Nato and Weerts convincing beginners at Spa

With the abandonment in the last hour of the No. 8 Audi R1 LMS, which could still play for victory a short distance from the finish, the best result for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT at the end of these 71st 24 Hours of Spa was signed by the No. 10 at the wheel of which two private beginners took seats.

On the one hand Norman Nato, 27 years old, who was not in his first 24 hours since the former specialist in car had just completed two double laps at Le Mans (2018, 2019), but was on the other hand a real Rookie in terms of GT.

On the other hand, Charles Weerts, son of WRT co-founder Yves Weerts, and the youngest driver at the start of this edition, at 18 years and 4 months. Winner at Misano a month earlier in the Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe with Dries Vanthoor, he became the youngest winner in the history of the Blancpain GT Series.

The two debutants at Spa were associated with Rik Breukers, 2nd in the Silver Cup last year in the Ardennes, but above all double winner of the GTD category at Daytona with Grasser Racing and the Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

© DPPI / A. Vincent

“This participation in Spa was not at all in my plans at the start of the year, revealed Nato, author of a good start to the season ELMS with G-Drive, with victory at Monza in mid-May. One of my former engineers at Racing Engineering in GP2 (2016. Editor's note) joined WRT two years ago and, when the Team was looking for a driver for a program including two 4 Hour races (Le Castellet and Barcelona) plus the 24 Hours from Spa, they contacted me to see if I was interested and available.”

Adapting to driving a GT happened at high speed. “I didn't have much time to understand how the Audi worked because it was only decided a week before Paul-Ricard, Norman continued. The advantage is that WRT is a big team, with experience and official Audi drivers in their ranks, who were able to help me. But at first it's very weird. I had never driven such a heavy car, with ABS. In terms of driving, I have very few similarities with a P2. In GT, we use kerbs more, so the trajectories and braking points are very different. Afterwards, it was up to me to use all these tools to adapt as quickly as possible, without making any mistakes.”

Good experience

For his part, Weerts Junior had to manage another parameter, that of being Belgian in a team founded by his father, which was also celebrating its 10th anniversary this year: “I try to take Spa like any race, but it's not easy because there is more intensity, more contact with the press, more requests. The fact that it's at home gives a little extra pressure, and if we add this WRT anniversary, it's a sum of little things that ultimately mean that it's not a race like any other! »

After taking part in the FIA ​​Nations Cup in Bahrain at the end of last season, he joined the team at the start of 2019, taking part in the first two rounds of the Blancpain Endurance Series, in the Silver Cup category. While Charles Weerts was simply looking for experience, Norman Nato found this the opportunity to add a string to his bow.

“It’s always a plus to discover something, to drive in several different cars,” continued the Frenchman. It can always be useful to me later, including in P2. Any experience is worth taking”. Arrived at Spa at the last moment because he was detained in Barcelona for the tests WEC with Rebellion, Norman missed the Wednesday parade, immediately making contact with the track on Thursday. The objective of qualifying for Super Pole was missed by 20 thousandths.

“But it's going to be a long race, especially with the changing conditions that we're likely to have. I hope to see the end of my first 24 Hours of Spa, if possible in a good position, which is not a foregone conclusion given the homogeneity and quality of the field,” Nato analyzed again before the start. “I had given myself the objective of taking Super pole and finishing the race without experiencing any problems,” declared his young Belgian teammate. If the car is good and we stay out of trouble, I think a Top 10 is possible.”

Les péripéties n’ont pas manqué au cours de cette 71e édition fort perturbée par la pluie, mais la R8 LMS n°10 emmenée par les Juniors a bien rallié le port. Pas de Top 10 au palmarès, mais une 12e place, à un tour des vainqueur Christensen-Estre-Lietz (Porsche GPX Racing), meilleur représentant du Team WRT et 2e Audi au classement derrière la n°42 du Saintéloc Racing.

© DPPI / A. Vincent

“It was one of the hardest races of my career, admitted a happy Nato upon arrival. The conditions were very tricky, I wasn't very lucky in my night stints, I experienced "Full Course Yellow" and red flags... In the rain, it was something. We weren't even fully in a straight line. There was no visibility, aquaplaning, and the organizers made the right decision to stop.”

It is true that for his baptism at Spa, the Cannes resident was spoiled, discovering the driving of a GT in the rain, sometimes on “slick” tires. “It’s a lot of experience stored up, he wanted to remember. If I have to do Spa again, I will already have this with me. That will be another story! » “I am not about to forget this first participation in the 24 Hours of Spa, Charles Weerts, for his part, savored. It wasn't easy, but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot. This 12th place is a satisfactory result. Looking forward to next year! »

© SRO Motorsports

We will see Norman Nato again at the wheel of an Audi Team WRT in Catalonia at the end of September for the end of his GT mini-program. For the rest, nothing has been decided. “It will depend on what I do next, in WEC, ELMS or Formula E. The goal is to be at the top and, for the moment, I don't think I will be in this car. If we get there, we can see for later,” concluded Norman.