Night has fallen over the Ring, but the action is far from over. After nine hours, the two Mercedes-AMG GT3s, #3 and #80, are slowly pulling further ahead. The chasing pack is already split by margins of several minutes, yet there is still plenty of wheel-to-wheel action further back, not least in the battle for third. The Rowe BMW #99 has found a way past the Walkenhorst Aston Martin #34 and now heads the pursuit of the leading duo. Bad luck, however, for the #1 Rowe sister car, which had to retire due to problems with the refuelling system. Rounding out the leading group after nine hours is the BMW Touring #81 in fifth place. Another notable retirement in this phase is the Falken Porsche #44, which misjudged an overtaking move after eight and a half hours and came to a halt after making contact at the side of the track.
#1 Farfus / Marciello / Pepper / van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3 EVO)
22:58 – The defending champions’ car is in the pits, with Raffaele Marciello remaining at the wheel. Repairs are being carried out to the front splitter.
23:21 – The defending champions’ car is out of the race early in the night. A fuel-supply issue, which had already caused trouble at the previous stop, could not be resolved quickly enough.
23:47 – Rowe Racing team principal Hans-Peter Naundorf: “We had refuelling issues with car #1. The fuel wasn’t flowing properly and the refuelling process kept stopping. We tried several things in the pits to solve the problem, but unfortunately without success. We’ll have to take a closer look at it back at the workshop. That’s why, unfortunately, we’ve had to retire the car.”
#3 Verstappen / Auer / Gounon / Juncadella (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
22:53 – Daniel Juncadella takes over the car from Lucas Auer.
23:18 – Lucas Auer: “It was really difficult. In my first stint the conditions were mixed, so we were on intermediates for a while, but overall I felt comfortable and it didn’t go too badly. It was a solid double stint.”
23:23 – Daniel Juncadella passes Luca Stolz in the #80 Engel / Stolz / Schiller / Martin (Mercedes-AMG GT3) to take the lead.
#4 Goroyan / Kivtka / Berthon / Fontana (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26)
22:35 – Oleg Kvitka was too fast under a double yellow phase, resulting in a 91-second stop-and-go penalty.
#7 Stalidzane / Paul / Engelhart / Lefterov (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2)
22:43 – Patricija Stalidzane: “That was my biggest challenge today. Because of the weather conditions, because of all the action that has happened so far. Unfortunately, our power steering pump failed or lost oil. We had to repair that, so we lost a lot of time in the pits and therefore our position as well, which is of course very painful. We’ll definitely keep pushing anyway. The car is running again at the moment, but we really lost a lot of time. We came here to fight for the win. It was very clear to see that we had the pace for it.”
#8 Veremenko / SELV / Erhart (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
23:57 – The car is in the pits as the mechanics take fresh measurements. The headlights are also being readjusted. There is plenty of activity around the Ingolstadt-built machine.
#19 van Roon / Coronel / Kohlhaas / Huisman (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
22:12 – The car is stationary at marshal post 26 (Goodyear hairpin) but is then able to continue slowly.
#32 Nakayama / Gülden / Sandtler (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
23:56 – The Toyo AMG receives an 89-second time penalty for ignoring a double yellow phase.
#40 Posavac / Funke / Strycek / Carmona Chavez (BMW E89 Z4 (EVO 2013))
23:28 – The “Zetti” is parked on the grass to the right of the track just before Pflanzgarten. There has been an impact, but the driver is okay.
#44 Bachler / Heinemann / Müller / Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26)
22:08 – Klaus Bachler receives a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for his collision with car #81.
22:41 – Pit stop for refuelling.
23:32 – Morris Schuring misjudges a move while lapping traffic and hits the guardrail at Flugplatz. The young Dutchman is only able to continue at reduced speed.
23:39 – Leaves the track in the Hohe Acht section.
#48 Arrow / Assenheimer / Müller / Pereira (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26)
22:09 – Change from cut slicks to slicks.
#62 Adelson / Asch / Ludwig / Winkelhock (HWA EVO.R)
23:25 – Sebastian Asch: “The car has been working reasonably well so far. We took a gamble on the tyres and I had to do three dry laps on wets. That wasn’t too bad. Then we switched to slicks and started making our way back up the order. Unfortunately, we now seem to have a leak somewhere in the cooling system. The guys are looking at it right now. They say it will probably take a little longer, but the car will definitely be back out.”
#65 Haupt / Kolb / Schumacher / Caresani (Ford Mustang GT3 EVO (2026))
23:07 – Hubert Haupt has just completed his stint and handed over to Vincent Kolb: “It went very well. We were the fastest Pro-Am team, the track was dry and the atmosphere out there is fantastic. It’s incredible. There isn’t a single corner without spectators. The car is running brilliantly, so that was huge fun. Things are a bit calmer out on track now; you always have to survive those first five hours. I say that every year. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage it with one of the cars, but everything is running smoothly now.”
