The Eifel is filling up: the first-come, first-served campsites around the Nürburgring have been open since Monday morning, and the first fans have set up camp at the world’s most beautiful race track. This finally marks the start of the festival week at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h of Nürburgring, which is set to become the meeting place for the international endurance racing scene. Even before the first wheels start turning, everything points to an extraordinary weekend: Advance ticket sales have been so strong that all multi-day tickets for the 24h Nürburgring have already been sold out; currently, only one day tickets for Thursday, Friday and Sunday are still available. Very high visitor numbers are expected around the Ring this weekend, and anyone without a ticket valid for Saturday (two-, three- or four-day ticket) should under no circumstances drive to the Ring on Saturday on the hope of getting in.
All key links and information at a glance
From a sporting perspective, the 2026 race is set to be a special occasion. Max Verstappen, one of the most successful Formula 1 drivers of our time, will be competing in the 24h Nürburgring for the first time. The Dutchman will be driving the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing GT3 alongside Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella. His debut is attracting global attention, but it is only part of the story: with 161 cars entered, the largest starting grid in over a decade is expected. In the SP9 class, which is capable of winning the overall title, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche are represented – nine brands that promise an extraordinary level of competitiveness at the top.
GT3 heavyweight line-up
Alongside Verstappen’s car, the favourites include the defending champions from Rowe Racing (BMW), Manthey with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, the strong Audi team from Scherer PHX, Lamborghini teams such as Abt, the Mercedes-AMG line-up, HRT with the Ford Mustang GT3, and other top international teams. Competitive pressure is also heightened by the fact that the event is once again part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, which attracts further strong international entrants.
Pre-race highlight: New Top Qualifying format
Top Qualifying on Friday offers a first taste of the battle for the top spots. In the new, three-stage format, the fastest teams in the top classes will battle it out for the best starting positions — right up to the final showdown for pole position and the front row of the grid. Given the extremely close competition in the GT3 field, this battle alone is likely to be one of the sporting highlights of the race weekend.
Action not just in the battle for overall victory
It is the multi-class racing in particular that defines the character of the 24h Nürburgring. Whilst GT3 cars battle for overall victory at the front, numerous other classes are competing for their own wins and podium places. GT4 cars, Cup Porsches, production cars and many more share the 25.378-kilometre combination of the Nordschleife and the Grand Prix circuit. It is precisely this mix of works teams, world stars, Nordschleife specialists and ambitious privateer teams that makes the 24h Nürburgring so appealing.
Festival atmosphere at the Ring – and at home
The official start of the fan programme is on Wednesday with Adenauer Racing Day. This is followed by four days of motorsport action featuring the RCN, two rounds of the Touring Car Legends series, and the three-hour second round of the German Historic Endurance Championship. Around the Nordschleife, the atmosphere is defined by a unique festival vibe, with creative fans in high spirits. Visitors will also find plenty of fan highlights in the paddock and on the ring°boulevard, particularly around the start/finish line. Up-to-date information on the programme, schedule, travel, parking and spectator areas is available at 24h-rennen.de, on the 24h Nürburgring WhatsApp channel (24h-rennen.de/whatsapp) and in the digital 24h Event Guide (maps.24h-rennen.de).
Live marathon broadcast
Even if you’re not there in person, you won’t miss a thing. NITRO will broadcast the race live and in full on free-to-air TV. In addition, the official website at www.24h-rennen.de/live offers a central information hub with a live stream, in-car views, live timing, a ticker and lots of other useful information. The race starts on Saturday, 16 May, at 15:00. From then on, it’s 24 hours of full throttle in the legendary Green Hell – at the race of the year!