If you believe in omens, then the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa should be very good for Maxime Martin. That’s because the Belgian driver seems to have a special link with years ending in six: he was born in 1986, made his debut at the 24 Hours in 2006, and took his first victory at the event in 2016.
The 2026 edition promises to be extra special as Martin makes his 20th start at the event. It’s already been a good year for the Mercedes-AMG factory ace, who won the Bathurst 12 Hour and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, placing him at the top of the Intercontinental GT Challenge standings. Victory at his home event would be the icing on the cake.
Martin has a unique association with this race. As the son of four-time winner Jean-Michel Martin – and the nephew of double winner Philippe Martin – his family name is writ large across the event’s long history. He’s been coming to the track since before he can remember and has some distinctive memories of the early years.
“[This event] has always been special. We're one of the only families to win with two generations and I have been competing here since I was quite young, while my dad was still racing in fact. As a Belgian, too, it's special, even more so now that it's become the biggest GT event in the world.
“The first real memory I have is when my dad won for the fourth time. It was in 1992 so I would have been six years old. Afterwards, they gave him four pigs, each wearing a t-shirt with the sponsor from one of his winning cars!”
Whether it was the prospect of one day winning a pig of his own or – much more likely – the dream of emulating his dad, Maxime fell in love with racing. Unusually for a driver of his stature, he started competing late, largely skipping go-karts, entirely though this did not prevent him from making his first appearance in the Ardennes classic at just 20 years of age.
“I was always interested [in the race], but my career started a bit late. In my youth I was a tennis player, so that was my focus. I have four sisters and one brother, and my dad always told me that if he did anything for me, he would have to do it for all of us! If I wanted to race, I had to do it on my own.
“In only my second year [in motor racing], I was at Spa with a Belgian team driving a Porsche. The 24 Hours is a big event and my sponsor wanted to try it, so I was lucky enough to make my debut. It's something I had dreamed of since I was young and to still be here 20 years later is incredible.”
Martin took his first class win in 2009. Driving a Ford for Matech Competition, he triumphed in the GT3 class, which was then a sub-category to the premier GT1 machines. He then joined Marc VDS at the point when the 24 Hours was becoming the biggest GT3 race in the world and soon found himself among the leading contenders for the overall win.
“From 2012 onwards, driving the BMW Z4 with Marc VDS, we were always among the favourites, but we had a lot of bad luck. For example, in 2014 we hit a rabbit, which destroyed our race, and in 2015 the engine blew while we were leading by a lap.
“So, in 2016, we came for the first time with the M6 GT3 and ROWE, and we had no idea how we would perform. We started P20 and were not the fastest, but we were the only ones not having any penalties, always making good strategy calls. My family was here, including my dad, and it was my 10th appearance. To win it after all the bad luck was very special.”
As he approaches his 20th start, Martin knows better than anyone on the current grid what it takes to be successful at Spa. What’s more, his longevity also gives him a unique perspective on the development of the event.
“It’s the most physical 24-hour race in the world. You are three drivers and every car is basically the same. You have 70 cars on the grid, all running at the same speed, so you're doing quali lap after quali lap. Track position is very important and you have to take risks, which is different than a lot of other races.
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“It’s been very good in terms of bringing more people. Spectators are for sure here to see the race, but they also want to be able to come with their kids and enjoy the weekend. That's where I think the organisers did a very good job. They brought together all type of fans – young and old – with many different activities. It’s become a real family event.
So, what would it mean to stand on the top step again?
“Honestly, it would be a dream. My dad won four times, so I still need three more to match him. I don't have so many years left, so I need to get going! To do it with AMG would be very special.”
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