Temperatures are rising and the number of accidents is increasing again. The most spectacular incident was a collision between the Dacia #300 and the Trinity Solutions Aston Martin #74, which meant the end of the race for both cars. The GetSpeed Mercedes #17 also had bad luck, falling out of the leading group after several repair stops. Things are also getting tighter at the top again: Raffaele Marciello in the Rowe BMW #98 is catching up with the leader Kevin Estre in the Manthey Porsche #911.
#7 Soufi / Paul / Elkmann / Lefterov (Lamborghini Huracan GT3)
08:36 a.m.: Due to Pavel Lefterov’s disregard of a Code 60 phase, Konrad-Lambo receives a penalty of 245 seconds and the Bulgarian two penalty points in the DMSB file. In the fight for a top 10 place, this is a bitter setback.
09:00 a.m Danny Soufi: “Actually a good race so far. We are in ninth place. The boys did a good job. Let’s see where we get out. If we finish in the top 10, that would be good for us.”
#11 Heyer / Härtling / Fittje / Brück (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
08:39 a.m Jay Mo Härtling: “It’s going rather mixed. We are going through a lot of technical problems. Actually, it is consequential damage from a touch that Christopher Brück had. We had to glue the hood and the bumper. Pretty much at the beginning of the race, when the bike flew away from us at the back. Everything is going modestly.”
#17 Aron / Auer / Christodoulou / Grenier (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
07:47 a.m.: Fourth-placed Ralf Aron catches up with the Maroc Mapelli #28 Mapelli / Engelhart / Engstler (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2) driven by him
08:19 a.m. overtakes the #28 Mapelli / Engelhart / Engstler (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2) in the Ravenol-S and takes fourth place.
08:54 a.m. is pushed into the pits
#27 Pepper / Bortolotti / Juncadella (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2)
08:45 a.m. Daniel Juncadella comes directly into the pits after the contact
#28 Mapelli / Engelhart / Engstler (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2)
08:29a.m. Christian Engelhart is closing in on Ralf Aron #17 Aron / Auer / Christodoulou / Grenier (Mercedes-AMG GT3)
#44 Boccolacci / Heinemann / Marschall / Schuring (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
08:23 a.m. is on the right-hand verge at Döttinger Höhe after another puncture
08:27 a.m Tim Heinemann: “Actually, I was supposed to go in right away. It hurts that both cars go out. I’m also sorry for the team. To look into the faces that have been working on it for weeks. We don’t know exactly what’s going on, he had no more propulsion.”
#45 Perel / Fernandez Laser / Jefferies / Neubauer (Ferrari 296 GT3)
07:26 a.m. Felipe Fernandez Laser: “To drive at this time is always something special. This is the “Happy hour”! I drove a double stint. At this time you always have good air and a good atmosphere. We have taken a good step forward. Due to the puncture shortly after the restart, we’re still a bit behind. We hope that it will work out and that we can make it onto the podium.”
08:35 a.m. the third-placed driver comes into the pits – Axcil Jefferies gets out, Thomas Neubauer in
#59 Dörr / Dörr / Strycek / Ortmann (McLaren Artura Trophy Evo)
08:11 a.m. Mike Ortmann: “The car really runs like clockwork. It’s very, very fun to ride. The guys here are doing a fantastic job. We got through the night well and without punishment. I’m now looking forward to the remaining hours.”
#65 Fetzer / Schumacher / Owega / Owega (Ford Mustang GT3)
07:51 a.m has started the routine stop. Jusuf Owega goes out – Dennis Fetzer joins in.
#74 Hansen / Vortkamp / Balanian / David (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo)
08:55 a.m. has received a radio request to remain seated in the vehicle
#80 Neuffer / Höpfer / Brandl / Sacchi (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
08:24 a.m. Pits with a puncture on the front right
#88 van Dam / Schrick / Sasaki / Kubo (Subaru WRX)
08:06 a.m. Carlo van Dam: “It started well for us. We were easily class leaders. But then Tim had contact with a competitor and then hit the crash barrier violently. The team worked on the car for three and a half hours. But we’re still driving and I think the car is still pretty good.”
#98 Farfus / Krohn / Marciello / van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3 EVO)
08:00 a.m Kelvin van der Linde: “We have to continue like we have done for the last two hours. The car is now in the window. We know that from the past, so we have to go on the attack now. I grinned from ear to ear for two hours, because it’s so much fun here. And every time you have the chance to win a race like this, the motivation is great.”
#175 Himmels / Alboretto / Hites / Viebahn (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4)
07:32 a.m. with puncture on the rear right at slow speed.
07:40 a.m. stands with the puncture in the Schwalbenschwanz approach area and was pulled into a bag there.
