BELGIAN ROYALS AT SPA: PRINCESS LOUISE, PRINCE AYMERIC AND PRINCE NICOLAS JOIN FELLOW BELGIANS TEAM WRT AND UGO DE WILDE
Team WRT and Ugo de Wilde will welcome very special guests at the forthcoming CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps: Princess Louise of Belgium, joined by her twin brothers Prince Aymeric and Prince Nicolas. The royal visit follows a personal invitation extended by de Wilde and the Belgian squad, to attend the world’s most prestigious GT3 race from inside the team.
Ugo de Wilde explained how contact with the Palace first came about:
“In 2023, I raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, for the first time, in an LMP2 car. It was with a Belgian line-up and a livery proudly bearing the Belgian flag. I thought it would be nice to make the Palace aware of this all-Belgian entry, and sent a letter to the two addresses that I could find. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an answer from King Albert II, expressing his encouragement and best wishes for the project.
Months after the race, when a model of the car was produced, I sent one to the Palace and received a thoughtful thank-you letter from King Albert. He signed it personally and added that his grandson, Prince Aymeric, was a passionate motor racing fan. He added a kind remark, wondering whether Aymeric might have the opportunity to sit next to me in my BMW M4 GT3 EVO. That’s how it all started, and I’m very happy that Prince Aymeric, together with his sister and brother, have accepted our invitation to attend the 24 Hours of Spa and experience it from inside the Team WRT family.”
As publicly announced today by SRO, Princess Louise, Prince Aymeric and Prince Nicolas will give the official start to the 2025 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. This meaningful gesture will echo the 1967 edition when their grandparents, then Prince Albert and Princess Paola, performed the same role.
Team WRT will be entering five BMW M4 GT3 EVOs in this year’s edition, including three cars in the Pro category that will represent BMW M Motorsport in the fight for the prestigious Coupe du Roi, the King’s Cup, a trophy established in 1924 and awarded to the best-performing manufacturer across all classes.
The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is organised by SRO Motorsports Group under the aegis of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium and stands as one of the most iconic endurance races in the world.
