The 24H Series made history with its first race at the Nürburgring. Teams faced a demanding twelve hour contest split across two days. The event combined changing weather, strategic battles, and dramatic incidents from start to finish.
GetSpeed Leads the Opening Stint
The green flag waved at midday on Saturday to begin the opening six hours. Local team GetSpeed started from pole position with its Mercedes AMG GT3.
Mikael Grenier defended the lead into the first corner. Joel Sturm quickly moved the Proton Competition Porsche into second after passing the Sainteloc Audi. Behind them, Tim Heinemann kept the Up2Race Porsche firmly in contention.
After one hour, GetSpeed still led the race. Proton Competition remained only three tenths of a second behind. Heinemann continued to pressure Sturm in a close battle for second place.
Jake Hill produced one of the strongest opening stints. The Era Motorsport Ferrari driver climbed from seventh to fifth. He soon challenged Pierre Kaffer for fourth position.
Early Pit Stops and First Major Incident
The first pit cycle began after around seventy minutes. Grenier was among the first leaders to stop.
Shortly afterwards, Nicolas Guelinckx crashed the new HAAS RT BMW M4 GT3 EVO in the Michael Schumacher section. The accident triggered the first Code 60 period. It also ended the team’s race on its Nürburgring debut.
The restart immediately created fresh drama. The number 28 GetSpeed Mercedes struck the barriers while accelerating. Jordan Boisson managed to return the damaged car to the pits. The team repaired the front with tape but lost eight laps.
Proton Competition Takes Control
The race settled during the middle stages. Proton Competition built a comfortable advantage through consistent pace.
After three hours, the Porsche squad led by more than 85 seconds. GetSpeed’s second Mercedes followed in second place.
The battle changed again during the final pit sequence. A costly mistake by Proton allowed the Up2Race Porsche to move into the overall lead.
Photo: ©Silvio Husmann
Red Flag Ends Saturday Early
A heavy accident involving one of the Mühlner Motorsport Porsche Cup cars brought out the red flag.
Barrier repairs prevented any restart before the scheduled finish of Saturday’s session.
As a result, Up2Race ended the first half in front. Proton Competition lined up second for Sunday’s restart, giving Porsche the front row.
Cooler Conditions Change the Race
Sunday welcomed much cooler weather around the Nürburgring.
Proton Competition wasted no time reclaiming the lead after the restart. The Porsche passed Up2Race during the opening laps.
Alex Aka also impressed in the Simpson Motorsport Audi. He advanced from seventh to fourth during the early stages.
Dark clouds gathered over the circuit. Rain finally arrived during the second hour and forced teams to adjust their strategies.
ARC Bratislava faced additional problems after its rear wing became loose. The team completed repairs and continued.
GetSpeed Returns to the Front
As conditions evolved, strategy became the deciding factor.
The GetSpeed Team JR286 Mercedes executed a flawless race. Strong pace and perfectly timed pit stops moved the car into the lead.
Once in front, the Mercedes remained in control until the finish. The team secured victory in the first ever 24H Series race at the Nürburgring.
Behind the winner, the Up2Race Porsche and the Viper Niza Mercedes fought intensely for second place. Their battle continued until the final lap before Up2Race secured the runner up position.
Class Winners
Overall: GetSpeed Team JR286
GT3 ProAm: Proton Competion
992: Red Camel Jordans nl
992am: HRT Performance
GTX: KEO Racing
GT4: Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport
TCE: Not Only Motorsport
Photo: ©Niklas Husmann
Historic First Edition Delivers Excitement
The first 24H Series visit to the Nürburgring exceeded expectations.
Fans enjoyed close racing, changing weather, and strategic variety across every class.
The historic debut proved that the Nürburgring is a perfect addition to the 24H Series calendar.