Spa-Francorchamps, 29 June 2025 – Aston Martin etched another landmark chapter into its motorsport history books at the 77th running of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, recording its most successful GT3-era performance to date. In front of a record crowd of 128,000, the British marque clinched victories in both the Gold and Silver Cup classes and secured a hard-fought second-place finish in Pro-Am—proving the pace, durability, and versatility of its Vantage GT3 machine in one of the world’s toughest endurance contests.
At the heart of this achievement was Verstappen.com Racing, who, in their first-ever 24-hour race as an Aston Martin partner team, delivered an emphatic victory in the Gold Cup. Spearheaded by an impressive trio—Thierry Vermeulen (NED), Harry King (GBR), and Chris Lulham (GBR)—the team not only secured class honours but also finished an outstanding ninth overall, outperforming several Pro-class entries in a race of attrition, precision, and nerve.
Vermeulen’s tenacity in the final moments of the race became the defining image of the Gold Cup triumph. With the leading McLaren struck by a late puncture, the Dutchman capitalised, surging into first with just 10 minutes remaining. “It’s an amazing feeling,” said Vermeulen. “We’ve learned so much in our debut 24-hour race with Aston Martin. With some fine-tuning, we can come back even stronger. But this is already something we’re all incredibly proud of.”
The #30 Vantage GT3 began the race from class pole and maintained consistent pace through nightfall, momentarily rising to second overall. A Full Course Yellow disrupted their rhythm on Sunday morning, allowing their McLaren rival to close the gap. Yet, undeterred, Lulham and Vermeulen defended fiercely while King delivered a sublime overtake in hour 22 that became one of the standout moments of the race. The final twist came as the McLaren faltered, gifting Vermeulen a deserved path to glory.
Meanwhile, Walkenhorst Motorsport added another feather in Aston Martin’s cap by dominating the Silver Cup in a performance marked by resilience and speed. The #35 Vantage, shared by Romain Leroux (FRA), Oliver Söderström (SWE), and Mateo Villagomez (ECU), surged to a commanding class win and 14th overall, a moment of redemption after the team endured a tumultuous build-up to the race week, including a major setback when the sister #34 Pro car was eliminated during Super Pole.
For Leroux, the result was deeply personal. “It’s the perfect gift back to the team after a tough week,” he said. “We knew the pace was there. We focused, we regrouped, and we delivered when it counted. This win is for everyone who worked through the night to make it happen.”
Beechdean Motorsport, no strangers to Spa success, narrowly missed out on a Pro-Am class win but delivered a stunning performance in the #100 Vantage to claim second place. The experienced pairing of Andrew Howard and Ross Gunn, alongside Valentin Hasse-Clot and Spa debutant Anthony McIntosh, led for stretches of the race but were reeled in during the early morning. Despite the setback, the team mounted a spirited fightback, slicing into the deficit and crossing the line less than half a minute behind the eventual winners.
Not every story was without heartache. Defending race winners Comtoyou Racing, with the formidable factory driver line-up of Marco Sørensen, Nicki Thiim and Mattia Drudi, looked strong in the opening half of the race. The #007 Pro-class car ascended to third place shortly after midnight, with Drudi applying significant pressure to the leading Mercedes-AMGs. But hopes of back-to-back victories were dashed by a technical issue that ended their campaign prematurely.
“This year’s race was a perfect example of what endurance racing is all about—resilience, performance and the power of teamwork,” reflected Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport at Aston Martin. “To win multiple classes, each with different teams, is a ringing endorsement of the Vantage GT3’s capabilities and of the engineering collaboration we’ve developed with our partners. Congratulations to Verstappen.com Racing and Walkenhorst Motorsport on their landmark victories, and to Beechdean Motorsport for a brilliant Pro-Am effort.”
With Aston Martin’s GT racing programme riding high, all eyes now turn to the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup round at Misano from 18–20 July, followed by the next Endurance Cup race at Nürburgring on 29–31 August—where the Vantage GT3 will once again aim to prove its mettle at one of motorsport’s most daunting circuits.
In a sport where reputation is forged in adversity and triumphs alike, Aston Martin’s performance at Spa in 2025 has left little doubt: the Vantage GT3 is not just a contender—it’s a class-defining icon.
