Garage 59 McLaren driver Tom Fleming joked he felt like a rock star after securing a Barcelona FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 podium, having only managed two hours of sleep during a weekend that unfolded into a whirlwind as he competed across two series.
Fleming was among a select quartet of drivers who balanced WEC commitments with a run in the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS finale at Portimão.
He came narrowly short of clinching the Endurance Cup Gold Cup at Portimão on Saturday, admitting that the odds were heavily stacked against them as he chased the class lead in the race’s closing stages.
His pursuit of the leading Selected Car Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo ended in disappointment when Fleming incurred damage after clipping a curb, and his car was later disqualified for operating outside its Balance of Performance requirements.
Complicating matters, Fleming’s flight from Faro to Barcelona was delayed by thunderstorms, meaning he reached his Spanish hotel at 6 a.m. CEST on Sunday morning just ahead of the WEC contest.
“I was meant to land at Barcelona airport around 1:30 a.m., but because of the weather we were diverted to Marbella, spent 90 minutes there, then headed back to Barcelona once conditions cleared,” Fleming told Sportscar365.
“I landed at the hotel at 6 a.m., grabbed two hours’ sleep, and then headed straight back to the circuit. It was a huge task and a big challenge to get back out there today.”
Despite missing the first two Barcelona practice sessions due to his Portimão commitments, Fleming had secured class pole in the No. 10 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.
“Even during the out-lap as I was preparing my tires, I was still adapting to how the Goodyear tires feel compared with the Pirelli ones we use in GTWC Europe,” he explained.
“It’s the same car, but the approach needed to keep the car within the window is quite different. I was very pleased to have grabbed pole for the class while still not feeling entirely settled.”
The No. 10 McLaren’s FIA-rated Bronze driver Antares Au initially led but slipped back in the opening hour, and a puncture occurred while Fleming was challenging the No. 88 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 EVO — an incident Fleming described as “unnecessary contact” — which disrupted the squad’s race.
Fleming then fought back through the order before stablemate Marvin Kirchhöfer finally claimed second with roughly ten minutes remaining after overtaking the No. 69 WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
On the puncture, Fleming said: “I’m not saying it cost us the win, but it cost us the chance because then we were stuck behind the No. 69.”
“While the Porsche (No. 92 Manthey car that dominated) were out front managing, we were trying to pick up the pieces and get back into contention, so we were in a very different race today.”
“We got quite lucky with the Virtual Safety Car, and that completely reshaped our race.”
“All things considered, I really enjoyed it — the car was quick, the team did an amazing job, and Marvin and Antares too.”
Looking back on his demanding double-duty weekend, Fleming concluded: “It was a really enjoyable experience; I could have done with a bit more sleep, but I’d definitely do it again.”
