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We say goodbye!
With many impressions in our luggage, we say goodbye from the Eifel. But the stories of this weekend are far from over: On Motorsport-Total.com you will find more reports, voices, and analyses in the coming days. Thank you for experiencing this race weekend together with us!
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Will other Formula 1 drivers come now?
Even though the targeted overall victory did not work out in the end, Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen had fun in the Green Hell. Maybe stars from the top class will follow? “I think some of them certainly followed the events this weekend, at least judging by what was reported in the media,” says race winner Maro Engel.
Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli is also flirting with a start on the Nordschleife. “I also know that he is closely following what is happening in GT3 racing and especially at the Nürburgring,” reveals Engel. “So yes: I would not be surprised if more drivers come here to race – and to experience firsthand how absolutely fantastic the Nürburgring Nordschleife is in a GT3 car.”
BMW Touring causes a surprise
The Touring BMW #81 (Klingmann/de Phillippi/Verhagen/de Wilde) caused a huge surprise with fifth place overall. “It was very emotional, especially on the inlap, because it was the big highlight of the project,” Jens Klingmann reveals in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com. “And the car is going into a well-deserved retirement.” That’s why the BMW factory driver took the chance to “say goodbye a little bit”.
Will the Touring maybe be used again after the strong result? “I think you have to give it up when it’s at its best,” says Klingmann. “And I think we got the maximum out of it. We enjoyed every second. We really had a 100 percent error-free preparation, and maybe a 95 percent error-free race.”
“I think it will go down in BMW history for what it is. And it’s also good the way it is. You will see the car a few more times, also at other events with taxi. Now I have to ask our project manager when I can drive there.” Planned events include the parade in Le Mans and the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
“Goodwood would be really nice, I’m at the top of the list,” says the BMW driver with a smile. “But I think it’s okay that the car is now retiring. And from now on we focus again on the M4.”
We have the first celebration photos!
24h Nürburgring 2026
From 25th on the grid to overall victory
One must not forget: After Maro Engel’s accident in the top qualifying, the Winward-AMG #80 had no good starting position for the race. “We started from 25th place, which is not quite optimal,” recalls Fabian Schiller. “But at the 24h Nürburgring, it’s not always about the starting position. We were able to work our way forward directly with Maro’s good stints.”
“When I got into the car, it started to rain. The decisive rain shower in the race – and we made a perfectly right tire decision. Due to the failure of our sister car, the fight for the win was off.” It also seems unlikely that car #80 would have had a chance to win against the Verstappen-AMG without problems …
Mirko Bortolotti criticizes teammate
Abt driver Mirko Bortolotti partly blames his teammate in the sister car Marco Mapelli and his false start in the race for the following collision and tire damage at the press conference. “My teammate made a massive false start, which put me in a really bad position in turn 1. And then disaster struck.”
Maxime Martin: A dream comes true
Maxime Martin was often a contender for victory at the 24h race, but it never worked out until now. All the more relief for him. “I was here at the Nürburgring for the 15th time. I was second three times before, now I finally made it. A dream has come true for me. My father won here, and now I have too. Fantastic.”
Walkenhorst is surprised by the podium
Despite narrowly missing second place, Nicki Thiim is satisfied. “I am completely surprised. It’s a pity it wasn’t second place because of the Code 60 shortly before the finish. But that’s racing. What a show. This race was a lot of fun.”
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Bortolotti celebrates his team after comeback
“Today is a big day for Abt, everyone worked so hard for it,” says second-placed Mirko Bortolotti. “This is a day to always remember. It wasn’t the win, but an incredible result when you see where we were after the first lap,” he recalls the comeback after the early tire damage.
Maro Engel: I didn’t need the weather
Maro Engel’s first reaction: “That was not the weather I wished for the last half hour, but that’s the Nürburgring. Many thanks to the team that perfectly prepared the car again after my mistake. I am also sorry for the sister car. I think both cars were very fast. After ten years, we are back on top. We worked so long and it just didn’t want to work. I am also happy for Christian Hohenadel and to win this victory together with him as team boss.”
And now the celebration begins
Photo gallery: All winners of the 24h Nürburgring
An overview of all winners of the 24h Nürburgring since 1970 is provided by our photo gallery
Photo gallery: All winners of the 24 hours Nürburgring
For the second time: Like father, like son
With the victory, Maxime Martin continues a piece of family history, because in 1992 his father Jean-Michel Martin won the 24h race. So far, there has only been one father-son duo who have won the 24h race: Hans-Jürgen and Marcel Tiemann.
The other placements
Fourth place goes to the Rowe-BMW #99 (Harper/Hesse/S. van der Linde/D. Vanthoor), fifth place sensationally to the Touring-BMW #81 (Klingmann/de Phillippi/Verhagen/de Wilde), which also wins the SP-X class. The top 10 are completed by the Lionspeed-Porsche #24 (Heinrich/L. Vanthoor/Feller), the HRT-Ford #67 (Olsen/Mies/Vervisch/Stippler), the Dinamic-Porsche #54 (Sturm/Christensen/Buus/Hartog), the Schubert-BMW #77 (Weerts/Wittmann/Eng/Frijns) and the Black-Falcon-Porsche #48 (Arrow/Assenheimer/T. Müller/Pereira), which also wins the Pro-Am classification of the SP9.
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