Zandvoort (NL), 21 May, 2025 - The GT4 European Series headed into the second round of the 2025 season this past weekend. TeamFloral was once again on the grid with the #1 Mustang GT4, driven by Nathan Vanspringel and Michiel Haverans. The young Belgian drivers made another solid step forward by the North Sea, with their sights set on truly shining at their home race.
With 43 cars on the entry list, the popularity of the GT4 European Series was once again on display. The European GT4 championship continues to attract packed grids, and the level of drivers and teams remains impressively high. In this highly competitive field, Nathan Vanspringel and Michiel Haverans took on their second race weekend with West Flanders-based TeamFloral, fielding the spectacular Ford Mustang GT4.
Improving qualifying
During qualifying – one session per driver – both Nathan Vanspringel and Michiel Haverans clocked in with the 16th fastest time in a field of 43 cars.
“A solid result in itself, but let’s be honest: there’s more potential,” says team manager Jean-Marc Valckenaere. “GT4 European Series qualifying sessions are short – barely ten minutes – and in that tight window, you need to nail a perfect lap. That only happens when the full potential of the tires, front and rear, is maximized. That’s an area where we can still grow. Both the team and drivers are learning. Had we been just half a second faster in Zandvoort, we would’ve started from P8 and P7 – that changes the entire race outlook.”
After Saturday’s qualifying sessions came the first race in the evening on a cold Dutch track. That’s when misfortune struck. Nathan Vanspringel drove a solid first half, but just before the pit stops, a part from another car pierced one of the Mustang GT4’s tires.
“Luckily, there was some good fortune in that bad luck: we were able to change the tire during the mandatory pit stop, but still lost around twenty seconds,” says Nathan Vanspringel. “Michiel then began chasing back and climbed from around 30th to 20th. Without that puncture, we could have been near the top ten.”
Onward to the mighty Belgian Ardennes
On Sunday, the team finished 14th, clear proof that the pace is there. “If we can qualify further up the grid, we can definitely aim for the top ten,” says Michiel Haverans. “That’s our next target. The car felt great – the balance of the Mustang GT4 is really spot on. We’ll be working flat out to show our full potential during our home race at Spa-Francorchamps on June 27-28!”
TeamFloral also scored their first points of the season in Zandvoort and are eager to build on that momentum for their Belgian fans during the legendary race weekend in the Ardennes.