* We're about to hit one-quarter distance. And, after a long delay, we're about to go green. We'll now switch over to the second part of our coverage, which you can find here.
* The #46 BMW has stopped for a second time to fit slicks. Valentino Rossi went to wets during his previous stop.
* It would seem that the #888 Mercedes-AMG has gone off at Raidillon while we're still behind the Safety Car. We're being told that Martin Konrad is already out of the car. However that would seem to be game over for Triple Eight JMR.
* Still running behind the Safety Car. The order is #7 Aston Martin (Sorensen), #2 Mercedes-AMG (Stolz), #32 BMW (Van der Linde). The #60 Mercedes-AMG has popped up in P4 overall and leads the Gold Cup. The #93 Ferrari is out front (by a distance) in Bronze and the #21 Aston Martin tops the Silver Cup. In Pro-Am, the #100 McLaren tops the class.
* Slicks and wets are the only two compounds so that's as much of a mix as we can offer you.
* Safety Car on-track. Most cars have now taken their scheduled stops and there's a real mix of tyres: some are on slicks, some on west.
* The #88 Audi has been craned away. That's a real shame for a car that's performed brilliantly since Qualifying.
* It's really raining now. This could be the downpour we've been expecting. The #88 Audi is the first to fall victim to the conditions: Leonardo Moncini is beached in the gravel. This will be a Full-Course Yellow.
* The #46 BMW has tipped the #51 Ferrari into a spin at the final chicane. That could well land the Doctor with a penalty. He's still P4, the #51 drops to ninth.
* The sixth hour is upon us, boys and girls. We're 60 minutes away from one-quarter distance.
* Lead change. The #7 Aston Martin passes the #46 BMW at Les Combes. On the following lap, the Rossi-driven BMW also drops behind the #2 Mercedes-AMG and the sister #32 BMW.
* We've just completed the 100th lap (at the centenary CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa). We have 42 cars on the lead lap.
* The #188 McLaren was due a stop, but it's been pushed into the garage for what looks like a brake disc change. It's rolling again now but has lost about three minutes. That can't be its technical pit stop as this must be taken between the 11th and 22nd hours.
Smalley has now stopped and thus surrendered both the overall and Bronze Cup lead.That means Valentino Rossi leads at Spa aboard the #46 Team WRT BMW.
* The #188 McLaren also leads the way in the Bronze Cup. Your other class leaders are the #777 Mercedes-AMG in Gold (P8); the #57 Mercedes-AMG in Silver (P12); and the #43 McLaren in Pro-Am.
* So the situation is that the #188 McLaren leads with Adam Smalley at the wheel. He's due to stop in about 10 minutes time, which will hand first place to Valentino Rossi in the #46 BMW. The Italian is currently half a second shy of the Garage 59 car.
* And we're green again. Let's hope we can keep it that way for a while.
* We're pleased to report that all drivers involved in the earlier accident are OK. Christian Hook, Adrian D'Silva and Nicolas Baert have all been checked out and have returned to their teams.
* And that's the #96 in too. Sven Müller pulls the Rutronik Porsche into the pits for repairs after his clash with the #22 at the hairpin.
* Back to full course yellow. Racing neutralised to retrieve the #22 Porsche, which has stopped at the side of the track after contact with the #96 Rutronik car at La Source.
* Change of leader! Raffaele Marciello has arrived at Spa! He pounces on the green flag restart to pass Drudi's Aston Martin and put the #46 WRT BMW into the lead.
* More trouble for the #992 Porsche. A big spin up Raidillon, but Patrick Pilet keeps it out of the barrier but is parked off the track. The team fully rebuilt that machine on Thursday, but it's been plagued by bad luck. The machine now is rolling, so we avoid another FCY.
* Back to green after a saftey car period.
* And we are back underway. The #188 Garage 59 McLaren leads us away ahead of the #22 Schumacher CLRT Porsche, but they both owe us a stop.
* Oooooh. Heavy rain predicted from 10pm-3am. Teams have been told to check their equipment. Strong winds and thunderstorms, apparently. Michael Fish would probably disagree.
* It's not going well for the Lambos. Barwell Motorsport's #78 Huracan is off in the gravel at Fagnes, and driver Till Bechtolscheimer is beached. That'll be a FCY.
* Trouble for the #98 Rowe BMW! Last year's winning car is pushed back into the garage and there's a lot of attention to the front end. Looks like a water leak. This was not the plan for that crew.
* We have our first real incident of the race. The rain has begun to fall and, within moments of the Safety Car pulling in, there's a multi-car collision involving (*Deep Breath*) the #26 Saintéloc Audi (which finds the wall), the #158 Garage 59 McLaren, the #92 SSR Herberth Porsche, the #77 HRT Mercedes-AMG and the #16 Uno Mercedes-AMG. That brings another Safety Car but we're racing again.
* Here's how they run at the start of the fourth hour. The #51 AF Corse – Francorchamps Ferrari is out front with Alessio Rovera at the wheel.
* This has become a Safety Car. And we can confirm that it is spitting – just a few drops – with rain.
* The #38 Haas RT Audi is in the wall. It looks like Les Combes and it's definitely a FCY, most likely soon to be a Safety Car. We were right at the end of the stint so everyone has stopped.
* The #7 Comtoyou Aston Martin goes sixth with a pass on the #9 Mercedes-AMG. There's also a Vantage in fifth – that's the #34 Walkenhorst car – so the new car is going along nicely.
* Full-Course Yellow to retrieve debris from Raidillon. It's a quick one – well done, marshal – an we're green again. That was all so fast that we won't bother posting the relevant graphics.
