Jodie Sloss claims first breakthrough FFSA GT4 victory on Spa debut
- RACERS
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"Every race has been a step forward, and this result reflects all the hard work and progress both my teammate David and I have made" - Jodie Sloss enjoyed her best weekend to date in the FFSA GT4 France Championship at Spa Francorchamps, taking her first class win in Race 1 and a runner-up finish in Race 2, on her debut at the legendary Belgian circuit.
After claiming her first podiums in the highly competitive FFSA French GT4 Championship last time out at Dijon-Prenois, Jodie Sloss enjoyed a stellar weekend at Spa-Francorchamps — the third round of the championship — where the Scottish racer claimed her first victory, paired with a runner-up finish in Race 2, on her first visit to the legendary Belgian circuit.
Stepping up to the highly competitive FFSA French GT4 Championship in 2025 marked a new chapter in Sloss’s career, as the Scottish driver committed to her first full international season. Continuing her association with Aston Martin after earning multiple podium finishes in the UK’s GT Cup Championship, Sloss brought valuable knowledge of the Vantage AMR GT4 Evo to Mirage Racing. Paired with co-driver David Levy, whose experience on French circuits has proven an asset, Sloss has adapted quickly to both new tracks and the series’ high level of competition.
She began her season with a strong showing at Nogaro, finishing fourth in the Am class in Race 1 and missing out on a podium by less than half a second in wet conditions. Sloss then bounced back at the second round in Dijon-Prenois — her first visit to the circuit — where she delivered a breakthrough performance, securing her first pair of Am class podiums with second and third-place finishes. Managing tyre wear and running clean, consistent stints, these results moved her up to fourth in the Am class standings ahead of the third race meeting.
Sloss also recently confirmed she will continue to receive backing from Aston Martin Racing, retaining her place in the prestigious AMR Driver Academy for a second consecutive season. Her goal was now to build on that momentum for the third round at Spa-Francorchamps — another circuit she will have to learn from scratch.
Free Practice saw a positive start for Sloss and teammate Levy, the pair finishing just outside the overall top ten and second in Am class with a best lap of 2:51.588 — over a second clear of the next closest class competitor and just half a second off the class-leading #63 CMR Alpine.
In the pre-qualifying session at sunset, Sloss continued her strong progress, with the Mirage Racing duo ending the session fourth fastest in class. The following day, under sunny skies in the Ardennes, Sloss took to the track for Q1. Early in the session, she moved up to third in class before a red flag halted proceedings with nine minutes remaining after Lemeret’s #63 Alpine stopped at the final corner.
When the session resumed, Sloss had two more chances to improve: she delivered an excellent lap of 2:31.587, taking provisional pole with a strong final sector, before ultimately securing second in class — just four tenths off Thalamy’s Audi, and P14 overall after a very positive session.
In Q2, David Levy took over and immediately went quickest in Am class with a 2:30.340 lap. Despite not improving further, Levy’s time was enough to secure Am class pole and an impressive fifth overall on the grid.
Starting second in class with excellent pace, Jodie Sloss had a big opportunity in Race 1; the race began at dawn under sunny skies, but chaos struck immediately on the run down to Eau Rouge, as Viny Beltramelli and Lorens Lecertua crashed into the pit wall, forcing cars behind to scatter. Sloss showed great awareness, avoiding the incident and taking the Am class lead while moving up to 11th overall as the safety car was deployed.
A red flag was soon called to clear the debris, and the race restarted with 50 minutes left on the clock. Now leading the #63 Alpine of Lemeret and Thalamy’s Audi, Sloss had to defend hard. On the restart at the end of lap 4, Lemeret attacked around the outside of La Source and claimed the Am class lead, setting purple sectors as he moved through the field.
Sloss maintained composure, holding a solid second place, with Grizaud now behind after overtaking Thalamy for third. Grizaud’s race ended early due to turbo issues on lap 6, prompting a Full Course Yellow for recovery. As night fell over Spa, Sloss settled into a competitive rhythm, closely following the ProAm #38 Alpine of Beltoise as the pit window approached.
Once the race resumed, Sloss pitted with 33 minutes remaining, handing the #5 Aston Martin to Levy.
Levy rejoined in second and began closing the gap to the leading #63 Alpine, running a series of strong laps — three seconds quicker per lap at one point. By lap 13, the battle for the class win was on, with Levy narrowing the gap to just tenths of a second.
With a comfortable 11-second margin over third, Levy pressed hard. On lap 16, Auriacombe went off into the gravel, giving Levy the opportunity to seize the lead with five minutes to go. From there, Levy pulled away, building an 11-second gap and taking the chequered flag eighth overall — and first in Am class — earning the pair their maiden victory in the championship in only their third race weekend.
The second race on Sunday afternoon took place in slightly cloudier but still warm conditions. David Levy started from Am class pole and fifth overall in the #5 Aston Martin, with the team aiming for another strong points haul.
Levy had an excellent start, climbing briefly to third overall before settling into fourth. With the second-placed Am entry, Jimenez’s #72 Porsche, down in tenth, Levy had five ProAm cars between himself and his closest class rival. Levy immediately worked to build a gap, lapping in the low 2:33s — around a second faster than the competition — though he also had to manage pressure from the ProAm Alpine of Huteau and Wallgren.
Continuing to push, Levy dipped under the 2:33 barrier and set a 2:32.5 — the fastest in class. By lap 8, he was under increasing pressure from ProAm competitors but maintained his pace smartly. Behind, Thalamy passed Jimenez for second in class, while Auriacombe was involved in an incident further down the field.
When the pit window opened, Levy had a 10-second lead, though Thalamy was gaining ground. Levy stayed out one more lap, briefly led overall before pitting on lap 13, handing over to Sloss for the final 25 minutes.
Sloss rejoined just ahead of Grizaud’s #72 Porsche and defended hard into Les Combes to maintain the Am class lead. A Full Course Yellow was deployed soon after when Tremoulet’s #64 Mercedes suffered an engine failure, followed by a full safety car with 10 minutes to go — neutralising the gaps as Jodie had found a good rhythm.
At the restart with six minutes left, Sloss faced a three-way battle to hold the lead, with Grizaud, Thalamy, and Lemeret all now close behind. Grizaud launched an aggressive attack but Sloss defended superbly through the Kemmel straight. However, on the next lap at the Bus Stop chicane, the Porsche forced its way past, and Sloss came under fresh pressure from Lemeret.
The two battled side by side through Eau Rouge, with Sloss retaking second with a brilliant move under braking into Les Combes. Settling into a strong pace of 2:34, Sloss held off the chasing pack and closed back in on Grizaud on the final lap.
She crossed the line just three tenths behind the class leader, securing an excellent second place and valuable points — completing the pair’s best weekend so far. Sloss and Levy now sit third in the Am class standings on 90 points, just 11 behind second-placed Grizaud/Jimenez.
“Winning at Spa this weekend was such an incredible moment, especially with it being my first time on the circuit on Friday", Sloss said. "I had a lot to learn in a short space of time, so to come away with the win makes me really proud of how far I’ve come since the start of the season."
"Every race has been a step forward, and this result reflects all the hard work and progress both my teammate David and I have made", Sloss continued. "A massive thank you to my team, Mirage, and my engineer Mattèo for giving me a car I could really push with, and to my amazing sponsors - your support truly means the world!”
The next round of the FFSA GT4 Championship will take place at Magny-Cours, on 1–3 August.
