Podium, heat and a special night race – over 40 degrees Celsius and two podiums for Blickle & Kronberg
Ofterdingen, 1 July 2026 – The GT4 European Series round at Spa-Francorchamps was a weekend of extremes for W&S Motorsport. Over 40 degrees Celsius, a special night race as part of the legendary 24h event and two podiums for Blickle & Kronberg – Spa had it all.
Tuesday – An Early Test Start
The weekend began earlier than usual for W&S Motorsport. As early as Tuesday the cars rolled out onto the asphalt at Spa for the first time – valuable test kilometres to prepare for the demanding weekend. In practice, the #30 (Kronberg/Blickle) struggled with a tyre blowout that also damaged the brake line – but the team quickly repaired the damage in the pit lane and was ready to go again in good time.
A Special Supporting Programme
As part of the supporting programme of the Spa 24 Hours, the team experienced a very special format: for the first time this season, a night race was on the schedule – a unique highlight that gave the weekend a character all of its own.
Qualifying 1 – A Solid Starting Position
The first qualifying session went solidly for all four cars. The heat – even more intense than recently in Monza – posed real challenges for the Porsche. The competition was strong, yet the team was able to position itself well.
#32 (Bülting/Still) – P5 class / P11 overall
#27 (Nillson/Hellsten) – P14 class / P31 overall
#31 (Horrell/Gabbay) – P17 class / P38 overall
#30 (Kronberg/Blickle) – P2 class / P41 overall
Qualifying 2 – A Strong Statement from #30
In the second qualifying session, the #30 (Kronberg/Blickle) made a strong statement, securing P1 in class (P20 overall). The #32 (Bülting/Still) also impressed again with P13 in class (P33 overall). The #31 (Horrell/Gabbay) lined up P12 in class (P32 overall), while the #27 (Nillson/Hellsten) took P18 in class (P39 overall).
Race 1 – A Night Race in Changeable Conditions
The night race held a few surprises. With rain setting in and oil on the track, conditions became demanding. The #31 (Horrell/Gabbay) had to retire early due to tyre damage. The #30 (Kronberg/Blickle) also retired. The #32 (Bülting/Still) battled with numerous track limits but brought the car home solidly. The #27 (Nillson/Hellsten) of Nova Racing found a good balance and also came through well.
Race 2 – A Double Podium and a Strong Team Performance
The second race went much better for W&S Motorsport. All four cars reached the finish. The #30 (Kronberg/Blickle) crowned the weekend with another class win – P1 in class, P19 overall. The #27 (Nillson/Hellsten) finished P7 in class (P18 overall), the #32 (Bülting/Still) P10 in class (P24 overall), and the #31 (Horrell/Gabbay) P13 in class (P28 overall).
A Special Moment on the Sidelines
Away from the track, the presentation of the new Porsche 911 GT4 R generated great excitement within the team. Expectations are high – W&S Motorsport is eager to see what the future holds.
Voices from the Weekend
Daniel Blickle (#30): “The weekend was great. Overall we really struggled with the Porsche because of the high temperatures. We went from P43 to P19 – and after the crash in Monza a win like this really feels good.”
Edvin Hellsten / Daniel Nillson (#27 – Nova Racing): “A good weekend – we found a good balance. The first race was really difficult: rain, night, oil on the track. But Race 2 was great. If it continues like this, it will be a strong season.”
Joachim Bülting (#32): “It was incredibly hot. I had too many track limits, but it was good to be back in the mix solidly after the crash in Monza. Misano will be just as hot – we’re preparing for that.”
Tim Horrell (#31): “It was very tough and didn’t work out the way we had imagined – but we gave it everything. The team did a mega job. We’re looking forward to Misano.”
Daniel Schellhaas – Team Principal, W&S Motorsport: “A challenging weekend for all of us. Team and drivers kept a cool head – which was anything but a given under these conditions. See you in Misano.”
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