Lamborghini’s first hour at the 54th ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring delivered both disappointment and drama. The two Abt Lamborghinis, cars #84 and #130, started from the front row but both lost ground early for different reasons, while the Konrad Lamborghini #7 emerged as the surprise package. Maximilian Paul climbed from seventh on the grid to seize the lead toward the end of the opening hour, locking horns with Kevin Estre in the “Grello” #911. Pole-setter Mirko Bortolotti, meanwhile, was forced into the pits before completing his first lap of the Nordschleife after suffering a puncture. His team-mate Marco Mapelli, who had made the better start, was later handed a 32-second penalty for a jump start, dropping him well down the order.
Fans who still want to experience the action in person can still purchase a limited number of Sunday tickets at the box office. The race is also being broadcast live on NITRO and via the 24h live page, which features a livestream, detailed live ticker, timing information and links to additional fan content. The address is: www.24h-rennen.de/live.
Bortolotti had earlier been clipped by the Verstappen Mercedes-AMG #3 on the approach to turn 2 and was forced to pit at the end of the Grand Prix track to replace the left-rear tyre. “What frustrates me most is the incident with the Mercedes #3, because they hit us from behind in turn 2 and that caused the puncture. For now, we’re simply trying to fight our way back through the field,” said Abt sporting director Martin Tomczyk. Mapelli capitalised on the chaos behind him to lead onto the Nordschleife by a narrow margin, with Dani Juncadella in car #3, Paul and Estre all close behind in the early stages. Estre briefly found a way past Paul, but Paul struck back one lap later, using superior straight-line speed on the Döttinger Höhe. Shortly after the first hour, four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen took over driving duties in car #3 from Juncadella. His opening lap was not without drama either, briefly veered off the track, and lost a few seconds.