* We have a change for the Gold Cup lead and P3 overall. The #88 Audi of Superpole sensation Lorenzo Patrese has overhauled the simialr #25 machine driven by local man Ugo De Wilde.
* Top of the hour class-lead update. Overall we have the #51 Ferrari, which is 9 seconds clear of the closest challenger. The #25 Saintéloc Audi continues to lead in Gold and is a very impressive P3 overall. The #188 Garage 59 McLaren remains out front in Bronze in 22nd overall. In Silver it's the #10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG (P26) and Pro-Am is led by the #16 Uno Mercedes-AMG (36th).
* The stops have cycled through and the #51 Ferrari back out front. Alessandro Pier Guidi is now at the wheel. The #2 Mercedes-AMG has jumped to second. That's partluy because the #163 Lamborghini had a slow stop – about 15 seconds slower than the average – and slips to 11th.
* The second round of scheduled pit stops is underway. Davide Rigon brings the #51 Ferrari in from the lead, followed by the #163 Lamborghini. Pretty much everyone will be in over the next few minutes to be within the maximum stint time.
* The leader has a puncture! The right rear has deflated on the #48 Mercedes-AMG and he's quickly in the pits. Maro Engel takes over behind the wheel and the car recieves a fresh set of Pirellis, but way down the order to 59th spot. It's off sequence, too.
* Philipp Sager has just spun the #54 Porsche at the Bus Stop. But he gathers it up and gets going again without any serious loss of time. That car is currently P60. One car out: the #97 Porsche, which caused the earlier FCY and Safety Car, is in the pits and quite possibly going no further.
* Class leaders as we hit 15 minutes in the second hour. Overall, as we mentioned, is the #48 Mercedes-AMG. Saintéloc Racing is out front in the Gold Cup with its #25 Audi, which is fifth overall. The #188 Garage 59 McLaren tops the Bronze Cup in P14 overall. Silver is the #10 Boutsen VDS Mercedes-AMG (P28). And Pro-Am is the #16 Uno Mercedes-AMG (43rd)
* Lucas Auer leads the race aboard the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter. Looooooong way to go but "Luggi" has been really impressive thus far. He's followed by Rigon (#51 Ferrari), Stolz (#2 Mercedes-AMG), Perera (#163 Lamborghini) and Magnus (#25 Audi).
* The #88 Audi just had all four wheels off the ground through Raidillon. He's lost a position – indeed, the class lead – to the #25 Audi, but he lives to fight another day. Tresor Attempto Racing is out front in the Gold Cup with its #88 Audi, which is fourth overall. The #188 Garage 59 McLaren tops the Bronze Cup in P10 overall. Silver is the #26 Saintéloc Audi (P31). And Pro-Am is the #16 Uno Mercedes-AMG (40th).
* And indeed it does not. We're green again with 7 minutes left until the end of the first hour.
* This Safety Car is really just a chance to bunch the field and warm tyres. It won't last long.
* And now we have a Safety Car. For reference, the FCY began at 33 minutes and the Safety Car arrived at 48 minutes.
* One lap later, almost everyone else stops. So we are now pretty much all on the same sequence. But that's hurt the #163 Lambo, which slips to fifth.
* There will be no wave-by during this FCY. However there will be pit stops. The leading #48 Mercedes-AMG stops first, along with the #51 Ferrari (from third) and the #2 Mercedes-AMG (from fifth). In fact, the bulk of the top 30 are in – though erstwhile leader Perera in the #163 Lamborghini is not.
* Full-course yellow. Dustin Blattner is beached at T13 (Pif-Paf). The #52 Ferrari may also have been involved.
* Change for the lead. The #48 Mercedes-AMG gets a run on the #163 Lamborghini on the approach to the final chicane and Lucas Auer makes a late dive to remove Franck Perera from top spot. The Austrian is clearing off, too.
* Class leaders after 10 minutes? Sure. The #163 Grasser Lamborghini leads overall with Franck Perera at the wheel. Tresor Attempto Racing is out front in the Gold Cup with its #88 Audi, which is fourth overall. The #188 Garage 59 McLaren tops the Bronze Cup in P10 overall. Silver is the #26 Saintéloc Audi (P31). And Pro-Am is the #16 Uno Mercedes-AMG (40th).
* Very early problems for the #52 AF Corse Ferrari. The car wouldn't fire and had to be push-started by the marshals. It is now running and has made up one spot to run 65th.
* The top five has not changed from the grid line-up. So the #163 Lamborghini leads from the #48 Mercedes-AMG, the #51 Ferrari and the #2 Mercedes-AMG.
* A very clean start with no incidents to speak of. That's one lap down. Just 23 hours and 58 minutes to go!
* About half an hour until we get underway. If you're new to the race or just need a refresh, here's some handy info to help you follow the centenary CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
* We're just over an hour away from the start of the centenary race and the grandstands are packing out – particularly those at Raidillon and on the run down to Eau Rouge. It looks like we'll have a full house once the action gets underway at 16:30.
* Today's race can be watch live (and free) pretty much everywhere in the world thanks to the GT World YouTube channel. Below you can see when we go racing where you are. Here's the GT World link. In terms of languages, the race will air in English, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese and Chinese.
* Welcome to our live coverage of the 2024 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the centenary edition of the biggest GT race in the world. Over the next 24-and-a-bit hours we'll bring you updates from Spa-Francorchamps as a 66-car field tackles this epic endurance challenge. Excited? Just a bit.