Adrian Quaife-Hobbs is gearing up for the biggest race of his career, the Spa 24 Hours at the fabulous Spa-Francorchamps next weekend 25 & 26 July. No stranger to the Belgian track, the event will mark the Tonbridge racer’s first ever 24 Hour event when he climbs aboard the Von Ryan Racing McLaren 650S GT3, at arguably the most spectacular tracks on the calendar.
Adrian will take the wheel of the #59 650S alongside team-mates Bruno Senna and Alvaro Parente, making the trio among the favourites at this, the 67th running of the classic event. Round five of the Blancpain Endurance Series, the Total 24 Hours of Spa has an astonishing 66-car field this year, and unlike Le Mans, the race features all GT cars.
With double points on offer next weekend, Adrian will doubtless be keen to add another victory to his stunning British GT win at Silverstone recently, to really kick-start his 2015 campaign. Fourth in the recent test leaves the 24 year-old in a confident mood ahead of the race which sees numerous driver changes, night driving, and long stints at the wheel, just some of the challenges he faces.
Spa is also renowned for its inclement weather. One of the most unpredictable tracks weather-wise, and located deep in the Ardennes forest, it’s easy to see why it’s impossible to predict the outcome. For Adrian, his previous experience at the track and now with five races and countless tests in the team’s 3.8-litre motor under his belt should put him and his experienced team-mates among the pre-race favourites.
“I’m incredibly excited to be racing in the Total 24 Hours of Spa, said Adrian. “The race itself is one of the highlights on the calendar and the track is amazing, one of the most challenging in the world, and also one of the most fulfilling when you’ve had the perfect lap.
“We had a very successful test last month, and although the race will be a tough challenge, I’ll just take each stint as though it were an average GT race, and hopefully that will be enough for us to get the job done.”
With ‘as live’ coverage on Motors TV, highlights on both Eurosport and BT Sport, together with live streaming http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live and live timing at http://www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live#live-timing, there’s no shortage of opportunities to keep up with the action.
Practice gets underway at 10.00 on Thursday, with pre qualifying at 16.10 later in the day. Qualifying kicks off at 18.30, with night qualifying that day at 20.15. The fight for Superpole takes place at 13.30 on Friday and the big race itself is waved away on Saturday at 14.30. (All times GMT.)
