EDGE Sporting Management driver Harry George secured a superb podium finish at one of the world’s most prestigious endurance races after claiming third place in the Gold Cup class at the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Competing in the No. 5 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, George shared driving duties with fellow Britons Adam Smalley and Freddie Tomlinson, alongside Dutch driver Ruben Del Sarte, as the quartet produced a faultless performance across the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.
The result also made George’s McLaren the second-highest finishing McLaren in the field, with the British manufacturer represented by eight cars on the grid.
Across the 24-hour race, George completed five driving stints, including an impressive overnight double stint that proved to be one of the standout performances of the race. Running amongst the fastest cars on circuit during the darkness, the young Brit demonstrated both impressive pace and consistency as the team firmly established itself in podium contention.
As dawn broke over Spa-Francorchamps, heavy traffic began to impact the McLaren’s progress, with the 720S GT3 Evo proving particularly susceptible to aerodynamic disturbance while negotiating slower cars. Despite the slight loss of momentum during the morning hours, George and the Optimum Motorsport team continued to execute a clean and disciplined race, avoiding the incidents and reliability issues that regularly define the world’s biggest GT3 endurance event.
After handing the car over to his teammates for the closing stages, the Optimum Motorsport crew completed an outstanding run to secure third place in the Gold Cup class, delivering George his first podium finish at the legendary Belgian endurance race.
Reflecting on the weekend, George said:
“The standard of the field was incredible. You only had to look through the entry list to see so many of the biggest names in GT3 racing, so to come away with a podium at Spa is a fantastic achievement.
“My overnight double stint was definitely one of the highlights. We had really strong pace during the night, and although we lost a little momentum once daylight arrived because traffic made things difficult for the McLaren, we still managed to put together a really clean race.
“Considering the temperatures over the weekend, it honestly felt like a 24-hour sprint race. The intensity never really dropped.
“A huge thank you to EDGE Sporting Management, Optimum Motorsport for giving us such a reliable car, executing excellent pit stops and strategy throughout, and to all of my teammates for a fantastic team effort. This is definitely the highlight of my career so far.”
George’s podium at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa marks another significant milestone in his rapidly developing GT racing career, with the young Brit continuing to establish himself as one of the country’s most promising endurance racing talents.