First lap crash eliminates five cars from Spa 24 Hours

A first-lap crash eliminated five cars from contention at the Spa 24 Hours on Saturday after a chaotic start at the Pouhon double left-handers. Three cars were knocked out completely on lap one, while two others fell off the lead lap as drivers arrived at the complex side-by-side. The incident was sparked by Jamie Day in the #34 Walkenhorst Aston Martin and Ariel Levi in the #66 Attempto Audi, both of which had been penalized on the grid for Balance of Performance violations in Superpole. The Aston slid slightly, but the Audi lost control in the run-off area and slammed into the Vantage, ending Levi’s race immediately; Day limped back to the pits with the lead lap preserved under an early safety car. Additional crashes involved Christian Hahn’s #992 Paradine BMW, Maxime Robin’s #35 Walkenhorst Aston Martin, and Ahmad Al Harthy’s #42 Century-BMW, with subsequent FCY periods and repairs. After restart(s), the #51 AF-Corse Ferrari led after one hour over a Garage 59 McLaren and a Selected Car Ferrari. The race began in 34C heat, with forecasts of severe thunderstorms for Sunday and overnight track work at Spa-Francorchamps.