Red Ant Racing continues to lead the 24H SERIES 992 Teams’ title chase heading into the 24H SERIES powered by Hankook season finale, despite a difficult Hankook 12H MISANO weekend that saw both of its Porsche 922 GT3 Cups retire from the event. 

Red Ant Racing’s #903 Porsche still holds an 18-point lead over its sister #904 in the 992 Teams’ championship fight, with only reigning 992-AM Teams’ champion RPM Racing capable of unseating the Belgian team at the Hankook 24H BARCELONA season finale in September. This, despite an undiagnosed mechanical issue and a cooling issue eliminating both of Red Ant’s Porsche 992 GT3 Cups from this past weekend’s Hankook 12H MISANO. 

Following on from the 903’s consecutive class wins in Mugello, Spa and Portimão, plus the 904’s back-to-back runners-up spots in Belgium and Portugal, Red Ant Racing looked set to be the team to beat once again in Misano: the pair qualified 1st and 2nd in-class, and finished 1-2 in two out of the three 15-minute sessions. “Maybe it went too well!” quips Red Ant team boss Bert Redant.

Misfortune struck the team early on Saturday however when Kobe de Breucker brought the 903 onto pitroad with a left rear puncture after just 30 minutes. De Breucker, who drove with Ayrton and Yannick Redant in Italy, had recovered to 5th in-class after the first hour, but was still more than 25 seconds behind the sister #904 Porsche – driven by Brent Verheyen, Peter Guelinckx and Michiel Haverans – in 2nd. The RPM Racing Porsche meanwhile, which leapfrogged both Red Ant Racing entries after an electric start by Philip Hamprecht, was half-a-minute further up the road.

Sadly, during the third hour, the #903’s race was all but over as Red Ant Racing’s mechanics were unable to find the source of a suspected electrical problem behind a significant drop in power. After losing more than an hour in the pits, and though the team continued running an ‘extensive test session,’ the #903 was officially retired shortly after half-distance. 

The #904 meanwhile, while running 2nd, followed its sister entry into retirement during the eighth hour when a snapped drive belt caused the Porsche’s flat-six to overheat in the scorching Adriatic temperatures. The 2024 Hankook 12H MISANO thus became the first 24H SERIES event yet where neither Red Ant Racing Porsche was a classified finisher. 

“During the race, the asphalt was boiling hot and that had consequences for the tyres,” Redant continues. “I think each of our two cars had already had a flat tyre or two or three, when another blowout on the #904 caused serious damage. The water pump belt was broken, causing overheating. The #903 also had constant problems, but we didn't want to force anything, especially because we can afford a scrap result.”

Ironically, bad luck similarly befell RPM Racing as a brake issue ultimately cost the German team a well-deserved win almost in sight of the flag. While the 992-AM Teams’ standings leader did recoup 36 points to Red Ant Racing in Misano, Bert Redant feels his team’s chances of securing a second 992 Teams’ title in Barcelona remain high…

“We would have to have as much bad luck as last weekend,” Redant continues. “And given the high demands we place on ourselves, I suspect that the chance of that happening is small.”

Despite a disastrous Misano weekend, 2022 992 Drivers’ ‘Europe’ champions Aryton and Yannick Redant remain at the top of this year’s standings, 18 points clear of Verheyen, Guelinckx and Haverans. Red Ant Racing also salvaged a tough weekend the following day at Imola, when two-time World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä took his maiden win in Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux with the Belgian team.