GT3 Revival Series: Célia Martin and Lindsay Brewer fight through setbacks to secure two ProAm top-10 finishes

Célia Martin and Lindsay Brewer secured two top-10 finishes in the ProAm class, charging back from the back of the field following technical issues in qualifying to secure eighth and ninth in class in the GT3 Revival Series' second ever round hosted at Spa Francorchamps.

Photo credits: Mathis Jullia / SRO

In two chaotic races at Spa Francorchamps, Célia Martin and Lindsay Brewer secured two top-10 finishes in the ProAm class, charging back from the back of the field following a difficult qualifying to secure eighth and ninth in class in the GT3 Revival Series' second ever round hosted at Spa Francorchamps.

Lindsay Brewer and Célia Martin entered the inaugural season of the GT3 Revival Series as the only all-female pairing on the grid, sharing the #40 Klausen Racing Ford GT Matech in the Pro-Am class. The new championship celebrates the first generation of GT3 machinery, bringing iconic cars from the late 2000s and early 2010s back to competition.

For Brewer, the programme marks her first campaign outside of North America, as she gains experience on some of Europe’s most famous circuits. Martin meanwhile arrived to the series after a major progression in her endurance racing career, having completed a full campaign with the Iron Dames programme competing at the highest levels of sportscar racing.

At the opening round at Paul Ricard, Brewer and Martin steadily improved throughout the weekend despite several technical issues affecting the Ford GT in the early sessions. Brewer was also tackling the Le Castellet circuit for the first time in her career, but the duo rapidly built confidence and pace in the historic GT3 machine. By the races, they were running competitively in the Pro-Am field and ultimately secured fifth place in class, completing an encouraging debut weekend together.

In two chaotic races at Spa Francorchamps, Célia Martin and Lindsay Brewer secured two top-10 finishes in the ProAm class, charging back from the back of the field following a difficult qualifying to secure eighth and ninth in class in the GT3 Revival Series' second ever round hosted at Spa Francorchamps.

Photo credits: Mathis Jullia / SRO

The nature of historic cars, along with difficulties in sourcing spare parts, had caused a number of headaches in the run-up to the event. Indeed, the technical gremlins had already struck during the very first lap of the season at Paul Ricard, but was fixed in time for the races.

A similar scenario unfolded during free practice at Spa Francorchamps: the gearbox posed the most threats this time, limiting the team to just a handful of laps during the sessions. This proved to be a significant disadvantage, particularly for Brewer, who had never driven on this circuit before.

The Ford GT fared no better during qualifying; the car broke down during both Martin’s and Brewer’s qualifying sessions. Fortunately, both drivers had managed to complete at least a few timed laps, allowing them to start both races from the midfield.

By the evening of the first race, the issues appeared to have been resolved, and Célia Martin was able to take the start from the middle of the pack. The start itself was clean and free of any major incidents. Once the field had settled, Martin found herself in 19th place overall—and 10th position within the highly competitive Pro-Am class.

After overtaking a car from a different class that had been holding her up, she gained another position within her class just eight minutes into the race. She was now running right behind Rote in the #5 entry, also from a different class. After 14 minutes, both Rote and Martin managed to overtake Mille; for Martin, this meant climbing to 8th place in the Pro-Am standings.

As darkness fell, accidents began to disrupt the race. Two Audis crashed independently of one another, with the incident at Blanchimont proving particularly severe. Consequently, the Safety Car was deployed with 35 minutes remaining on the clock.

However, after ten minutes under Safety Car conditions, it became apparent that the wreckage could not be cleared safely; the race was therefore red-flagged and temporarily halted. The wait dragged on, though all signs suggested that the delay would ultimately be rewarded with a restart. However, after half an hour, it became clear that this would not be the case. The track clearing operation could no longer be completed within the allotted timeframe and the race was called off before the halfway mark.

The provisional result show Martin and Brewer eighth in the ProAm class, with Brewer unable to contest her driving shift.

Race two did not take place under the cover of night, but rather under brilliant sunshine.

Photo credits: Mathis Jullia / SRO

Lindsay Brewer started the race from 10th place in the Pro-Am class, right in the middle of the pack. The start once again proceeded without incident. Brewer began somewhat cautiously to avoid risking any accidents; she initially lost two overall positions but managed to reclaim them within the first two laps.

Naturally, she was not content to stop there; by Lap 2, she had already secured 19th place overall - a result that simultaneously placed her 9th in her class. Following this overtaking maneuver, she managed to build a one-second gap over her pursuer, France, in the #556 car.

The first incident occurred after 10 minutes: just past La Source, a Lamborghini rolled to a halt in the grass and the Safety Car was deployed to facilitate its recovery. Thanks to this retirement, Brewer gained another position in the overall standings.

The recovery operation took a considerable amount of time, and the race did not restart until just 30 minutes remained on the clock, coinciding precisely with the opening of the pit stop window. At the restart itself, Brewer held her position, but she immediately pitted on the following lap to complete her mandatory stop.

Meanwhile, a Porsche stalled just before La Source, and, unrelated that incident, an Audi crashed at Stavelot. Since the pit window was already open, these accidents were initially managed under local yellows and, it was not until everyone had completed their pit stops and the pit window had closed—with just 16 minutes remaining in the race—that the Safety Car was deployed once again.

With only four minutes remaining at the restart, there was time for just two final racing laps. Célia Martin, who had taken over the car, valiantly defended her 10th-place position in the Pro-Am class against the #556 entry. However, following the pit stop, she still managed to gain one overall position. After the restart, the time remaining was simply too short for any further charge through the field and ultimately, they finished in 9th place in the Pro-Am standings.

The next GT3 Revival Series race will take place at Le Mans from July 3rd to July 5th. On this legendary circuit, the Ford GT had traditionally delivered thrilling races during its active era and with some extra mileage and experience under their belt after the opening two rounds, will aim for even better results for the all-female duo at the venue.