The Supercheap Auto wildcard driver was a late call-up for Porsche squad Muhlner Motorsport in its Bronze-class #123 entry.
Such was the late nature of the entry, Hall travelled directly to Europe from Darwin following the second round of his maiden Super2 campaign.
Hall joined fellow Australian Andres Latorre alongside Germany’s Tobias Muller and Belgian Armand Fumal.
Latorre saw Hall’s potential and offered the 22-year-old a chance to test an LMP2 car at Silverstone with Portuguese squad Algarve Pro Racing, of which Latorre is a co-owner.
“Andres and I worked extremely well together at Spa and I am extremely grateful for him acknowledging my talent and giving me a chance to drive such an incredible car on an even more amazing track,” Hall said.
“He’s helped many other young Australians establish themselves in European GT racing and his guidance will be invaluable.”
In an impressive debut, Hall completed 178 laps of the iconic Ardennes circuit, spending over 9.5 hours behind the wheel.
“It was an absolute pinch-yourself moment to be standing on the grid and attending the drivers’ briefing alongside some of the very best GT3 drivers in the world,” Hall said.
“It’s the biggest event I’ve ever been involved in, and the atmosphere was something I’ll truly never forget.
“I was very proud to have my Dad travelling with me to Belgium, and standing on that start grid.
“We were reminiscing about the early days when we were sleeping in our trailer at race events and racing club level karts together.
“To reflect on where this journey has taken us is honestly surreal.
“Coming down towards Eau Rouge at night, seeing the laser shows and rooftop parties, with the full moon through the forest and hundreds of thousands of fans around the circuit was extraordinary.
“It will be one of those life experiences for me that will never be forgotten.”
Hall noted the physical and mental drain of endurance racing, but described it as “absolutely worth it” stating, “I cannot wait to do it again”.
“Endurance racing is so much more than what happens when you are in the car,” he added.
,”You are constantly working with your team, teammates, engineers and drivers, helping wherever and however you can throughout the race.”
Competing amongst a 17-strong Bronze field as a Silver-licensed driver, Hall showed impressive speed and consistency compared to his peers, even including Gold and Platinum-rated Porsche stars.
Hall’s average lap time of 2m20.688s was comparable to several Gold-rated drivers, and faster than a large portion of the Silver contingent.
With limited GT3 experience, Hall described his pace as “one of the biggest positives to take away”.
”We were racing against drivers with years of GT3 experience at the highest level, and to be able to compare favourably with some of those guys was definitely a confidence boost,” Hall said.
The team’s race came to an end with just under three hours remaining when a tyre failure pitched Müller into the wall.
Hall has pivoted towards Supercars this year, moving from Porsche Carrera Cup into Super2, and being drafted in alongside Craig Lowndes in the Supercheap Auto wildcard.
Despite the shift, Hall still acknowledged the opportunities provided by the Spa event to network and build relationships in the GT world.
”The Spa 24 Hour is really the hub of world GT3 racing,” said Hall.
”Every major manufacturer and top team is there, so it was a great opportunity to network, meet people and understand what different manufacturers and junior programs are looking at for the future.”
Following the Silverstone test, Hall will go directly from England to China for Round 3 of China GT with Climax Racing at the Zhuhai International Circuit on July 24-26, before jetting back to Perth for the next Super2 event the following weekend.
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