Audi won the 2012 24 Hours of Spa with the R8 LMS driven by Piccini, Rast and Stippler.

BMW dominated qualifying, with the Z4s ran by teams Vita4One and Marc VDS taking the front row.

After they pulled away in the first moments of the race, both BMWs were hit by issues. The Vita4One’s car had the wrong strategy, leaving the pits with four new slick tires as the rain made its appearance on the track.

Later in the race, the Marc VDS’ Z4 lost several laps in the pits to solve a technical issue (starter).

BMW Z4 (Photo: SRO)

Audi then inherited the lead, with two R8 LMSs moving up to the front, with one of the Phoenix team’s car, and the WRT entry. The other Phoenix’s Audi, driven by one the main favorites for the race (Fassler, Kristensen and Lotterer), lost all chances for victory after a contact with another car while entering the pits.

Finally, and after an intense refuelling strategy battle, the Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS secured the win with Piccini, Rast and Stippler. The Marc VDS car ended the race one lap down, after a late penalty for an unsafe pit entry.

The winning R8 Audi. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

In Pro Am category, the win went to one of the AF Corse’s Ferrari F458s.

By claiming the win at Spa, Audi secured its third win in a major 24 Hours race, after it took victory at Le Mans with the R18 e-tron quattro prototype and at the Nürburgring 24 Hours with a R8 LMS.

Final classification:
1. Piccini/Rast/Stippler - Audi R8 LMS - Phoenix - 509 laps (1st GT Pro)
2. Haase/Mies/Ortelli - Audi R8 LMS- Belgian WRT + un lap
3. Lauda/Franchi/Kechele - BMW Z4 - Vita4One + un lap
4. Palttala/Leinders/Martin - BMW Z4 - Marc VDS + 2 laps
5. Hommerson/Machiels/Bartolini/Pierguidi - Ferrari 458 - AF Corse + 7 laps (1er Pro Am)
6. Fassler/Kristensen/Lotterer - Audi R8 LMS - Phoenix + 8 laps
7. Riegel/Stursberg/Menzel/Alzen - Porsche 997 - Haribo + 12 laps
8. Panis/Barthez/Debard/Traffort - Ferrari 458 - Sofrev + 12 laps
9. Parente/Barff/Goodwin/Wills - McLaren MP4-12C - Von Ryan + 12 laps
10. Beaubelique-Goueslard-Badey-Vautier - Ferrari 458 - Sofrev + 13 laps
etc.