Porsche customer team Manthey EMA second after significantly shorter race

Race Report 

After just over seven hours of racing, the race director called a stop to the long-distance classic at 11.20 pm for safety reasons due to heavy fog. At this stage, Manthey EMA’s car was running third overall, with Falken Motorsports’ two vehicles in eighth and ninth. The No. 33 Porsche was shared by drivers Klaus Bachler from Austria, Frenchman Julien Andlauer, Germany’s Sven Müller and the Belgian Alessio Picariello. The sister car was crewed by Martin Ragginger from Austria and the Germans Tim Heinemann, Nico Menzel and Joel Eriksson from Sweden. Lionspeed GP and Dinamic GT were in positions 12 and 13 before the unscheduled break. Herberth Motorsport followed in 16th place with the sixth up to 416 kW (565 hp) GT3 racing car made in Weissach.

It was not until 1.30 pm that the race director gave the green flag to restart the race for five formation laps behind the safety car after a 14-hour break. However, the persistent thick fog continued to severely impair visibility, especially on the Grand Prix circuit and the “Döttinger Höhe”. Manthey EMA’s Porsche was permitted to line up behind the safety car in second place since the vehicle had pitted shortly before the early red flag and was granted a lower minimum pit stop time than the BMW in front and shuffled up the order accordingly.

At around 3 pm after just five laps behind the safety car, the race director made the final call to stop the race. Due to differing refuelling strategies, the order had again changed with a view to a possible restart. The No. 33 Falken Porsche advanced to sixth place in the final classification of the 24-hour race, with LionSpeed GP in ninth. This earned the driver quartet Antares Au (Hong Kong), Patric Niederhauser (Switzerland), Indy Dontje (Netherlands) and Patrick Kolb (Germany) victory in the SP9-ProAm class. Tenth place went to the second car fielded by Falken Motorsports.

For the first time, the Nürburgring 24-hour race was also part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). In this separate classification, the No. 911 entry clinched victory. Manthey EMA had won the 12-hour race of the IGTC in Bathurst, Australia, in February. Thanks to this, Porsche extended its lead in the manufacturers’ standings.

“This race will go down in the history of the Nürburgring 24 Hours as one of the most unique,” explains Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “During the laps behind the safety car, our teams fine-tuned their strategies right up to the last minute in case the race was given the green flag again. Even if second place might seem disappointing at first, Manthey EMA’s podium finish is an extremely strong result. Lionspeed GP also secured the ProAm category win. We’re exceptionally proud that four of the six customer team 911 GT3 R racers that started the race finished in the top 10.”

Comments after the race

Ayhancan Güven (TR, Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “I can completely understand the race director’s decision – continuing under these conditions would’ve been too dangerous. We fought for the lead from the start and were almost always among the top three. Unfortunately, we weren’t in first place when the red flag came out. Obviously, we wanted to win, but I’m still happy with our result.”

Julien Andlauer (F, Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #33): “I’m almost lost for words to describe this race. Constantly changing conditions made it extremely difficult from the outset. The team did a fantastic job under these circumstances. Unfortunately, we were hit by penalty right at the start because we were slightly too fast in the pit lane. That threw us far back. Afterwards, we were very consistent, especially in the dry. We collected a lot of data and a wealth of experience for next year.”

Patric Niederhauser (CH, Lionspeed GP, Porsche 911 GT3 R #24): “The race didn’t go as we would’ve preferred because of the cancellation. Still, we were determined to win the ProAm class, and we did. We can be very proud of that, because thanks to a great strategy, we succeeded in making up a few positions at the end. If the race had been allowed to restart, we might even have had a chance of an outright win. Nevertheless, the race director made the right decision. My first 24-hour race here with Porsche went very well, I’m very pleased.”

Results

1. Stippler/Mies/Feller/Marschall (D/D/CH/D), Audi #16, 50 laps
2. Estre/Güven/Preining/Vanthoor (F/TR/A/B), Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911, 50 laps
3. Harper/Hesse/Weerts (UK/D/B), BMW #72, 50 laps
6. Andlauer/Bachler/Müller/Picariello (F/A/D/B), Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #33, 50 laps
9. Au/Niederhauser/P. Kolb/Dontje (HKG/CH/D/NL), Lionspeed GP, Porsche 911 GT3 R #24, 50 laps
10. Eriksson/Heinemann/Menzel/Ragginger (S/D/D/A), Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #44, 50 laps
13. Buus/Dienst/Holzer/Seefried (DK/D/D/D), Dinamic GT, Porsche 911 GT3 R #54, 50 laps
16. Renauer/V. Kolb/Olsen/Campbell (D/D/N/AUS), Herberth Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 R #5, 49 laps

Full results:
https://www.24h-rennen.de/en/live-en/

Interim Report 1

The 911 GT3 R fielded by Porsche’s customer team Manthey EMA is leading the field after the opening phase of the Nürburgring 24-hour race. At nightfall, the car is still in a promising position. The same applies to the two Porsche fielded by Falken Motorsports running in tenth and twelfth place as well as the identical model campaigned by Dinamic GT on P13. Herberth Motorsport and Lionspeed GP currently hold positions 17 and 20.