#67 Olsen / Mies / Vervisch / Stippler (Ford Mustang GT3 EVO (2026))
22:52 – Frederic Vervisch: “Dennis and Chris have driven very well so far. When I took over the car, the conditions were very difficult. Wet, dry, wet – going out on slicks into wet conditions. It was very hard just to survive. Not ideal conditions. But typical for here. We’re in the top 10 at the moment and we’re trying to survive the night and move further forward. I felt the podium was possible, but we lost a lot here in the mixed conditions.”
#71 Blank / Kaffer / Großmann / Jöns (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
22:35 – Impact in the Kesselchen section; able to continue slowly.
23:00 – Pierre Kaffer explains after his stint why he went off the track in Kesselchen: “Actually, it wasn’t a big deal. Before Kesselchen I tried to overtake someone and got onto the wet strip and then onto the grass. I lost the car there and had to come into the pits.”
#77 Wittmann / Eng / Weerts / Frijns (BMW M4 GT3 EVO)
22:54 – Robin Frijns: “To be honest, it didn’t go well. I think we were on the wrong tyres when the rain started, and we probably lost about a lap because of that.”
#80 Engel / Stolz / Schiller / Martin (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
22:03 – Change of lead: Luca Stolz overtook the #3 Verstappen / Auer / Gounon / Juncadella (Mercedes-AMG GT3) on the Döttinger Höhe.
22:25 – Fabian Schiller: “That was my first double stint of this year’s 24h. I was in the car from 19:00 until around 21:30 and it went pretty smoothly. We had a good car and made the right tyre choice, which was a very helpful combination. So far everything has gone according to plan. Our strategy was simply to stay behind the #3 car and avoid any unnecessary battle. That’s how we started the stint, and that’s how we came back in.”
22:52 – Comes in for a pit stop – once again at the same time as team-mates in the #3 Verstappen / Auer / Gounon / Juncadella (Mercedes-AMG GT3).
22:52 – Luca Stolz will remain in the car after the pit stop as well – he is completing a double stint.
#81 Klingmann / de Wilde / de Phillippi / Verhagen (BMW M3 Touring 24h)
22:19 – Connor de Phillippi after his stint: “It was my first stint at the Nürburgring 24h and it was really fun. We were out on slicks, there was light rain on the track, and there were lots of Code 60 phases – so plenty of action right from the start. At one point I had some exciting duels with the overall leader. We definitely had really good pace. Then it started to rain a bit harder, so we had to come into the pits and switch to intermediates. We held our own well, weren’t necessarily the fastest, but we kept up the pace of the front group, which was really our only goal. And now we’re switching back to slicks and letting Jens drive us back towards the front, so to speak.”
#89 Knappmeier / Knappmeier / Groneck (VW GOLF 7 GTI TCR DSG)
22:52 – Maik Knappmeier was too fast during a double-yellow phase, resulting in a 66-second stop-and-go penalty.
#95 Kiefer / Kiefer / Kiefer / Rettenbacher (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
23:02 – Luca Rettenbacher: “I did a double stint at the start. The first stint was very changeable because the track was slightly damp and there was light rain on and off. It was difficult to adapt when some corners were wet and others were dry. The second stint was dry and went very well. Let’s see where we end up. The atmosphere out there is fantastic. Every now and then I almost feel like swapping places just to take a better look at it all.”
23:36 – Stationary at marshal post 74 (Hocheichen) after hitting the guardrail on the right.
#99 Harper / Hesse / Van der Linde / Vanthoor (BMW M4 GT3 EVO)
23:00 – The second Rowe BMW in third place also comes in for a stop, with Max Hesse staying in the car.
23:47 – Was able to get past Christian Krognes in the #34 Krognes / Drudi / Thiim / Fernandez Laser (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO) and take over third place.
#152 Oepen / Koger / Launhardt (BMW 325CI*)
23:27 – Christian Koger: “I drove a double stint. At the beginning we were on wet tyres, then we came in and switched back to cut slicks, which work very well in the cold temperatures. It got darker and darker, but it was still good to drive. I had a small excursion into the grass and spun. I came back onto the track, but luckily the two cars behind me were paying attention. There was no collision.”
23:38 – At 25 years old, the little BMW from SP4 is likely one of the “seniors” in the field. Running in P125 overall, the team is putting up a brave fight and is holding its own alongside some of the SP4T cars.
#171 Walker / Ullström / Hagnauer / Klasen (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS)
22:37 – Arno Klasen was too fast during a double-yellow phase, resulting in an 84-second stop-and-go penalty.
#177 Harrison / Nicolae / Smith / Vasilescu (BMW M4 GT4 EVO (G82))
23:28 – Stationary at marshal post 103 (Metzgesfeld).
#277 Müller / Seibel / Geisler / Harris (BMW 318ti (E36) *)
22:43 – Retires with engine damage.
#320 Smudo / Bollerslev / van Ramshorst / López Cesaratto (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992.1))
23:11 – The Four Motors Porsche fell short of the minimum stationary time in the pit lane, resulting in a 37-second time penalty.
#415 Köppen / Rings / Arend / Arnold (Porsche 911 Carrera*)
23:42 – Maximilian Arnold was too fast during a double-yellow phase, resulting in an 86-second stop-and-go penalty.
