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Watson’s off to Spa for season restart

ANDREW Watson will be back in action with the Gulf Racing team as the 2019-20 FIA World Endurance Championship restarts at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps this weekend.

The Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps marks the first event since Lone Star Le Mans in February owing to the coronavirus pandemic. At that race Andrew, and his #86 Gulf Racing Porsche 911 RSR teammates Michael Wainwright and Ben Barker, finished sixth in GTE Am and claimed a third-placed podium finish at the the 8 Hours of Bahrain in December – marking their best result of the season to date.

Andrew currently sits sixth in the GTE Am championship standings as he heads to Belgium, with 49 points to his name.

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The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is one of the most infamous in the world. At 4.352 miles long, the track is among the longest in the world and stands as one of the ultimate tests a driver can face. The fierce undulations of Eau Rouge running up to the blind summit of Raidillon stand as the first challenges of the lap, as drivers then wind their way through the Ardennes and around long, sweeping left-handers such as Pouhon and Blanchimont. 

Andrew is well-versed at the circuit having raced there at the renowned 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the Donaghmore man is looking forward to heading out on track and getting the championship underway once again.

“I’m very excited to be getting back in the Porsche 911 RSR,” Andrew said. “It’s been a long six months but Spa-Francorchamps is the perfect place to get the season back up and running.

“It’s an amazing track to drive and we’re confident of a good showing. It’ll be a busy weekend with lots of track time from Thursday to Saturday which will be vital as we all readjust to the car after such a long time away.”

The weekend begins on Thursday afternoon with the first practice session at 15:25 (GMT+1). The action continues with two further practice sessions at 8:30 and 13:00 on Friday followed by two qualifying sessions at 17:00 and 17:30 later the same day. The race itself will begin at 12:30 on Saturday afternoon. 

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