Top Qualifying: First entrants confirmed

The battle for the best starting positions at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring has begun: following the 24h Qualifiers in mid-April, the first participants set to enter the final fight for pole position have now been confirmed. Five cars from five different manufacturers have already made it through to this decisive Top Qualifying 3, where a total of twelve places are available. Given the massive leading group of 49 cars in the classes eligible for Top Qualifying, a ruthless battle is on the cards during the three-stage shoot-out on Friday of the 24h weekend.

According to the regulations, up to six places could be secured in advance of the 24h Nürburgring. However, after Saturday’s ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers race had to be abandoned before time, this number was reduced to five. In other words: seven final tickets are still up for grabs. These will be allocated in the new, three-stage procedure: In Top Qualifying 1, all vehicles entered in the SP9, SP-X, SP-PRO and AT1 classes will compete. The five vehicles that have already qualified in advance may take part there outside the official standings, but will not feature in the actual elimination round. In Top Qualifying 2, only the 20 fastest vehicles from the first stage will then compete. There, the final seven places for Top Qualifying 3 will be awarded. In the final, twelve cars will then compete for pole position and the best starting places.

Extra spice for the top teams

The format gains further excitement through another special feature: SP9-Pro cars must field a different driver in each of the three Top Qualifying sessions. For the top teams in particular, this makes the hunt for pole position even more demanding, as not only the car but the entire driver line-up must perform flawlessly. This requirement does not apply to Pro-Am and Am cars in SP9.

Excitement even before the race starts

So it’s clear: even before the race itself, the exceptionally strong leading group will be pushed to their limits. The new format further intensifies the battle for the best starting positions – and makes Top Qualifying 2026 one of the most exciting highlights of the entire weekend.

Top Qualifying 3: List of qualified entrants ahead of the 24h Nürburgring