked off immediately, as Spa’s long track and the short session left little room for multiple laps. Schumacher CLRT's trio of Klein, ten Voorde, and Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti (FRA) dominated the early stages. Before the tyre change, Marvin Klein (FRA) set the track alight with a record-breaking lap time of 2:20.058 minutes, marking a new pole record for the Porsche Supercup at Spa. As rain returned to parts of the circuit, no one could challenge his time on the normally quicker second set of tyres. Huub van Eijndhoven (NLD) slotted into P3 behind the two CLRT Porsches of Klein and Ten Voorde, closely followed by King and Ghiretti. The stage was set for a dramatic race.
The race had it all: Safety Car phases, side-by-side duels, and the third winner of the season.
What was hinted at during practice and qualifying was confirmed on Sunday: Marvin Klein was the man of Spa-Francorchamps. He defended his second pole position in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup 2024 with authority, driving a remarkable start-to-finish victory for Schumacher CLRT. From the start, he pulled away from his pursuers, leaving Ten Voorde behind at La Source, and controlled the race with remarkable composure. Even the two Safety Car phases, which repeatedly bunched the field, couldn't shake him. His performance was celebrated with standing ovations from both his team and the fans. Klein joins King and Ten Voorde as the third race winner of the season.
The race kicked off with a whirlwind of position changes across the field. A highlight was the duel between Ten Voorde and Van Eijndhoven, who went side-by-side through Eau Rouge and Raidillon. King latched onto Van Eijndhoven and overtook Ten Voorde early on. Further back, guest driver Flynt Schuring (NLD) was involved in a collision that brought out the Safety Car for the first time. After the restart, the action resumed with intensity, as Kas Haverkort, leader of the Rookie Standings, fell to the back of the pack after a clash with fellow countryman Robert de Haan, cursing his misfortune. Another incident forced Shahin to retire his car in the gravel, prompting a second Safety Car. The race resumed at the start of lap 7, leaving 6 laps for top-notch Porsche one-make series racing.
At the front, Klein and Van Eijndhoven pulled away, while King and Ten Voorde engaged in a lap-long battle. The Dutchman repeatedly tried to overtake the Briton. On the final lap, Ten Voorde attempted a daring torpedo move at La Source corner at the end of the start-finish straight. King let him pass but stayed on the faster inside line of the corner, drawing level. They raced side-by-side through Eau Rouge and down the Kemmel Straight, with several touches along the way. At Les Combes, King had the better line, forcing Ten Voorde to back off. What fantastic racing from these two championship contenders! Meanwhile, in the Rookie Classification, Ariel Levi (ISR) was leading but dropped to the second Rookie Podium spot due to a time penalty for exceeding track limits.
Fresh excitement in Overall and Rookie Standings, clear leader in the Team Championship.
Marvin Klein’s victory brings him within 5 points of Harry King, who is now only 7 points behind the leader, Larry ten Voorde. With two races left in the season, the championship is wide open once again. In the Rookie Standings, Kas Haverkort still holds the lead but only managed to pick up one point at Spa. De Haan is 10 points behind and could pose a serious threat to his fellow Dutchman. We’ll have to keep a close eye on Germany’s Theo Oeverhaus in 3rd place for the remainder of the season – though his and his closest rival Mathys Jaubert’s (FRA) chances of catching up to the top are slim. In the Team Standings, the battle for the crown is now only between Schumacher CLRT and BWT Lechner Racing. The third-placed team, UNISERVER by TEAM GP ELITE, is too far behind with 109 points to be a contender in the race for the Team Championship.
Next, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup heads to Zandvoort in the Netherlands. “Of all places!” Klein and King might be thinking, as K&K are likely to face a headwind at the North Sea. Meanwhile, Larry ten Voorde will be celebrating a home race in front of the “Orange Army” of Dutch motorsport fans. We’re excited, along with everyone involved, for the continuation of the championship hunt through the banked corners in the dunes!
Overall standings of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup after Round 6 in Spa-Francorchamps.
