While the “Grello” continues to lead the race, the second-placed #33 Falken Porsche was forced out of the race through no fault of its own when it collided head-on with another Porsche that was facing in the opposite direction. The #98 Rowe BMW in third place, which was directly behind, was just able to avoid the collision but received a 32-second penalty for another contact. The defending champion, the #1 Scherer Porsche, also had to retire early due to accident damage.
#1 Haase / Ludwig / Winkelhock (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
9:30 p.m. pit stop with tire change, Christopher Haase stays in the car
10:47 p.m. had an impact and is traveling at a slow speed
10:55 p.m.: Luca Ludwig comes into the pit lane and the team pushes him into the pits.
#7 Soufi / Paul / Elkmann / Lefterov (Lamborghini Huracan GT3)
9:16 p.m. Danny Soufy: “It’s quite difficult in the car. The traffic is as crazy as ever, but surprisingly there were no incidents with other cars. The sun was difficult because I didn’t have the right visor. I often drove blind into the corners. I don’t know if it’s the hardest 24 hours ever, but it’s definitely pretty tough. I’m going to drink a lot now and eat something and regenerate as much as I can, because it’s going to take a while before I get back in the car.”
#8 Veremenko / SELV / Erhart / Kaffer (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
10:59 p.m. Pierre Kaffer: “Unfortunately, SELV had a small contact with the guardrail. We now have to change the tie rod at the rear and the front right too. That will take a little time.”
#10 Kruse / Lenz / Stanco / Stanco (VW GOLF 7 GTI TCR DSG)
9:21 p.m. Max Kruse: “It’s been good so far. My first stint is over, the second one is coming soon. Due to the delay caused by the power outage, we changed our plan a bit. I go back into the car and drive into the night. It’s fun so far. Of course, it’s different whether you walk around at 30 degrees or have 80 degrees in the car. That’s why you’re pretty exhausted after eight rounds. But then you also have three and a half hours to rest.”
#13 Albrecht / Knechtges / Asch / Bliss (VW Beetle RSR)
9:11 p.m.: The Beetle is in the pits.
9:14 p.m. Oliver Bliss: “Actually, we wanted to stay out for three more laps, but we had an enormous loss of power. The charge air system is tight. We are now checking whether it is due to the electrics. It’s a pity!”
9:24 p.m.: You get a 30-second penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane
#14 Engel / Martin / Schiller / Stolz (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
9:06 p.m. comes to the pit stop
#17 Aron / Auer / Christodoulou / Grenier (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
9:07 p.m. comes to the pit stop
#27 Pepper / Bortolotti / Juncadella (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2)
10:58 p.m .: The team changes the left rear drive shaft.
#30 Walkenhorst / Breuer / Aust / Bollrath (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO)
10:05 p.m. pit stop with driver change to Jörg Breuer
10:13 p.m. Henry Walkenhorst: “It’s very warm in the car, and what is called ventilation or cooling is more like a hair dryer. But there is also a maximum temperature for the control units in the vehicle. The driver is then the beneficiary. The 50, 55 degrees we have in the car, that’s really possible. I know that from the BMW Z4, much worse from Barcelona or Dubai in the past. I still do a lot of sports and like to go to the sauna. But you can tell that. There was a lot going on outside, including some heavier things. I hope everyone is doing well. But it always throws an Ameteur like me out of rhythm.”
10:56 p.m. is in the steep track area. Can continue driving
#33 Andlauer / Menzel / Müller / Picariello (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
9:04 p.m. Comes to the pit stop
09:11p.m. Alessio Picariello drove the restart in the Falken Porsche and reports afterwards: “The stint was pretty good. The conditions out there are not easy. The track is green throughout and therefore the car is very difficult to drive. But so far it’s going well, we’ve been able to gain an advantage over the pursuers and not lose too much time to the leader. But it was tough, you have to give everything in every corner, on every meter geben. The car is very unstable due to the new axle. In addition, the sun was now very low. In some corners, they were completely dazzled. But the difficult part with the setting sun is now over. It’s also not as warm anymore, so the conditions are getting better. I expect the track to get faster as the night progresses.”
10:02 p.m. The runner-up in the Ravenol-S crashed head-on into the #94 Kiefer / Kiefer / Kiefer / Rettenbacher (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992)), which had spun and was standing on the track against the direction of travel. The previously third-placed #98 Farfus / Krohn / Marciello / van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3 EVO) was just able to avoid it. The #33 Andlauer / Menzel / Müller / Picariello (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)) has returned to the pits and will be pushed into the garage.
10:21p.m. Julien Andlauer: “The team has worked hard for years to be where we were today. Everything went well, and then there was the other car in the Ravenol-S. I didn’t have a chance to do anything, that was really bad. We were doing well, got the maximum out of it and I think we looked good, even though we still had a long race ahead of us. Unfortunately, we will no longer be able to participate. It’s a real shame – I could talk for an hour about how everyone in the team feels here.”
