MERCEDES DOMINATES THE 24 HOURS OF NÜRBURGRING AS WINWARD RACING TRIUMPHS
- Cavalieri Garage Magazine
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 16 hours ago
The 54th edition of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring rewarded consistency, composure, and outright pace from the lineup of Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller, and Luca Stolz, who controlled the race from start to finish. Mercedes-AMG returned to the top step at the Nürburgring for the first time since 2016, also securing a crucial victory in the second round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge together with Winward Racing.
The decisive turning point came during the final three hours, when the sister Mercedes No. 3 driven by Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella, and Max Verstappen was forced to retire because of a driveshaft failure. A dramatic twist that completely changed the outcome of the race, opening the door for the No. 80 RAVENOL-backed Mercedes, which stayed calm and competitive when it mattered most during the German endurance classic.
Behind the winners, ABT Sportsline fought hard to secure second place with the No. 84 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. Not even an 86-second penalty under CODE 60 conditions could stop the team’s comeback charge, led by Luca Engstler, Patrick Niederhauser, and especially Mirko Bortolotti, who delivered an outstanding final stint.
The Italian driver turned what looked like a ruined race into a sensational comeback, after an early puncture seemed to erase any realistic podium hopes. In the closing stages, Bortolotti held off the charging Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 No. 34 shared by Mattia Drudi, Nicki Thiim, and Christian Krognes, while also benefiting from several yellow flag zones that slowed the Aston Martin’s pursuit.
Meanwhile, BMW M Motorsport narrowly missed out on the podium and had to settle for fourth and fifth place finishes. The best BMW was the No. 99 M4 GT3 EVO entered by ROWE Racing and driven by Dan Harper, Max Hesse, Dries Vanthoor, and Sheldon van der Linde. Another standout performance came from the No. 80 BMW M3 Touring, which completely dominated the SP-X category with Connor De Phillippi, Neil Verhagen, Ugo de Wilde, and Jens Klingmann behind the wheel.
The overall Top 10 was completed by the No. 24 Porsche from Lionspeed GP, the No. 67 Ford Mustang GT3 from HRT Ford Performance, the No. 54 Porsche entered by Dinamic GT, the No. 77 BMW from Schubert Motorsport, and the No. 48 Porsche run by Black Falcon in collaboration with LOSCH Motorsport.
The international endurance scene now shifts its attention to Spa-Francorchamps, which will host the next round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge alongside the legendary 24 Hours of Spa of the GT World Challenge Europe. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s future appearances in GT endurance racing remain uncertain, while the next edition of the Nürburgring 24 Hours has already been scheduled for the weekend of May 30, 2027.
© Cavalieri Garage & Co.
