• Entries: eight cars from six brands
• Maximum Line-Up: Gold / Gold / Gold / Silver
• 2025 Winner: Verstappen Racing – Aston Martin Vantage
While class honours are always paramount at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, every crew has an eye on the overall result. That is particularly true among the Gold Cup runners, who have realistic hopes of finishing among the top 10 – and perhaps even bagging an overall podium – at the biggest GT race in the world.
That might be a long shot, but when you study the leading contenders for victory in 2026 it does not seem impossible. From young superstars to seasoned professionals, the standard of drivers – not to mention teams – is extremely high.
The leading crew is the #58 McLaren of Louis Prette, Tom Fleming and Benji Goethe. Winners in the opening Endurance Cup round at Circuit Paul Ricard – where they finished third overall – the Garage 59 trio has an impressive combination of speed, youth and experience.
There's an element of revenge here, too. In 2025, the #58 McLaren was leading the Gold Cup classification only for a puncture to scupper its chances just 10 minutes from the chequered flag.
It is worth noting that Garage 59 has elected to retain a three-driver crew for the 24 Hours. The same is true of another pre-event favourite: the #998 ROWE Racing BMW, which is shared by Jens Klingmann, Ugo De Wilde and Tim Tramnitz. A three-time overall winner in the Ardennes, there's not much ROWE doesn't know about 24-hour racing.
As for the drivers, they're a classic combination of youth and experience. Jens Klingmann has been a BMW factory driver for more than a decade and has driven countless laps of Spa-Francorchamps. His teammates are both young and fast, with Tramnitz fresh from single-seaters and set for his debut in this event.
CSA Racing also has the tools to fight at the front. The #111 McLaren features an unchanged line-up from 2025, with full-season drivers Arthur Rougier, Simon Gachet and James Kell joined by the fast and experienced Frenchman Jim Pla. They finished P3 in the Gold Cup last year and will fancy their chances of at least matching that result.
While the aforementioned trio are the favourites, there several other strong line-ups in the Gold Cup. Selected Car Racing secured class honours at Monza and counts the very talented Frederik Schandorff among its all-Danish crew. Fielding a Ferrari with support from the mighty AF Corse, this could be a contender.
Tresor Attempto Racing has vast experience of this event and fields the proven Audi R8. This crew qualified P2 overall at Monza, only to be eliminated in the opening corner melee. Entries from Steller Motorsport – which fields the fan-favourite Corvette Z06 GT3.R – and McLaren squad Optimum Motorsport should also be competitive.
Finally, if you want a fairytale winner, the obvious pick is the #10 Boutsen VDS Porsche. Incredibly, this car has not yet completed a lap in 2026, having been eliminated from each race by an accident not of its making. A strong run at the 24 Hours would be sweet salvation for this crew.