Nico Menzel: “It feels like a bad dream. We had every opportunity to win the race – and everyone involved worked on that for years. We had firmly resolved to take home a trophy in any case. That hurts to the maximum and hits us to the core.”
#44 Boccolacci / Heinemann / Marschall / Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
10:20 p.m. Dorian Boccolacci: “This is my first 24-hour race in a GT3 and my first season with Falken. I’m going to ride in the dark for the first time today. unfortunately, our sister car had an accident.”
#50 Heimrich / Rocco di Torrepadula / Ullström / Klasen (Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II)
9:24 p.m.: You get a one-minute penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane
9:58 p.m . turns at post 149 (high eight) and stops on the track. The section is secured with code 60 to recover the record-breaking Audi
#59 Dörr / Dörr / Strycek / Ortmann (McLaren Artura Trophy Evo)
10:25 p.m. Volker Strycek: “Our car continues to drive without any problems. Due to the abandonment, we got a bit out of the order of the drivers. I’m getting on board for the first time and I’m looking forward to it.”
#64 Olsen / Maini / Stippler / Owega (Ford Mustang GT3)
10:05 p.m. Jusuf Owega: “It’s going quite well. At the restart we had to start a bit further back, but I think we were able to overtake well, especially in the first stint. Our overall pace is not so bad now. The car drives, that’s important now. And now we have to make sure that we survive the night. No matter what car you drive here, it’s always nice. And to be part of such a comeback now has a very special meaning, of course.”
10:44 p.m. is in the Schwedenkreuz area and smokes in the front area of the vehicle. The driver Frank Stippler got out.
10:54 p.m. HRT Managing Director Ulrich Fritz: “Frank Stippler had an accident in the airfield area. We don’t yet know exactly what happened. But the driver seems to be okay.”
#94 Kiefer / Kiefer / Kiefer / Rettenbacher (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
9:17 p.m.: For disregarding the speed limit in the pit lane, you get a penalty of 30 seconds.
10:02 p.m. after the collision with #33 Andlauer / Menzel / Müller / Picariello (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)) in the RAVENOL-S, the track there is dangerously slippery due to the lost equipment.
10:37 p.m. Marius Kiefer. “My father had radioed that he was fine. Nevertheless, he is now in the medical center. After all, a rear-end collision when you are standing is already quite severe. Of course, the disappointment is also great. I had seen him standing on the TV and still hoped that no one would drive in there now. But then Julien crashed in. Nobody could do anything about it.”
#97 Reeh / Lachenmayer / Trompeter / Schall (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (997))
9:26 p.m.: The really battered team with the Porsche 997 is driving slowly on the Döttinger Höhe.
#98 Farfus / Krohn / Marciello / van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3 EVO)
9:02 p.m . was in the pits. Kelvin van der Linde remained seated in the vehicle.
10:15 p.m. pit stop with driver change, Kelvin van der Linde hands over to Raffaele Marciello.
10:19 p.m. receives a 32-second time penalty for causing a collision with the #959 Eichenberg / Haughton / Simon / Cate (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Type 982))
10:39 p.m. Hans-Peter Naundorf: “We can be happy to finish in second place – even if it’s not quite true virtually. We shortened our stints a bit and were therefore flushed forward. Adjusted, we are certainly somewhere in the top five or six. But it pays off to ride in front. We also feel quite comfortable with the cooler temperatures. We have now changed the tyre compound. The big challenge will come tomorrow with the announced temperatures.”
#111 Thilenius / Wirtz / Renger / Neuser (Mercedes-AMG GT4)
9:20 p.m. Impact for Guido Wirtz in the Fuchsröhre section of the route for the “small Schnitzelalm-AMG”
#140 Dumarey / Dumarey / Rennhofer / Marchewicz (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4)
10:26 p.m. Exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane – 30 seconds time penalty
#277 Müller / Groth / Rupp / König (BMW 318ti (E36))
9:02 p.m.: The Ravenol Art-Car’s gear lever fastening broke before the red phase. The repair did not take long, but no places were lost for the repair due to the interruption.
#310 Klingmann / de Wilde / Weerts / Bräutigam (BMW M2 Racing (G87))
9:47p.m. Pit stop with driver change to Ugo de Wilde. Charles Weerts: “The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a challenge for any car. If you finish here, it means that your car is pretty good. So far, the car runs well and is very pleasant to drive. There is a lot of traffic, and it is unusual not to be among the fastest cars. I had a nice stint and I hope we can drive cleanly to the end.”
#317 Fischer / Goodman / Sauerbrei / Tan (MINI John Cooper Works Pro )
9:54 p.m. Samantha Tan: “It’s unbelievable here, the atmosphere is crazy. I love the energy of the fans. It’s my first 24h Nürburgring, something very special. It is the best 24-hour race in the world. It’s cool to start in the Mini Cooper, normally I drive in GT3s. It’s very different for me. And I don’t think people appreciate the drivers in the slower cars enough. The GT3s come so incredibly fast.”
