The ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring is experiencing spectacular interest this year. Not only do fans from all over the world want to be there in person for the legendary endurance race, but so do an increasing number of international teams. The high demand also ensures a wide variety of manufacturers: with Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche, nine different brands are expected to be represented in the top SP9 class alone. On top of that, there are eight different tyre manufacturers! A combination that is probably unique in current international motorsport. But for ADAC Nordrhein, as the organiser, this also means a huge amount of work. After all, the fans are to experience exciting, close and competitive motorsport on the most beautiful race track in the world. To this end, the organiser and the technical committee are working behind the scenes to achieve the perfect balance of technical parameters.
Transparency instead of tactical games
At the 24h Nürburgring, too, teams and manufacturers naturally try to conceal their true performance capabilities for as long as possible. To ascertain the true potential of the cars, a technical commission was therefore set up. “It consists of four people,” explains race director Walter Hornung, “and can now draw on years of experience and a lot of data. Data was also collected during the recent NLS race and compared with existing data.” The commission has a wide range of measures at its disposal. A key tool is the Balance of Performance (BoP). This is because the vehicle designs of the supercars at the front of the field vary greatly: front, mid and rear engines are on the grid, with a three-litre turbo set to battle for victory just as much as a four-litre boxer engine or a 6.3-litre monster. The BoP makes it possible to adjust the performance of the different vehicle designs through technical parameters. Furthermore, there is the “sample tyre procedure”, which is intended to keep costs and performance differences in the tyre sector under control. Further measures in the run-up to the season’s highlight are designed to prevent tactical games regarding lap times.
The virtual racing line: No chance for tacticians
As the 24h Nürburgring today is more like a long sprint race, the starting position has a higher priority than in the past. That is why the teams are doing everything they can to make it into the decisive third top qualifying session, where the front grid positions are allocated. Teams can secure some of the grid positions in advance at the NLS and the 24h Qualifiers. This reduces the pressure on drivers and teams. To prevent tactical games here too, the organiser uses a sector-based analysis. To this end, the circuit is divided into numerous sections. Instead of simply evaluating the time for an entire lap, the theoretically best sector times (even from different laps) are combined. So if a driver intentionally slows down in one sector to worsen his time, the best time from another lap will expose him. This means a car’s true performance can no longer be hidden so easily. “It’s a bit of a cat-and-mouse game,” Hornung continues. “The manufacturers have a veritable armada of engineers, and it’s up to the Technical Commission to get to the bottom of their tricks.”
Technical adjustments for greater balance
The Technical Commission can make various adjustments to ensure a balanced contest between manufacturers and vehicles. The Balance of Performance (BoP) offers the possibility of altering performance-related parameters. These include, amongst others: the minimum vehicle weight, air restrictor and boost pressure limits, the maximum permitted fuel volume, modifications to aerodynamic devices and, consequently, ground clearance, minimum ride height, angle of attack and, last but not least, pit stop times and stint lengths. The race director has the option – in consultation with the stewards, if necessary even during the event – to make changes to these parameters. In the case of these last-minute adjustments, the minimum weight and boost pressure are frequently altered, as this can be implemented most quickly by the teams concerned.
The sample tyre procedure for a clearer overview
Until 2017, manufacturers waged a veritable ‘tyre war’ with countless special compounds. This not only caused costs to escalate, but also made BoP almost impossible, as the different tyres had too great an impact on the vehicle’s performance. The sample tyre procedure in force today therefore sets out clear rules: manufacturers must deposit sample tyres with ADAC Nordrhein e. V., which serve as reference samples for chemical analysis. For each vehicle model this year, the tyre selection for the 24h Nürburgring and the NLS races, including the 24h Qualifiers, is limited to just four specifications (compounds). New manufacturers or vehicle homologations are given the opportunity to nominate additional specifications as a ‘starting aid’. Before each event, three of these specifications must be nominated, which may then be used. Changing a specification during an event is not permitted. The total number of slicks used is also limited. For the 24h Qualifiers, this stands at 48 tyres (a maximum of 24 per race); for the 24h Nürburgring, up to 116 slicks may be used per vehicle.
Measures are already taking effect in the run-up
The second NLS round at the end of March demonstrated that these measures are working. Here, six different makes finished in the top 10 – minus one Mercedes-AMG GT3, which was subsequently disqualified: the team had used one more set of tyres than permitted in the NLS. “The race results from recent years speak for themselves,” says Race Director Hornung, praising the work of the Technical Commission. “Even after around 4,000 kilometres of racing, there are usually still several manufacturers within a lap of each other at the end of the 24h – there is no dominance by a single brand. Last year, for example, we were still able to see a close battle at the front on Sunday morning.” Fans can therefore rest assured that they will experience a spectacular weekend from 14 to 17 May 2026.
