Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO tops Spa prologue

Ayhancan Güven gave Porsche the fastest time in the final session of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa prologue on May 20, putting the #22 Schumacher CLRT 911 GT3 R EVO on top in a rain-affected close to the two-day test. Organizers said Güven set a 2:16.953 lap in Wednesday afternoon’s session at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, after wet conditions had reduced the pace earlier in the day. The result did not make the Porsche the quickest car across the full prologue, because Christopher Haase’s 2:16.535 for Eastalent Racing on Tuesday morning remained the overall benchmark. The session nevertheless gave Porsche another front-running reference before the June enduro. ### Why did Wednesday’s quickest lap not become the overall prologue best? Christopher Haase’s 2:16.535 in the #3 Eastalent Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II stayed fastest across the two-day test because the best conditions came earlier in the event, according to Sportscar365 and GT World Challenge Europe’s event coverage. Wednesday morning was slowed by rain, and although the surface improved for the afternoon, Güven’s session-topping Porsche lap remained slower than Haase’s Tuesday mark. Tuesday afternoon also produced several of the headline times. Sportscar365 reported Dorian Boccolacci was second overall in the #16 Boutsen VDS Porsche, 0.042 seconds off Haase, and Thomas Preining was third in the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche. Laurin Heinrich’s Tuesday lap in the #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche left that car fourth on the combined order before Güven led the final session. (sportscar365.com) ### Which Porsche was on top, and why is that car notable? The #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO drew attention because it was one of the added entries for Spa and because its driver lineup was made up entirely of Porsche factory drivers, Sportscar365 reported. Güven topped the final session in that car after Heinrich had already placed it near the top of the combined classification a day earlier. (sportscar365.com) Porsche introduced the updated 911 GT3 R for the 2026 season with revised aerodynamics, suspension changes and drivability improvements, according to Porsche’s 2025 launch materials and current model page. Porsche said the evolution package was developed from feedback gathered across more than 500 race starts and was aimed in part at making the car more consistent under variable conditions. (sportscar365.com) ### What does a rain-affected prologue actually tell teams? The Spa prologue is a paid test, not a points session, and the GT World Challenge Europe event page listed four official test sessions across May 19 and May 20. That format gives teams time to evaluate setup, tire behavior and driver rotation ahead of the 24-hour race rather than chase a formal result. (newsroom.porsche.com) Wet and drying conditions can still matter. Porsche said when it unveiled the 2026-spec GT3 R that one focus of the update was drivability in changing conditions, including improved balance and front-end behavior. A mixed-weather Spa run therefore offered a relevant early test for the EVO package, even if outright times moved around with the track. (gt-world-challenge-europe.com) ### Who is Ayhancan Güven in Porsche’s current program? Ayhancan Güven is a Porsche factory driver from Turkey and is listed by Porsche as competing in DTM and GT World Challenge Europe Endurance this season. Porsche’s driver profile says Güven was born in Istanbul in 1998 and progressed through karting and GT racing before joining the manufacturer’s works roster. (newsroom.porsche.com) Porsche’s recent race coverage has also highlighted Güven’s results in GT machinery. In April 2025, Porsche said he became the first Turkish winner in DTM history with a 911 GT3 R at Oschersleben. ### When is the next meaningful Spa running? The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa race meeting is scheduled for June 24-28, 2026, at Spa-Francorchamps, according to the official event page. (racing.porsche.com) GT World Challenge Europe lists free practice on June 25, Superpole on June 26 and the main race start for June 27 at 16:30 local time. (gt-world-challenge-europe.com) (newsroom.porsche.com)