Martin Rump finished Spa 24 Hours outside podium contention due to technical issues

Estonian circuit racer Martin Rump competed in the Spa 24 Hours endurance race with Rutronik Racing's Porsche 911 GT3 R and was in contention for a podium finish for much of the race, but technical issues that arose Sunday morning ended with a seventh-place finish in the Bronze Cup. The team and Rump secured 43rd overall out of 70 cars.

Estonian circuit racer Martin Rump finished last weekend in the world's biggest GT3 endurance race, the Spa 24 Hours, with a seventh-place finish in the Bronze Cup and 43rd overall out of 70 cars. The race took place at Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

Rump drove car number 97 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Rutronik Racing alongside teammates Antares Au, Porsche factory driver Sven Müller, and Michelle Gatting. Qualifying did not go as planned and the team started the Bronze Cup in 11th position, which corresponded to 55th on the overall grid.

Podium contention and setback

Despite the qualifying setback, the team showed strong pace in the first half of the race and steadily gained positions back. By the end of the sixth hour, they were sixth in the Bronze Cup and by the end of the twelfth hour already in third place, in podium contention.

Rump made a total of five driver stints over the 24 hours, including one double stint. However, technical issues began to plague the car on Sunday morning, which ended any podium hopes, and the team had to settle for seventh place in the Bronze Cup.

"The team showed fighting spirit and we made it to the finish in the points despite the adversity. Before the technical issues, we were in contention for second or third place. It's a shame that the high finish slipped away like that. This is a technical sport," Rump commented after the finish.

Difficult preparation

The weekend was already overshadowed by a previous incident at Monza, which meant that compared to the prologue tests held in May, a different chassis and engine had to be used. Intense setup work was done during practice sessions, and despite the difficult situation, the car was made competitive for race day.

This year's Spa 24 Hours was Rump's fourth career entry and his second consecutive start with Germany's top team Rutronik Racing. Despite the difficulties, the pace shown during the race confirmed that the team has the capability to fight for high positions.

Rump will continue the season in the Michelin 24H Series, where a 12-hour endurance race is already taking place this weekend at the Nürburgring GP circuit in Germany.