The triumphs of Ferrari in endurance racing at Spa

Heroic events and legends are intertwined in the history of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, one of the oldest and most iconic tracks in the world, as well as one of the most challenging for both drivers and cars. Across the 7.004 kilometres and 19 turns of the Belgian circuit – characterised by long straights, constant elevation changes and corners of varying radius and speeds – Ferrari has written chapters in the history books that will never be forgotten by fans. In 2024, the 499Ps secured a third and a fourth place at the 6 Hours of Spa, with the number 50 and number 51 crews respectively.

Among the most memorable victories in the more than hundred-year history of the track (inaugurated in 1921), several have particular significance. Ferrari claimed its first overall win at the 24 Hours of Spa in 1949 with the 166 MM of Luigi Chinetti and Jean Lucas. Four years later, in 1953, the Prancing Horse secured its first Coupe de Spa victory, contested over a distance of 1000 kilometres, thanks to Olivier Gendebien, who took the chequered flag first with the 166 MM. For the Belgian driver, the race marked his first major success with Ferrari, with whom he would go on to win no fewer than four overall victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: in 1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962.

Also etched in motorsport lore is the extraordinary victory at the 1000 Kilometres of Spa in 1972: in a season when Ferrari dominated the World Championship for Makes with the 312 PB – clinching its last endurance world title – Arturo Merzario and Brian Redman climbed to the top step of the podium, ahead of the sister car of Jacky Ickx and Clay Regazzoni, concluding a weekend that had seen the Prancing Horse secure a front-row lockout in qualifying with Ickx-Regazzoni, Redman-Merzario, and Tim Schenken-Ronnie Peterson.

Since its racing debut, the 499P car of the Maranello-based manufacturer has secured two third places at Spa: in 2024 with the number 50 crew of Fuoco-Molina-Nielsen – during a weekend that drew 88,180 spectators to the stands – and the previous year with the Ferrari number 51 crew of Pier Guidi-Calado-Giovinazzi. In 2024, the number 83 499P of AF Corse also finished third in the standings reserved for independent teams.

In the classes reserved for production-derived cars, in recent years Ferrari, together with partner AF Corse, has clinched 14 class wins at the 6 Hours of Spa in the FIA WEC era – starting from 2012. The most recent was achieved by the 488 GTE of official drivers Lilou Wadoux and Alessio Rovera, together with Louis-Perez Companc, who climbed the top step of the podium in LMGTE Am in 2023. In the 2024 season, the best result for the 296 LMGT3 cars of the Vista AF Corse team was the fifth place of the number 54 crew formed by Davide Rigon, Thomas Flohr and Francesco Castellacci.