• Handling issues after contact result in early retirement for #80 Porsche 911 GT3 R
• Bastian Buus sets third-fastest lap of the race overall
• Team shifts focus to upcoming Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi

Lionspeed GP has closed off its debut season in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup with a non-finish in the 6 Hours of Jeddah. Despite running in a promising position early on in the Bronze Cup, the team opted to stop for safety reasons after contact resulted in persistent handling issues.

Lionspeed arrived at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit motivated to end its maiden campaign in the world’s most competitive GT3 championship in strong fashion. With an unchanged lineup of Michael Verhagen (NED), Patrick Kolb (GER) and Bastian Buus (DEN), the team hit the ground running and was present in the overall top three throughout all pre-event testing sessions.

That continued into the start of official running on Friday, with Buus in particular impressing in the early stages of the weekend when he slotted into third overall and fastest in the Bronze Cup with a quick lap during Pre-Qualifying. The 2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup champion could count upon previous knowledge of the circuit from his time in Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East.

This again proved handy during Saturday morning’s three-part qualifying session, where he impressed by delivering the fastest outright lap time of any Bronze Cup driver in the third segment. That, combined with the previous efforts of Verhagen and Kolb, ensured the #80 Porsche qualified fourth in class for the six-hour season finale.

Lionspeed maintained a spot in the top five during the opening exchanges of the race, but unfortunately, early contact for Verhagen with another competitor resulted in handling issues. These problems eventually forced the #80 Porsche into the garage for repairs at the end of the second hour.

The car eventually returned to the track with Buus at the wheel, who promptly again displayed the team’s outright pace by posting the fastest lap of the race, but the issues persisted. As a result, the decision was made to retire the car from the race for safety reasons; also with an eye on the Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s ultra-fast and high-risk nature. Buus’ lap time, meanwhile, was later only improved upon by two drivers, both of whom finished in the overall top five.

Despite the disappointing end to the campaign, Lionspeed GP looks back at a strong first season in one of the world’s most demanding sportscar racing championships. Particular highlights include reaching the finish in a gruelling CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa upon debut and scoring a podium finish during the three-hour race at the Nürburgring in August.

The team will now turn its attention to the final race on the 2024 calendar: the Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina Circuit on December 15. The lineup for that event will be announced in the coming days.