EEMNES (16 April 2026) – This coming weekend, 18 and 19 April, Dutch drivers Tom Coronel and Jan Jaap van Roon will be on the starting grid of the Michelin 12H Spa-Francorchamps in the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo run by Belgian team Comtoyou. The race is counting towards the Michelin 24H Series organised by the Dutch agency Creventic. “It’s a really cool car to drive, and at one of the most beautiful circuits in the world, so I’m a very happy man,” says Tom Coronel with obvious anticipation.

These are busy times for Coronel and Van Roon, as just last Saturday they were still racing together in Max Kruse Racing’s Audi R8 LMS during the four-hour race of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie in the run-up to the 24-hour race on the Nordschleife, which takes place on 16 and 17 May. For now, next up is the first endurance race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in the Comtoyou Aston Martin, which they already drove during the Gedlich Winter Series in Spain last month.
“We’ve raced a Porsche 911 Cup car at Spa-Francorchamps a few times in recent years, but a GT3 is another a step up,” says Tom Coronel. “This is simply the pinnacle of tin-top cars. You have more downforce in a GT3, so cornering speeds are seriously high. A GT3 is also built more like a proper racing car. If the set-up is right, it’s a real pleasure to drive! With 18 GT3s from seven different manufacturers, the GT3 field looks very strong for the race; it’s sure to be a great event! There is a fair chance of rain over the weekend, though, but that’s something you always have to take into account at Spa.”

Jan Jaap van Roon is also looking forward to the upcoming race. “Creventic races are always fun,” he says. “The events are very well organised and there’s an excellent balance between enjoyment and performance. You can’t help but be enthusiastic about the circuit: for me, it’s one of the most beautiful tracks!” Just like Coronel, Van Roon has also clocked up the necessary test kilometres in the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo. For him, one thing is certain: “It’s the most beautiful GT3! Truly special! The car is trickier to drive than the Audi, but that also makes it a great challenge. I’m really curious to see what it’s like to drive this car through Eau Rouge and then up the Raidillon…”

Tom Coronel has high expectations for the event. “Preparations went well. We’re racing with Comtoyou, the team of Jean-Michel Baert and François Verbist, for whom I’ve been driving for seven years now. The team is doing very well: they won the 24 Hours of Spa two years ago and just last weekend won the six-hour GT World Challenge race at Paul Ricard, both with the Aston Martin, which is the car we’re driving too, so I’m fully confident that things will go well this weekend too.

Track action for the event officially gets underway with free practice on Friday from 10.45 am to 12.45 pm. The GT3 qualifying session, consisting of three heats, will take place from 4.10 pm to 5.10 pm. On Saturday, the first part of the race will be run from 11.30 am to 5.00 pm. The remaining six-and-a-half-hour section is scheduled for Sunday from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm. Endurance races with a scheduled overnight break are a hallmark of Creventic’s European events. “I’m not a fan of it,” Jan Jaap van Roon admits. “The only advantage is that this makes it manageable with two drivers, both of whom then get plenty of driving time.” Tom Coronel also cites that extra driving time as the main advantage: “Because the race is split into two parts, we can run with two drivers instead of three, so that simply means 50 per cent more driving time.” The action can be followed via the live stream on the YouTube channel @creventicmotorsportstv, with commentary by the Radio Show Limited team.