Winning the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring is a remarkable achievement. Defending that victory a year later is even harder. The last team to accomplish the feat was record winner Manthey in 2009. That is precisely the challenge ROWE Racing has set itself for the 54th edition of the race, fielding two BMW M4 GT3 cars in a striking new red-and-white livery, each driven by four top-class BMW M works drivers.
“Starting the 24h Nürburgring with the #1 on the car is, above all, recognition of what we achieved last year – and at the same time a clear incentive to build on it,” says team principal Hans-Peter Naundorf. “The fact that three of the four winners from 2025 are back together in the car makes us extremely proud as a team. It reflects the trust in our work and gives us a strong foundation to fight at the front again this year.”
The three defending winners – Augusto Farfus, Raffaele Marciello and Kelvin van der Linde – will be joined by BMW newcomer Jordan Pepper. “With his victory at Spa last year, he showed that he can make the difference at this level. That is exactly the quality we were looking for in the #1 car,” Naundorf says of the line-up. “At the same time, he is an excellent fit for us both personally and competitively. It gives us an exceptionally strong and well-balanced driver line-up that we believe is ideally suited to the Nordschleife.”
The sister car, #99, also boasts an outstanding line-up: Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor – one 24-hour race winner and three drivers with Nordschleife victories to their name. How does a team secure the best BMW M works drivers for the 24h Nürburgring? “Quite simply, by being the best BMW team,” says Naundorf, known throughout the paddock as “HP,” with a smile. “But seriously, our results speak for themselves. In ten years of working with BMW, we have achieved five podium finishes.” Alongside victories in 2020 and 2025, these include second places in 2017, 2021 and 2023.
The team principal also sees a clear advantage in ROWE Racing returning to its usual two-car set-up this year, after winning last year’s race as the only GT3 BMW in the field. “The failure rate here is statistically around 50 percent, so naturally your chances improve with two cars. The added synergies – for example in set-up work – also help you reach optimum performance more quickly. And beyond that, the team itself is structured around running two cars. Even with just one car, you still need around 70 percent of the staff on site,” he explains.
The drivers, too, value the team’s strength and consistency and are approaching the race with confidence. “This is one of the biggest races in the world, and last year I was fortunate enough to win it. It was one of the best days of my racing career. We have almost the same line-up as last year, and with Jordan we have added a very strong fourth driver. Together with this fantastic team, we will do everything we can to defend the #1. We know the competition is incredibly strong, but we believe we have every chance of being right at the front again,” says Raffaele Marciello. Sheldon van der Linde also arrives with extra momentum after claiming his first WEC victory in Spa last weekend: “That only makes me even more determined to stand on the top step of the podium at the Nürburgring for the first time as well.”