#418 Lamadrid / Mendieta Blanco / Ramirez / Jünger (Porsche Cayman S*)
22:56 – Tabea Jünger: “It was my first time driving at night, so it was definitely exciting. On the last lap I was hit on the left-rear wheel and spun once. I thought there might be bodywork damage, but luckily there wasn’t. The steering was still straight and the car felt good. I’ve got four hours off now, then I’ll be back in for the night stint. Out on track you can clearly smell the barbecues, and every now and then you can also see smoke from barbecue or fireworks.”
#480 Dupré / Nett / Nett (Audi S3-Lim*)
22:05 – The leading Audi S3 in the VT2 Front class goes off the track in Breidscheid after an impact at Wehrseifen.
#500 Stahlschmidt / Leisen / Zils / Sub7BTG (BMW 330i*)
22:57 – Stahlschmidt in the BMW 330i is not only leading the VT2 Rear class, but is currently also the fastest production car in the field.
#519 Tack / Röss / Röss (Toyota Supra*)
22:55 – Comes in for a pit stop.
#577 Obermann / Leissing / Rosam / Trompeter (Cupra Leon Competición TCR)
22:07 – The outstanding penalties are combined into a 135-second time penalty.
23:41 – Comes into the pits with gearbox problems.
#632 Broadbent / Brown / Charoudin / Metzger (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992.1))
23:54 – After his stint, Misha Charoudin shows parts of an exploded brake disc. Fortunately, the team can continue the race and is not only P33 overall, but also still P1 in class.
#652 Opran / Boutonnet / Laparra / Kravets (BMW M240i Racing Cup*)
23:56 – The second-placed car in the BMW M240i class receives a time penalty for disrespecting a double-yellow signal.
#665 Ullrich / Steffens / Von der Sanden / Reinhard (BMW M240i Racing Cup*)
22:57 – The Giti BMW fell short of the minimum stationary time in the pit lane, resulting in a 34-second time penalty.
#776 Vallers / Gabbiani / Ahlin-Kottulinsky / Eis (Audi RS3 LMS SEQ)
23:59 – Impact in the area of marshal post 100 (Adenauer Forst). The driver has got out.
#777 Krohn / Jönsson / Hamprecht / Huisman (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
22:37 – Nic Jönsson was too fast during a double-yellow phase, resulting in a 71-second stop-and-go penalty.
#900 Hardt / Hites Michelson / Koslowski / Meijer (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
23:49 – As the best Cup 2 Porsche, the team is currently running in P27 – making it the first to break into the group of Top Qualifying cars (SP9/GT3, AT1, SPX, SP-Pro).
#911 Estre / Güven / Preining / Campbell (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26)
23:11 – Kevin Estre: “Unfortunately, the race was over for us very quickly. I was in my second stint, on my second lap, in Brünnchen. I overtook another car and suddenly lost the rear because of oil on the track. Unfortunately, there were no flags and no one in front of me who could have warned me. I hit the barrier and the rear was badly damaged. I’m very sorry for the whole team. They did a great job all week, as always, so the situation is simply hard to accept. Unfortunately, motorsport is sometimes like that, and especially at the Nürburgring a lot can always happen. Thanks to all the fans for the fantastic support! I couldn’t be more grateful and I was very happy to see so many people at the track.”
#941 Rziczny / van der Snel / van der Snel / Erlbacher (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
23:08 – And #952 Kraus / Saltvedt / Koch / Lindloff (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Type 982)) is stationary in the Hohe Acht section beside the track in the guardrail.
#962 Oberheim / Miemois / Stegmann / Wiedmann (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
23:14 – Niclas Wiedmann: “The stint was very mixed. We had to start on wet tyres, but as the stint went on the track dried out and we were able to switch to slicks. Unfortunately, I had very little dry-track running beforehand, so I first had to get used to it. I also wasn’t entirely happy with our lights because, for my taste, visibility wasn’t good enough. But it looks like we’re in first place in our class; my teammates also had a really strong start. I couldn’t quite keep up with the pace.”
#967 Rich / Sekkat / Mann / Hislop (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
22:02 – Stationary at marshal post 93 (Fuchsröhre) – probably after an impact.
22:06 – Stationary on the right after an accident in Fuchsröhre.
23:46 – Josh Hislop: “I think, like everyone else, for us so far it’s mainly been about somehow finding a way through the chaos. There have of course been lots of slow zones, changeable conditions and oil spills. The race has really thrown everything it has at us. Actually, things were going quite well for us, but unfortunately we were hit from behind in Fuchsröhre, which sent us into the guardrail. Right now the team at Sorg Rennsport is putting in a proper shift to hopefully get the car back out on track for us soon. Of course, that’s not the ideal start to the race, but there’s still a long way to go, so we’ll wait and see what happens.”
#978 Baunack / Lamsouguer / Handrick / Mönch (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
23:36 – And the #175 Derenne / Kautz / Bard / Vazquez (Mercedes-AMG GT4) is stationary after an impact in the Sabine Schmitz turn area.