Nine Times at Spa
While most sports can be tried and experienced firsthand, driving a racing car is reserved for very few. Racing is usually seen from a distance, too far to truly understand what it means to drive a car at the limit.
Spa-Francorchamps is a legendary Belgian circuit with a history stretching back to the 1930s. It hosts major events, including the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix. But once a year, in late September, it becomes something else entirely. The circuit turns into a portal back in time: the Spa Six Hours.
It is the only place where you can stand in a dark, rain-soaked pit lane at nine o’clock in the evening and watch a driver change unfold right in front of you. Where you can see someone climb into a loud, fire-spitting machine like a Ford GT40 and roar away from a narrow, old pit lane—exactly as they did sixty years ago, in a time when motorsport felt closer to its fans and easier to understand.
The photographs are also available on Blurb as Premium Magazine.
from my 9 visits to the Spa Six Hours race, between 2014 and 2024
Team coordination must be taken seriously.
Spa Six Hours 2024
Historic racing is more welcoming to supporters than any other motorsport event.
Spa Six Hours 2022
Losing time in the pit lane while working on unexpected issues, as other drivers push on track, is part of the game.
Spa Six Hours 2024
In 2014, the weather changed three times, ending with heavy rain during the final night phase of the race.
Spa Six Hours 2014
Strategy is essential. Slow refuelling can change the order on the track
Spa Six Hours 2022
Even classic racing cars are complex enough to surprise the most experienced teams.
Spa Six Hours 2023
Even though the race lasts six hours, pit stops must be as quick as possible. Everyone knows what to do to minimise time lost in the pit lane.
Spa Six Hours 2021
In the dark, the pit lane brings competition between teams to another level.
Spa Six Hours 2017
The view of Eau Rouge–Radillon from the old pit lane is stunning, but the teams are too busy to enjoy the sight of one of the most famous corners in motorsport.
Spa Six Hours 2014
If not for the wall between the pit lane and the track, added later, you might think you had travelled back to the 1960s.
Spa Six Hours 2014
The driver swap is also an opportunity to carry out all necessary checks.
Spa Six Hours 2014
Rain exposes real talent. Simply watching a car at speed in these conditions can bring panic and fear.
Spa Six Hours 2014