#187 Wüstenhagen / Hancke / Mijatovic / Jochimsen (BMW M4 GT4 (G82))
08:43 a.m. Ranko Mijatovic: “I had a brake mishap on the approach to the steep section. That was a déjà vu compared to last year in the NLS, where we became champions. The ABS failed in exactly the same place. I tried to make the best of it. I turned in gently and luckily I was able to drive back. The car still feels very good, but the problem is that if the mistake keeps coming back and you have to erase it again and again, the confidence is largely gone. You can’t drive really fast laps like that.”
#268 Ito / Kawaai / Kait Wai / Ecker (Toyota Supra)
08:25 a.m. Impact in the area of the ice curve for the Supra. The Toyota is parked across the meadow.
#277 Müller / Groth / Rupp / König (BMW 318ti (E36))
07:51 a.m. The team has installed a spare engine and is now back on track
08:58 a.m. The BMW had to stay in the pits for a good six and a half hours during the night and the team had to change the engine.
#300 Kriese / Starck / Kaffka (Dacia Logan )
08:53 a.m. Collision between the Dacia and the Aston Martin #74 Hansen / Vortkamp / Balanian / David (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo) in the airfield section. The driver of the Dacia, Martin Kaffka, was able to leave the car on his own. Due to the many debris on the track, a longer Code 60 phase is to be expected.
#303 Zhang / Ricca / Kim / Kim (Hyundai Motor Company Elantra N Cup)
08:44 a.m. Is touched by the #27 Pepper / Bortolotti / Juncadella (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2) and sent into the crash barrier while dissolving a Code 60 Phase approach Pflanzgarten
#310 Klingmann / de Wilde / Weerts / Bräutigam (BMW M2 Racing (G87))
08:06 a.m Michael Bräutigam: “We didn’t have a single technical problem over the week. We had a slow puncture earlier, so we lost a GP track once. The works drivers are doing everything they can to ensure that we can really keep up with the actually faster cars in the class over the distance.”
#320 Schmidt / Bonk / Halder / van Ramshorst (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
08:40 a.m Short excursion into the gravel of the Goodyear hairpin bend. Can continue the ride.
#321 Kvitka / Rosenbach / Eis / Ernst (VW GOLF 7 GTI TCR DSG)
07:33 a.m. stands after impact in the Galgenkopf area
07:22 a.m. is after a spin with subsequent impact on the left in the area of the entrance to the mine.
#440 Bohemian / Ebener / Kramer / Müller (Porsche Cayman CQ11)
07:51 a.m also returns to the track after a break for repairs
#488 Carobbio / Vicenzi / Blümer / Kobos (BMW 128ti)
08:29 a.m. Ugo Vicenzi: “We are currently repairing our car after an impact at the mine. We have to replace the suspension, the front and some other parts, which will certainly be a longer job, like an hour or two. And we had already lost an hour at the start due to a small water leak.”
#633 Kreutzpointner / Kreutzpointner / Hrubesch / Wlömer (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
08:55 a.m. Burns in the Galgenkopf area
#700 Sagmeister / Huber / Vleugels / Frisse (BMW 325i (e90))
08:39 a.m. Slow driving in the Eschbach area.
#800 Schemmann / Waschkau / Speich / Hoenjet (VW GOLF 7 GTI TCR DSG)
07:39 a.m. Rudi Speich: “There was a great atmosphere outside. I was really looking forward to the stint. But the sun was so low that you could hardly see the turn-in points. That was a big challenge. In the end, the brake also gave way. We now have to replace the brakes – but that’s a normal repair. We’ll go out right away.”
#911 Estre / Güven / Preining / Pilet (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992))
08:07 a.m. Pit stop – Thomas Preininger remains seated
#912 Krämer / Sascha / Kikireshko / Messenger (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
07:02 a.m. turns into the tire stacks at the exit of Hatzenbach, but can continue.
07:54 a.m. has a brake problem at the end of the home straight and crashes into the guardrail, but then drives out of the track under his own power through a bag.
#948 Müller / Nagelsdiek / Pereira / Rivas (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992))
08:09 a.m. Carlos Rivas: “There are still a few hours to go, but we’ve been in first place in the class since the beginning of the race. Now it’s a matter of not making mistakes or suffering punctures. That’s why we’re taking out a few percent now. We’ll wait and see.”
#962 Bednarski / Zulauf / Stegmann / Moritz (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Typ 982))
08:12 a.m. Lorenz Stegmann: “It’s going well. We’ve been lucky so far, we’re in first place and we’ve been able to maintain that well. We’ve been swimming with the traffic the whole time now and make sure that we take little risk and have a comfortable lead. We’ve made it through without any mistakes so far, no collisions, no penalties. However, the heat makes it difficult to handle the car. But then you basically take a little gas out.”
