Held alongside the historic 24 Hours of Spa, the third round of the GT4 European Series got underway on a wet track, unusually, with free practice on Thursday. The #87 car finished in the top eight of the Silver class, while the #99 was in the Pro-AM top 10. At the end of pre-qualifying, they were ninth in Silver and 13th in Pro-AM respectively.
On Friday, rain fell throughout the morning, forcing the cars to qualify on a wet track. In tricky conditions, with limited grip and visibility due to the spray, the 44 entrants fought for the leading positions on the grid.
All drivers faced a significant challenge to find a clear lap. The two Matmut Évolution drivers were improving their lap times in Q1 just before a red flag interruption, but they had those times deleted as per the rules. Despite that interruption, Hadrien David remained focused and earned 12th in Silver (18th overall) in his Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO 2 #87 while Gabriela Jilkova was 13th in Pro-AM in the #99.
Q2 was also disrupted by a red flag and, at the restart, there were only 10 minutes remaining. Jan Duran went on the attack and put the #87 car in the top 10 overall, ninth in Silver. In Pro-AM, Cindy Gudet achieved a strong result, fifth in Pro-AM (19th overall).
Race 1 – A no-score in Silver but sixth in Pro-AM
The first race started at sunset with temperatures of 20°C. The rain held off, leaving a completely dry track but the light faded rapidly, making it difficult for drivers to judge distances. Caution is the order of the day, especially at the start.
After the lights turn green, the pack dives into La Source corner and, as is often the case, there is contact and a safety car is immediately called. Hadrien David and Gabriela Jilkova avoid the incident, but four other cars are forced to retire.
The race restarts 12 minutes later, with Hadrien in 18th and Gabriela in 28th. But just two minutes later, the Toyota #87 driver is involved in a collision with an Aston Martin, which makes contact with his front right wheel. He ends up in the gravel trap with a broken wheel hub. The second safety car was out for several minutes after the #87 Toyota recorded its second retirement in five races.
The race resumed with 32 minutes to go. Gabriela Jilkova (#99) was in 11th place in the Pro-AM class as night began to fall over the Ardennes. Cindy Gudet took over for the second stint and the race entered the night. Thanks to a smooth pit stop and great determination, the French driver battled her way up the order. She crossed the line in 19th overall and sixth in Pro-AM.
At the end of this first race, Hadrien David and Jan Duran remained third in the overall Silver Cup standings despite their retirement.
Race 2 – Excitement and interruptions
Saturday’s race began late in the morning under leaden skies and with a temperature of 23°C. Track temperatures continued to rise, requiring careful management of the tyre degradation.
Jan Duran (P9) and Cindy Gudet (P19) made a perfect start. This time, all the cars made it through La Source without incident, but on the exit of Raidillon, an accident brought out the red flag. The two Matmut Évolution cars escaped the carnage, which left six cars out of the race, fortunately without any consequences for the drivers involved.
The race resumed 43 minutes later, with 30 minutes on the clock. Jan Duran was running sixth (fifth in Silver) and Cindy Gudet in 16th (sixth in Pro-AM). Positions were fiercely fought over and the first driver changes took place 19 minutes before the chequered flag. Gabriela Jilkova, now fifth in Pro-AM, took over the #99 as a close battle ensued in the pack. Hadrien David did the same a few minutes later in the #87, running in the Silver top five, and he pulled away from his pursuers in search of fourth place.
Just as the order seemed settled, drama struck on the final lap. A particularly optimistic overtaking attempt by the #310 BMW, knocked Gabriela Jilkova off the track and into the gravel trap. She was eventually classified 26th overall and 11th in Pro-AM. The female crew remain seventh in the championship.
Hadrien David crossed the line sixth overall and in the Silver class, allowing the #87 duo to be fourth in the championship standings.
The fourth round of the GT4 European Series will take place in three weeks (18-20 July) on the Adriatic coast at the Misano circuit. It will be a taste of summer before the mid-season break, which ends when the championship resumes at the Nürburgring in late August.