Lionspeed GP aiming for strong finish to Endurance Cup Season in Saudi Arabia

Lionspeed GP travels to Saudi Arabia for GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale
Jeddah Corniche Circuit to present teams with unprecedented challenge
Unchanged lineup for #80 Porsche 911 GT3 R compared to two previous rounds

After several quiet weeks, Lionspeed GP is ready to cap off its debut Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup campaign at the 6 Hours of Jeddah. The German squad is aiming to end the season strongly and bounce back after it was eliminated from the previous round prematurely.

The team will head into the six-hour finale in Saudi Arabia with an unchanged lineup compared to the previous two races at the Nürburgring and Monza. Team principal Patrick Kolb (GER) and 2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion Bastian Buus (DEN) will once again share the No. 80 Porsche 911 GT3 R with Bronze-rated driver Michael Verhagen (NED). Verhagen was in racing action as recently as last weekend, scoring two podiums in the Ferrari Challenge as part of the support bill for Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Now, Verhagen, along with Kolb and Buus, will once again have to tackle an ultra-fast street circuit originally designed for F1. Since it was opened in 2021, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit has quickly developed a reputation as a challenging track thanks to its fast and demanding layout. The 6.174-kilometer circuit, located on the shores of the Red Sea, has mainly hosted single seater series, although various Porsche one-make championships have also competed there. Notably, Lionspeed driver Buus is likely to be one of very few on the GTWC Europe grid to have existing experience of the circuit in a closed-cockpit car: he raced there in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East during the 2022-23 season.

Competing in the 15-car Bronze Cup category, Lionspeed will be aiming to add a successful closing chapter to its maiden season in the world’s most competitive GT3 championship. Earlier this year, the team reached the finish in its CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa debut and followed that up with a class podium in the three-hour race at the Nürburgring. After a frustrating early retirement at Monza, the team is ready and eager to return to action in Jeddah.

As is traditional with Endurance Cup events, the official track running will take place over two days. Initial testing opportunities are available on Thursday, but Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying are both held on Friday. After qualifying sets the grid on Saturday morning, the six-hour season finale is set to kick off at 17:00 local time. With the bulk of the race taking place after sunset, the finale to a demanding Endurance Cup season will almost entirely take place under the cover of darkness and floodlights.

Both qualifying and the race will be available live on the GT World YouTube channel. Stay tuned to Lionspeed GP’s social media channels for the latest updates from the circuit.