Finishing second in the Silver Cup, the young Belgian and his teammates Ivan Klymenko, Wyatt Brichacek and Lorenzo Donniacuo delivered a near-perfect performance in the world's biggest GT race.
The 2025 edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa was a record-breaking event. This was not only in terms of the number of GTs entered (75), but also in terms of popularity, with 128,000 spectators turning up to the sun-drenched Spa-Francorchamps Circuit on the last weekend of June.
In his first appearance in the Belgian classic, Lorens Lecertua more than lived up to expectations. Driving the Saintéloc Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II, the 18-year-old from Namur and his teammates – Ukrainian Ivan Klymenko, American Wyatt Brichacek and Belgian Lorenzo Donniacuo – consistently ranked among the leaders in the Silver Cup, which pits teams composed solely of semi-professional or young professional drivers against each other.
Despite a puncture in the final minutes of the race, the quartet took second place in their class. In front of a huge crowd gathered at the foot of the Raidillon, Lorens was able to savour a podium ceremony which was like something out of a fairy tale.
“This race is crazy!” he exclaimed. "What an atmosphere, what enthusiasm from the fans and... what a battle! For 24 hours, we did not let up for a second. I took the lead on Saturday evening and, depending on the strategies, we were almost always in the top three. At one point, I thought we might win... but I cannot be disappointed! I would have signed up for this result in a heartbeat.”
Despite his youth, Lorens handled the pressure of the event well, clocking good times and making no mistakes. “Thank you to the Saintéloc team, my three teammates, my coach Reshad de Gerus, my parents and all my partners,” he smiled. “I experienced something unique this weekend. This race was already a dream come true for me, and now it is even more so. I hope to have the opportunity to come back next year and do even better!”
Although the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is the highlight of the season, the 2025 campaign is far from over. Following the twice-round-the-clock race, Lorens will return to Spa-Francorchamps at the end of the week to compete in the 25H Fun Cup with Milo Racing. Then, from 18 to 20 July, Lorens and his teammate Ivan Klymenko will continue their season in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at the Misano circuit. They will have one goal in mind: to get back on the podium!
