4 years after Grello crash: Vanthoor brothers crash again

– Incredible scenes at the IMSA race in Detroit: Behind the pace car, Dries and Laurens Vanthoor collide, costing both a possible podium result. Almost exactly four years after the legendary brother crash at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife during the 24-hour race in 2022, there was another crash, this time at much lower speeds with less harsh but noticeable consequences.

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The consequence: Laurens Vanthoor had to bring the Penske Porsche #6 (L. Vanthoor/Estre), which was in fourth place at the time, with a damaged rear to the repair stop thanks to the “black flag with orange circle” (meatball flag).

The WRT BMW #24 (S. van der Linde/D. Vanthoor), which was in fifth place at the time of the collision, received a drive-through penalty. Thus, only eighth (Porsche) and ninth (BMW) places remained for the Vanthoor brothers. (Race result IMSA Detroit 2026)

Laurens Vanthoor had actually been fighting for the podium before. Starting driver Kevin Estre had quickly moved forward in the Porsche #6, which had to compete again in Detroit with the maximum weight of 1,100 kilograms. Damage from a contact during the chase initially resulted in heavily dusting brakes, but the problem resolved itself after about 30 minutes.

Porsche Penske Motorsport then pulled off a masterstroke during the pit stop: They dared a risky overcut at the risk of falling to the back of the field in case of a caution, while most other cars had already stopped. But it stayed green, and Estre used the laps with clear track to escape forward. Laurens Vanthoor came out in third place.

That he got caught by his brother was also due to his own mistake. While he was just putting pressure on the second-placed WRT BMW #25 (Eng/Wittmann), he braked too late while lapping a GT car in the hairpin and lost third place to the WTR Cadillac #10 (R. Taylor/Albuquerque).

The race seemed decided at that point, when a yellow phase was called 20 minutes before the end due to debris. This led to the collision of the two Vanthoor brothers.

Diplomatic voices, hidden criticism

Laurens has so far only commented on Instagram but avoids directly addressing the brother crash: “We were in a solid third place when I had to overtake a GT car on the bumpy side of the track. That’s where I got caught and went straight on. It only cost one place, but then I was hit from behind, which damaged our diffuser that we had to repair.”

Kevin Estre also puts it diplomatically: “Unfortunately, a competitor hit us from behind. We had to go to the pits for repairs. More than eighth place was then not possible.”

Much more would have been possible for the BMW #24 as well. The BMW M Hybrid V8s had a favorable classification in the Balance of Performance (BoP) for Detroit. However, a red flag in qualifying prevented a better starting position. In the race, the BMW #24 had to pit earlier than planned because the tire pressures were too low.

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The penalty for the brother crash was already the second drive-through penalty imposed on Dries Vanthoor. The first came when he pushed the Vasser-Sullivan Lexus #14 (Hawksworth/Barnicoat) into the wall while lapping. The Lexus was able to continue with minor damage.

Dries Vanthoor has not yet commented, Sheldon van der Linde expresses the criticism subtly: “We had the potential to fight at the front but did not execute our pace well. We were unlucky in qualifying with a red flag before our fastest lap. So we had to start further back than hoped.”

“Still, it went well at first, and we were already in third place when everything started to go wrong. First the early pit stop due to tire pressure, then contacts and penalties that set us back a lot. Ultimately, a race to forget. We urgently need to improve in error-free race execution.”

Action Express wins ahead of second BMW

BMW ultimately still had something to celebrate, as the #25 secured its second consecutive podium with second place thanks to perfect strategy. Marco Wittmann, like the Porsche #6, stayed out long in the first stint and thus came back on track in second place. Eng then fended off attacks from Laurens Vanthoor and held second place through both restarts.

The Austrian gushes: “I think I had the easiest job of all because I just had to bring it home. I listened in on the radio communication in the strategy channel [before the pit stop] and have to say: These guys are so clever. Thank God I just have to drive in circles! That was absolute world-class from the team, from every single member.”

“In 2013, I already competed at the 24 Hours of Spa with a private team and WRT had their garage next to us. They are just incredible. My wish has always been to drive for them. It’s no coincidence that they win everything they take on. I’m not the youngest anymore, but hearing what these guys achieve in the strategy channel teaches me so much.”

Only one car stood above all: The Action Express Cadillac #31 dominated the weekend. After three second places and one third place, the first win of the season followed with an outstanding performance.

“It was just one of those special weekends,” says Bamber, who, due to his absence in Long Beach in favor of the WEC race in Imola, can now only help Aitken to become champion. “When you have such an incredible car, many things become easier.” He sees the reason for the superiority in intensive simulator preparation.

The next round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship is the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen on June 28. This race does not clash with the 24 Hours of Nürburgring as in 2025, but with the 24 Hours of Spa.

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