✍️ Courtesy of Amber Reid - PLN "JUNIOR SQUAD" 💪💪🏁
Barcelona’s 24H weekend began with margins so fine you could measure them on the edge of a tyre. Qualifying was split into three sessions per class, with grid positions decided by averaging the best laps. It rewarded more than just raw pace; consistency was king.
In GT3, TFT Racing proved sharpest, sealing pole with a 1:41.101 average. That put them in prime position, though Saintéloc Junior and Proton Huber weren’t far behind. The message was clear: this fight was going to run deep into the night.
Under the Lights
When the sun dipped and the floodlights took over, the field braced for the 90-minute night practice. Starting at 20:00 local time, it was the first true rehearsal for the challenge to come: the moment when speed meets survival.
GT3 - TFT’s Maro Engel set the pace with a 1:42.284.
GTX - Vortex V8’s Olivier Gomez clocked 1:52.212.
992 - Paul Meijer delivered for SebLajoux Racing with 1:46.188.
GT4 - Venture Engineering’s Matthew George posted 1:50.324.
TCE - asBest Racing’s Conrad Tox Leveau hit 1:53.518.
The lap times only told part of the story. Some teams looked comfortable, others fought the darkness. Drivers used the session to adapt to shifting reference points, reduced grip, and the glare of headlights in their mirrors. For an endurance race that runs through the night, this was more than practice; it was survival training.
Race Day: A Test of Endurance
What unfolded over 24 hours wasn’t just a contest of speed, but a war of attrition. In the end, HOFOR Racing pulled off a stunning overall win, breaking a ten-year drought in the 24H Series.
Meanwhile, Proton Huber Competition sealed the GT3 season title, despite not winning the race itself. Strategy and survival, rather than pure pace, proved decisive.
Notable finishers included the Era Motorsport Ferrari (#81), which completed 728 laps and finished 3rd overall (GT3), stopping the clock at 24:01:43.994.
The Heart of the Action
Battles & Overtakes
GT3 delivered constant wheel-to-wheel drama, with multiple lead changes and brave late-braking moves. But aggression came at a price. Some drivers discovered that pushing too hard under the lights could shred tyres or trigger mistakes.
Pit Lane Chess
The pit wall played as big a role as the cockpit. Teams weighed up tyre double-stints, splash-and-dash refuels, and whether to risk stretching stints. The crews that kept stops clean and slick bought their drivers precious track position.
Incidents & Reliability
As always, Barcelona tested machines as much as men and women. Collisions in traffic, suspension failures, and overheating brakes sidelined several hopefuls. Night visibility compounded the risk, with misjudged markers and headlight glare triggering minor spins and, for some, costly damage.
Wider Spotlights: Jake Hill and Ajhit Kumar
Endurance weekends often overlap with personal milestones for drivers chasing different paths. Jake Hill has been carving out his own reputation with fearless racecraft and podium-chasing aggression across BTCC for several years now, ( sadly pulling out for the 2026 season, with MB Motorsport's, ) is growing is profile in Europe, which adds a layer of inspiration for younger drivers watching the 24H paddock: proof that consistency, resilience, and calculated risk can push a career forward even outside GT3 circles.
On the development ladder, Ajhit Kumar Racing continues to make strides. Though not in the thick of this Barcelona fight, Kumar’s team is working steadily to bring Asian representation into endurance formats, balancing tight budgets with big ambition. Their presence in junior series is already opening doors, and the crossover with endurance racing feels inevitable.
The Bigger Picture
The 24H was a reminder that endurance racing is never about one lap, one driver, or one moment. It is about the grind: how teams adapt when conditions change, how drivers hold their nerve in the small hours, and how strategy can overturn pure speed.
For HOFOR Racing, it meant redemption after a decade. For others, it was a night of lessons learned the hard way. And for rising stars like Jake Hill or future challengers like Ajhit Kumar Racing, it is a benchmark of where endurance racing can take you if you keep pushing.