#455 Trinius / Baumann / Held / Schambony (Porsche Cayman CM12)
9:20 p.m. Peter Baumann: “It was great outside. A bit of traffic, but still okay. Maybe a little too much Code 60.”
9:30 p.m. Peter Bauman: “My stint was great, a bit much traffic maybe and a bit much Code 60 for my taste. But it went well. I was the second driver, now Matthias shows Trinius in the car.”
#466 Abrahamsen / Ehrl / Ottis / Ganser (Hyundai Motor Company I30N)
10:15 p.m. Failure to meet the minimum pit stop time – 47 seconds time penalty
10:34 p.m. Bennet Ehrl: “It was really exhausting and I really struggled with concentration. But the track is just awesome. There were a few Code 60 zones. Unfortunately, it is not dark for so long today. I wish I could ride in the dark.”
#633 Kreutzpointner / Kreutzpointner / Hrubesch / Wlömer (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
10:51 p.m . Jaqueline Kreutzpointer: “My stint was mega. I was allowed to drive into the sunset. It’s great to see the fans out there. It smells like grilled sausages and you get hungry even in the car.”
#644 Fugel / Fugel / Oestreich / Coronel (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
10:29 p.m. Tom Coronel also drives as a double starter in the #927 van Roon / Coronel / Meijer / van Buren (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992)) . He reports: “The Nürburgring 24 Hours is the highlight of the season for me. Of course, I also drive the NLS and some endurance races with Creventic, but for me the Nordschleife is the highlight. I’ve been racing for 35 years now and I think it’s the coolest, coolest track in the world. You can’t imagine that. It’s too hard to explain to people what kind of track it is, so I brought a few friends with me. Rudy van Buuren is the sim driver of Red Bull Formula 1. I’m here with Paul Meyer, he’s also a friend of mine, and I said: Okay, we’ll do the 24h because it’s one of those races that you just have to have ridden once. For me it is now the 16th time that I start. When I go to the Nordschleife, I always drive with a smile, as if I fall in love every time. This year I’m driving two cars, the Max Kruse car with the old Dutch team with Jan-Jaap van Roon, Paul Meyer and Rudy van Buuren and the Porsche 644 in the AT class. I’ll do a few stints with both cars. To be honest, I don’t care as long as it’s a race car. And if I can collect kilometres on the Nordschleife, I always do it.”
#650 Markert / Rziczny / Erlbacher / Gaukler (BMW M240i Racing Cup)
10:15 p.m. For disregarding a Code 60 phase, you will receive a penalty of 45 seconds.
#677 Alpiger / Neuhauser / Seibel / Tauber (BMW M240i Racing Cup)
9:13 p.m. is now loaded onto the tow truck in the Schwalbenschwanz area. So the onward journey was more of a limp for a few meters.
09:53 p.m. Hendrik Seibel: “Unfortunately, we had a lot of bad luck before the red flag due to a drive-thru penalty from Q2. As a result, there were a relatively large number of slow cars in front of me after the restart, through which I had to work my way through slowly. I made relatively good progress until I was half or three-quarters lap behind a BMW 330. Shortly before the dovetail, I wanted to sit next to him in the braking zone so that I would have momentum for the next straight to overtake. But he closed, I hit the grass with one wheel and then hit the brakes. The front left brake system and the entire suspension are affected, but it looks good at the rear.”
#786 Nana / Breuer / Mutsch / Schmidtmann (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2)
10:15 p.m. Failure to meet the minimum pit stop time – 93 seconds time penalty
#830 Lauck / Basseng / Jöns (Hyundai Motor Company Elantra N TCR)
9:24 p.m. Marc Passeng: “It’s still very warm, but I actually feel good this way. The car runs perfectly, so far there have been no problems at all. The setup is also working very well right now. Our car is very temperature-sensitive. But at the moment we’re doing great. I had a bit of aero bouncing on the last lap – it happens when the front splitter bends a bit and starts to flutter. We all started with singles stints and now we want to do double stints.”
#911 Estre / Güven / Preining / Pilet (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
9:05 p.m. in the pits
21:10hrs Kevin Estre says after his stint: “My stint was very good. We were able to hold on to the lead. But the falcon was pretty fast. I pushed hard, but he was able to keep going. It felt like I had a lot of bad luck in traffic. But the car feels good.”
10:16 p.m . in the pits!
#949 Vingilis / Eschweiler / Surzyshyn / Wiebelhaus (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
9:04 p.m. Finn Wiebelhaus: “Unfortunately, we got a warning on the third lap after the restart that the gearbox was overheating. there was a big loss of performance. We now have to cool down the car to be able to look at the gearbox.”
