The ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS) delivered a race in a class of its own at its second event of the year, the 58th ADAC Barbarossa Prize. Around 25,000 enthusiastic spectators lined the Grand Prix circuit and the legendary Nordschleife to witness a historic moment: Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen made his debut in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. Together with Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon, he crossed the finish line first after four hours – a perfect debut, which, however, was to have an unexpected aftermath.
Around two hours after the podium ceremony, disillusionment set in during technical scrutineering. During the routine analysis of the Tyre App, the commission discovered that the team had used seven sets of tyres instead of the permitted six. The logical consequence from the stewards: disqualification. Victory was thus handed to ‘Dan Harper’ and Jordan Pepper in the BMW M4 GT3 from ROWE RACING.
In a class of his own: Verstappen dominates qualifying
Despite his subsequent disqualification, the pure sporting performance of the world champion and his team-mates remained undisputed. In a top-class field of over 130 cars, Verstappen had already demonstrated his exceptional form in the morning. With a fastest lap of 7:51.751 minutes, he secured pole position. “To be honest, pole was a lovely surprise, especially as I finally managed a lap without traffic and Code 60 at the Ring,” explained a visibly pleased Verstappen. Behind him, Christopher Haase in the Scherer Sport PHX Audi (7:53.725 mins) and the sister car to the eventual winning BMW from ROWE RACING were lurking in second and third places.
High tension in the opening stages
The race itself lived up to the promise of qualifying. Immediately after the lights went out, a thrilling battle broke out at the front. Christopher Haase put Verstappen under immense pressure and, at the end of the first lap, emerged from the slipstream to take the lead. Meanwhile, ROWE RACING demonstrated strategic prowess. Jordan Pepper and ‘Dan Harper’ steadily worked their way up from seventh on the grid. “Finishing on the podium at the Nürburgring is always a success,” emphasised Pepper, still unaware that he would later be declared the winner. He also had sporting words for his prominent rival: “Having Max competing here is great for the sport. He’s an absolute professional who pushes us all. The attention he brings to the Nordschleife is a win for us all.”
Comeback runs and class victories
There was fierce competition further down the field too. After a furious comeback from tenth on the grid, Falken Motorsport secured third place (which became second following a DSQ). Sven Müller was pleased with the Porsche 911 GT3 R, but noted: “Our race was flawless, even if we were unfortunately still lacking a bit of acceleration compared to the front-runners.”
The 48 LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON team also benefited from the Verstappen team’s misfortune. Their Porsche 911 GT3 R ‘inherited’ the final podium spot and was simultaneously crowned the strongest team in the PRO-AM classification. The team from the Nürburgring Business Park also celebrated victory in the AM classification of the GT3 class (SP9) thanks to drivers Mustafa Mehmet Kaya, Gabriele Piana and Mike Stursberg in another 911.
CUP3: Smyrlis Racing prevails in record-breaking field
In the CUP3 class, which boasted one of the largest fields of the weekend with a total of 17 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS cars on the grid, there was no getting past Smyrlis Racing’s car number 953. The duo of Oskar Sandberg and Alexander Fielenbach triumphed after 27 laps. They relegated the SRS Team Sorg Rennsport (#959) with Heiko Eichenberg and Calvin de Groot to second place. The podium was completed by the Schmickler Performance team (#950) comprising Horst Baumann, Stefan Schmickler and Kai Riemer. Sandberg was named ‘Driver of the Race’ by the Interessengemeinschaft Langstrecke Nürburgring (ILN), the race organisers and the track commentators for his exceptional performance in the race.
SP10: Mercedes victory against strong BMW competition
In the SP10 class (GT4 cars), nine entrants battled for victory. In the end, the experience of PROsport racing GmbH prevailed: Anton Abee, Yannik Himmels and Jörg Viebahn confidently steered their Mercedes-AMG GT4 (#176) to first place after 27 laps. Second and third places went to the BMW contingent: AV Racing by BLACK FALCON (#177) secured the silver medal, followed by the BMW M4 GT4 from Plusline Motorsport (#155).
VT2-RWD: Toyota Supra triumphs in the production cars
Things were particularly exciting in the VT2-RWD class (rear-wheel-drive production cars), in which 11 cars lined up on the grid. Here, SRS Team Sorg Rennsport celebrated a resounding victory: car number 524, a Toyota Supra driven by Piet-Jan Ooms, Ionuc Catalin Timis and Thomas Fleming, secured the class win after 25 laps. Following in the next places were the BMW 230i from Schmickler Performance (#55) and another car from Sorg Rennsport, the BMW 330i with start number 514.
Conclusion: A world champion caught up in Nordschleife fever
Max Verstappen’s farewell sounded like a promise for the future: “For me, the Nordschleife is one of the craziest tracks in the world. I definitely want to drive here as often as possible.” The third round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie takes place on 11 April. The 57th Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy will be run over the classic four-hour distance.