- Strong Porsche customer teams tackle the 24-hour race in the Eifel
- With 54 cars, Porsche is the most represented brand on the grid
- A total of 141 cars will start the German endurance classic on 21 June
- 24-hour marathon will be aired live on RTL Nitro (Germany) and via livestream
Porsche and its customer teams are aiming to take home the 14th overall victory at the Nürburgring 24-hour race on 21-22 June. In the premier SP9 class, seven Porsche 911 GT3 R will go head-to-head in the quest for overall honours at this year’s Eifel classic. Fifty-four of the 141-strong field fly the Porsche emblem – making the Stuttgart-based sports car manufacturer the most represented brand on the grid at the 53rd running of this endurance classic on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Porsche customer teams made a strong impression during the “Qualifiers” in May, with the Scherer Sport PHX’s ca. 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R winning both four-hour races. Manthey’s iconic “Grello” 911 secured a podium finish, as did the two GT3 entries from Falken Motorsports. The Dinamic GT customer squad is also chasing overall victory with its identical 911 GT3 R, while Hankook Competition and Black Falcon are targeting top results in the SP9 Pro-Am classification – a class where professional drivers share the cockpit with ambitious privateers.
“The NLS races and the two ‘Qualifiers’ events this year have shown that we are well-positioned together with our professional customer teams,” said Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “But we shouldn’t be misled by those results: the recent races didn’t feature the full starting grid or show the true level of competition. I’m confident the 24-hour race will be very close and competitive. One thing is clear: we feel well prepared and aim to take the next outright win with the 911 GT3 R.”
Porsche’s customer engagement extends well beyond the top-tier SP9 class. A further 47 race cars from the sports car brand are entered across ten different classes, reaffirming Porsche’s position as the best-represented manufacturer in the field. Different versions of the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport and the 911 GT3 Cup are particularly well represented, with 17 cars each. Eleven 911 racers will compete in the Cup2 category – reserved for current one-make cup cars – while twelve GT4 Cayman are registered in the Cup3 class.
“Once again, Porsche is the most strongly represented brand at the Nürburgring 24 Hours,” said Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport. “This reflects the great trust we enjoy among our partners and customers, and underscores how well our products are established in the market. I’m confident that the seven 911 GT3 R will deliver strong performances in the fiercely contested SP9 class. Our customer teams perform at a very professional level with exceptional driver lineups. And our customers are certain to deliver thrilling motorsport once again in the other classes, including the intensely competitive Cup2 category with the 911 GT3 Cup and the Cup3 class with the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.”
The race and the legendary “Green Hell”
The 24-hour race on the Nürburgring will be contested for the 53rd time. After the debut event in June 1970, the race was cancelled on three occasions: in 1974 and 1975 due to the oil crisis, and in 1983 because of construction work. Since 2005, the race has been held on a 25.378-kilometre layout combining the historic Nordschleife and the modern Grand Prix circuit. The racetrack features 70 corners, including the famous, steeply-banked “Karussell.” The most demanding sections of the undulating course include gradients of up to 18 percent uphill and 11 percent downhill. On the 2.6-kilometre “Döttinger Höhe” straight, the race cars reach a top speed of over 280 km/h.
Alongside the equally demanding endurance events at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Bathurst (Australia), Suzuka (Japan), and Indianapolis (USA), the 24-hour race in Germany’s Eifel region is included in the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Porsche claimed the manufacturer’s crown in this unofficial GT3 world championship in 2024.
An overview of teams and drivers (SP9 class, Porsche 911 GT3 R)
Scherer Sport PHX #16 – Ricardo Feller (SUI), Patric Niederhauser (SUI), Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)
Falken Motorsports #33 – Julien Andlauer (FRA), Sven Müller (DEU), Alessio Picariello (BEL), Nico Menzel (DEU)
Falken Motorsports #44 – Dorian Boccolacci (FRA), Tim Heinemann (DEU), Dennis Marschall (DEU), Morris Schuring (NLD)
Black Falcon #48 – Daan Arrow (NLD), Ben Bünnagel (DEU), Mustafa Mehmet Kaya (TUR), Gabriele Piana (ITA)
Dinamic GT #54 – Bastian Buus (DNK), Matteo Cairoli (ITA), Loek Hartog (NLD), Joel Sturm (DEU)
Hankook Competition #55 – Jongkyum Kim (KOR), Roelof Bruins (NLD), Marco Holzer (DEU), Steven Cho (CDN)
Manthey EMA #911 – Kévin Estre (FRA), Ayhancan Güven (TUR), Thomas Preining (AUT), Patrick Pilet (FRA)*
* = reserve driver
Driver comments ahead of the race
Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 GT3 R #16): “After the intense weeks at Le Mans, the next highlight is just around the corner. The Nürburgring 24 Hours is my favourite race. It’s exhausting, but always exciting and enjoyable. We performed well in the ‘Qualifiers’, but that doesn’t mean much. Only in the main race will everyone be on the grid, and only then will we see how we stack up against the opposition. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Julien Andlauer (Porsche 911 GT3 R #33): “This is my second time racing with the Falken team after 2024. It felt great to get some laps in during the ‘Qualifiers’ – and we were pretty successful, too. The track is a dream for drivers, full of challenges and simply a joy to drive. A top-five finish is our minimum goal, but of course we’d love a podium spot or even a win. Good weather would be a bonus. Our expectations are high.”
Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “Driving Manthey’s ‘Grello’ at the Nürburgring is something truly special. The track is incredible. Our preparation has gone very well – we all got plenty of track time during the NLS and qualifying races. I was lucky enough to experience a range of conditions, running on both slicks and wet tyres. Such experiences are invaluable. I feel ready!”
The schedule
Thursday, 19 June
13:00 – 15:00 hrs: Qualifying 1
20:00 – 20:15 hrs: Qualifying 2 (only SP9 class)
20:15 – 23:30 hrs: Qualifying 2 (all classes)
Friday, 20 June
13:20 – 14:30 hrs: Top Qualifying
16:15 – 17:45 hrs: Qualifying 3
Saturday, 21 June
12:00 – 12:40 hrs: Warmup
16:00 hrs: Start 24-hour race
Sunday, 22 June
16:00 hrs: Chequered flag 24-hour race