The long-distance classic took off under tricky conditions, with rain setting in during the warm-up lap on the 25.378-kilometre combination of the shortened Grand Prix circuit and the historic Nordschleife. Manthey EMA’s Porsche shared by start driver Kévin Estre, the Austrian Thomas Preining, Ayhancan Güven from Turkey and Belgium’s Vanthoor was already fitted with rain tyres. The car promptly advanced into first place after the leading BMW pulled back into the pits to change tyres. Facing changeable conditions, the French works driver managed to defend his lead position until the first pit stop so that "Grello" could switch to slicks again for the now dry track.

Herberth Motorsport’s 911, which also produces about 416 kW (565 PS), was running in fifth place for a long stretch. After becoming entangled in a collision caused by another competitor which included contact with the guard rail at the end of “Döttinger Höhe”, the race car driven by German Vincent Kolb, the Norwegian Dennis Olsen, the Australian works driver Matt Campbell and Robert Renauer (Germany) made a brief stop in the pits for a quick check. By 8 pm local time, the No. 5 car was in 20th place.

“We found the right answers to the mixed conditions in the early stages of the race. All teams made good tyre choices, which brought us forward,” explains Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “To minimise risk, the Manthey EMA Porsche delayed changing from rain tyres to slicks until the track had completely dried. It’s now starting to rain again. We need to focus on getting through the night safely so that we can attack as early as possible tomorrow morning.”

Comments after the first four hours of racing

Kévin Estre (F, Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “The start wasn’t easy. We made the right decision to opt for rain tyres and so did Augusto Farfus in the BMW, but there are different designs so that’s why I was faster in some sections of the track, and Augusto in others. I made the most of a lapping opportunity in the ‘Adenauer Forst' and overtook without taking too much of a risk. We were possibly a lap too late switching to slicks at the end of the first stint. We didn’t want to risk anything, so we played it safe. That cost us a bit of time, but in the end, everything worked out fine. We can’t quite match the top pace of the BMW on dry tyres – they’re very fast on the straights, but we’re giving it our best and the race is still long.”

Nico Menzel (D, Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #44): “Opting for the right tyres at the start was tricky but luckily we succeeded more or less – we started on wets and managed to hold our own in the midfield. We swapped to slicks at the right time and seem to be doing everything right so far. We’re running in the top 10 so everything’s okay.”

Dennis Olsen (N, Herberth Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 R #5): “I had great fun during the first stint. It was difficult starting on rain tyres at the start when the track was still too dry, but I think we made the right decision. We managed to stay out on the track until the window opened for refuelling – that’s when we swapped to slicks. It was again the right decision at that point because we made up a lot of time. We’re still in the game and are doing our best.”

Qualifying

The best-placed Porsche will tackle this year’s Nürburgring 24-hour race on Saturday at 4 pm from the second grid spot. Works driver Laurens Vanthoor clocked a lap time of 8:11.398 minutes in the top qualifying 2. Five of the six 911 GT3 R advanced into the decisive individual time trial. With 44 Porsche-based racing cars, the Stuttgart sports car manufacturer has the largest contingent in the 127-strong field. Porsche is determined to clinch its 14th outright win at the 52nd running of the endurance race in Germany’s Eifel region.

The three previous qualifying sessions at the Nürburgring were run in changeable weather conditions with intermittent heavy rain. During the two top qualifying sessions from 5.30 pm on Friday, the 25.378-kilometre combination of the shortened Grand Prix circuit and the historic Nordschleife remained dry and sunny with outside temperatures hovering around 16 degrees Celsius.

Laurens Vanthoor tackled the top qualifying 2 as the tenth of 17 drivers in the individual time trial. In his first of two flying laps, he topped the timesheets in the first four sectors, with these times remaining unchanged throughout the rest of the session. The Belgian works driver managed his first attempt in 8:11.398 minutes. In his second hot lap with the ca. 415 kW (565 PS) 911 GT3 R fielded by Porsche’s customer team Manthey EMA, he was unable to make any further improvements. With this result, he safely secured a spot on the front grid row for himself and his works driver teammates Kévin Estre from France and Thomas Preining from Austria as well as Ayhancan Güven from Turkey.

