FIA WEC 6 hours of Spa 2025
It's become a tradition by now: the beginning of May always marks the start of the 6 Hours of Spa. This is the WEC race that precedes Le Mans. Just like last year, the weather was perfect for a trip to the Ardennes. I arrived on Thursday, May 8th. After picking up my accreditation, I was able to head back to the track. It was still a bit chilly in the morning, but the sun soon came out, making it pleasant to be outside. This would remain the case for the rest of the weekend. On Thursday, there were three major upsets: the #60 Mercedes and the #51 Ferrari were eliminated at Raidillon.
I'd been looking forward to seeing the new Aston Martin Valkyrie in person, and hearing it with its powerful V12 engine. It certainly didn't disappoint. But one of them ended up in its tires on Thursday as well. The shuttle bus took us to see the wreckage: pieces of billboard scattered across the path we were walking and being driven on, and further along, the #007 Aston Martin being towed from its tires and loaded onto the tow truck. The mechanics of the three crashed cars still had some work to do that evening/night...
Back at the media center, a press conference was held about the event, with some of the top drivers speaking. It was great to see Pascal Wehrlein, Stoffel Vandoorne, Robin Frijns, and Mick Schumacher there.
On Thursday, the #6 Porsche 963 was ultimately fastest. This would change over the course of the weekend, however.
Friday was already busier with spectators, as it was time for qualifying with the decisive Hyperpole session. But first, there was a pit walk and autograph session. Even though this was also taking place on Saturday and there was a small fee for paddock and pit access, the queue stretched from the pit exit all the way to the back of the pit building. It was a pleasantly busy atmosphere. Spectators could take selfies and get autographs from the drivers, and even pick up a flag, keychain, or sticker.
And then it was time for the Hyperpole. The cars that had crashed the day before had been repaired. The #60 Mercedes skipped the morning free practice session but was eventually able to participate in qualifying.
In the LMGT3 class it was the #78 Lexus that took Hyperpole, followed by the #10 Aston Martin and the Proton Ford Mustangs.
The first qualifying session for the Hypercar prototypes was somewhat unexpected. None of the Porsches, which had been fastest on Thursday, advanced to the Hyperpole final. Former champions Toyota and the new Aston Martin Valkyries also failed to make it. It was ultimately an all-red-and-yellow Ferrari top three when the Hyperpole concluded, with the No. 50 car on pole.
On Saturday, the sun made an extra effort to shine. It was finally time for the big race. The starting grid and the packed grandstands were bustling with people. Time ticked away towards 2:00 PM when the field was released and all the horsepower erupted. The field arrived neatly lined up, led by the Ferraris, and they shot off at full speed; we were off!
After the start, I started a lap of photography at various locations around the circuit. As I sat in the media shuttle bus heading towards Les Combes, three cars sped past one another on the straight near Kemmel. "Whoa," the driver yelled, while he himself enthusiastically tried to capture some footage for posterity with his phone on a tripod perched on the dashboard. There was plenty more action to come.
The battle at the front of the field was fierce. Peugeot, Toyota, Alpine, BMW, and Ferrari all took turns, with more manufacturers in the lead than in the entire Formula 1 championship.
The large audience got their money's worth with so much action. And for me, a six-hour race also gave me plenty of time to get creative with the cars and their surroundings.
For me as a photographer, it was a real treat that the race started an hour later and therefore also finished later. The last hour of the race, in this beautiful weather, had a wonderful golden hour. It's beautiful for photos with the sun setting low, where you see the now fly-smeared cars in a more beautiful light. Extra emphasis on the dust clouds from a car taking a corner a little too tight or too wide—wonderful!
After numerous changes at the front of the race, it was the #51 Ferrari that took the win, rebounding from Thursday's disaster. In LMGT3, the #21 Vista AF Corse Ferrari took the win. What a fantastic race! On to Le Mans!
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