The next best 911 was helmed by Klaus Bachler with Falken Motorsports’s No. 33 Porsche securing P10. The Austrian shares the cockpit with Julien Andlauer from France, Germany’s Sven Müller and Alessio Picariello from Belgium. Patric Niederhauser represented Lionspeed GP in the top qualifying 2. As the fastest car in the ProAm class, the Swiss driver achieved the twelfth grid position. Niederhauser shares driving duties in the 24-hour race with Antares Au (Hong Kong), the Dutchman Indy Dontje and Patrick Kolb from Germany. Position 14 is occupied by Falken Motorsports’ second 911 GT3 R crewed by the top qualifying driver Nico Menzel (Germany), his fellow countryman Tim Heinemann, the Austrian Martin Ragginger and Joel Eriksson from Sweden. The Australian Matt Campbell, Dennis Olsen from Norway and the two Germans Vincent Kolb and Robert Renauer will head into the Eifel classic from P15. Bachler, Müller, Olsen, Campbell, Preining, Andlauer and Güven have all come up through the ranks of the Porsche Junior programme.

“The top qualifying was the first major highlight of the weekend,” explains Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “Although the track stretches over 25 kilometres, the first ten cars were within a mere three seconds of each other, which underlines just how competitive it is at the top. We expect to witness this high level of competition in the race as well. Second place for Manthey EMA is a great result for us. Laurens Vanthoor turned a terrific lap. Falken Motorsports also demonstrated its potential with a top-ten placing. Twelfth for Patric Niederhauser in the best placed ProAm car is another impressive result. Now we must do our homework so that we’re well prepared for tomorrow’s race.” 

Complicated rules for eligibility in the top qualifying 2

The format to gaining eligibility for the decisive second segment of the top qualifying (TQ2) is a difficult one. In principle, twelve of the 17 starting places for the individual time trial over two laps were already allocated prior to the 24-hour race – in the first two races of the season in the Nürburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS) and the two qualifier events. The procedure, however, involves more than the absolute top times in the qualifying sessions or results in the four-hour races. Take the NLS for example: Two TQ2 places were awarded after analysing the qualifying results. The ADAC combined the qualifying times of both races and only added the best sector times in each case. This means that an ideal lap time counts.

The same applies to the races leading up to the 24-hour classic: here too, the fastest lap is valid, theoretically. However, the organisers take into account the five fastest times per sector from stints in which the vehicle completed at least six laps in a row. Ultimately, four spots in the TQ2 are awarded for this. The organisers took a similar approach for the two qualifier events in May. Here, four TQ2 starting places were allocated in qualifying and six in the races. Vehicles that had already secured a spot in the second top qualifying segment were of course not taken into account when the places were allocated.

A maximum of 40 percent of the vehicles in the SP9 Pro class with an all-pro driver lineup go straight into the TQ2 – which is currently eight racing cars. The same applies to the SP9 ProAm, in which lower-ranked drivers also compete. Four vehicles from this category have pre-qualified for TQ2. The remaining five positions were allocated today in the first top qualifying segment. In this segment, all cars from the SP9, SP10 and SP-X classes that have not yet secured a TQ2 slot are permitted to participate.

For Porsche’s customer teams, this meant that in addition to Manthey’s “Grello” and the two 911 GT3 R from Falken Motorsports, the identical models from Herberth Motorsport and Lionspeed GP were also confirmed to take part in TQ2. Only the Dinamic GT team had to fight for eligibility in the final shootout in the Q1 individual time trial over two laps. However, as the eleventh fastest, the No. 54 missed out on advancing into the final segment. Marvin Dienst from Germany joins forces for the team with his compatriots Marco Holzer and Marco Seefried as well as Bastian Buus from Denmark. Holzer and Buus are also former Porsche Juniors.

TV coverage and live-streaming of the 24-hour race

The German free-TV channel Nitro will broadcast the Eifel classic live for the entire 24 hours. The pre- and post-race reports include two additional hours of broadcasting. The official race website provides a free live stream and live timing at www.24h-rennen.de/live. The crowds at the track can access the latest information at any time via the track announcer or on Radio Nürburgring on the VHF frequency 87.7 MHz.

Comments after the top qualifying

Laurens Vanthoor (B, Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “That was so much fun. The ‘Grello’ drove like a dream. I could’ve perhaps arranged the lap a bit better. I pushed hard at the beginning, but then the tyres started to deteriorate slightly. Still, second place is a great starting position for tomorrow’s race.” 

Klaus Bachler (A, Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #33): “That was so cool, I had two great laps. Unfortunately, the car’s balance wasn’t quite ideal – we took a bit more of a risk with the setup. Tenth is still a decent starting position for the race. It looks like the weather could turn crazy again. Bring it on!”

Patric Niederhauser (CH, Lionspeed GP, Porsche 911 GT3 R #24): “With twelfth place overall and pole position in the ProAm classification, we’ve achieved our goal and are thrilled with our good grid spot for the race.”

Nico Menzel (D, Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #44): “P14 is definitely not what we wanted but we couldn’t improve today. We performed better in the previous NLS races. We now need to see what the problem was so that we can pick up the pace again tomorrow.”

Matt Campbell (AUS, Herberth Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 R #5): “We only managed P15 in the top qualifying, which is less than ideal. But I believe that our 911 GT3 R will run better in the race setup than in the qualifying setup. Let’s wait and see what happens.”

Qualifying result:

1. Harper/Hesse/Weerts (UK/D/B), BMW M4 GT3 #72, 8:10.992 minutes
2. Estre/Güven/Preining/Vanthoor (F/TR/A/B), Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911, 8:11.398 minutes
3. Stippler/Mies/Feller/Marschall (D/D/CH/D), Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II #16, 8:11.406 minutes
10. Andlauer/Bachler/Müller/Picariello (F/A/D/B), Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #33, 8:13.692 minutes
12. Au/Niederhauser/P. Kolb/Dontje (HKG/CH/D/NL), Lionspeed GP, Porsche 911 GT3 R #24, 8:13.770 minutes
14. Eriksson/Heinemann/Menzel/Ragginger (S/D/D/A), Falken Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R #44, 8:15.208 minutes
15. Renauer/V. Kolb/Olsen/Campbell (D/D/N/AUS), Herberth Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 R #5, 8:15.237 minutes
23. Buus/Dienst/Holzer/Seefried (DK/D/D/D), Dinamic GT, Porsche 911 GT3 R #54, 8:18.693 minutes
26. Bruins/Cho/Kim (NL/CDN/KOR), Hankook Competition, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup #60, 8:45.425 minutes

Preview

Porsche’s customer teams and the 911 GT3 R have already given a demonstration of their force in the so-called “Qualifiers” in mid-April. Falken Motorsports celebrated two victories, while Manthey EMA finished both races on the podium. Moreover, Dinamic GT, Lionspeed GP and Herberth Motorsport will each field one  GT3 racer from Weissach.

“We began preparing for 2024 straight after last year’s 24-hour race,” explains Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R. “We worked hard alongside the manufacturers to understand last year’s tyre damage. After in-depth analyses, we applied the appropriate measures. The start of the 2024 season showed that we did a good job together. Our teams and drivers are happy with the vehicle balance. Now we need to sort out the race procedures and focus on getting through the race without making any mistakes. Lap time performance alone is not the main priority. Teamwork, managing overtaking in a big field of 130 cars, the right tyre choice for different conditions and ensuring that the driver feels good in the car will be the keys to success.”

The commitment of Porsche customer teams goes far beyond participation in the top SP9 class for GT3 vehicles. Thirty-nine other racing cars from the German manufacturer are registered in ten different classes. This means that Porsche has by far the largest contingent of entries in the race. The most popular model is the 911 GT3 Cup, 14 of which will compete in the dedicated Cup2 category.

“Porsche is again clearly the most well-represented brand at the Nürburgring 24-hour race this year. This shows that we continue to enjoy high trust among our partners and customers and that our products are well established on the market,” says Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport. “I’m confident that the six Porsche 911 GT3 R will perform strongly against the tough competition in the top SP9 class. The customer teams are extremely professional with first-class drivers crewing all the cars. Our customers will undoubtedly deliver some gripping racing in other categories too, like in the fiercely competitive Cup2 class 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 52nd time. After the debut event in June 1970, the race twice around the clock was cancelled three times: in 1974 and 1975 due to the oil crisis at that time and in 1983 due to construction work. Since 2005, the race has been held on a 25.378-kilometre combination of the historic Nordschleife and the modern Grand Prix circuit. The racetrack features more than 70 corners, including the famous steeply-banked “Karussell”. The steepest incline of the undulating course has a gradient of 18 percent with the steepest downhill section at a maximum of 11 percent. On the 2.6-kilometre “Döttinger Höhe” straight, the racing cars achieve a top speed of over 280 km/h.

The format is also special: twelve cars already made it into the Top Qualifying session at the first two races of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) season and in the two “Qualifiers”. Manthey’s “Grello”, the two 911 GT3 R from Falken Motorsports and the identical models fielded by Herberth Motorsport and Lionspeed GP are already eligible to take part in this spectacular individual time trial for the 17 best grid positions. Dinamic GT is the only team to still fight for a spot in the shootout.

TV coverage and live-streaming of the 24-hour race

The German free-TV channel Nitro will broadcast the Eifel classic live for the entire 24 hours. The pre- and post-race reports include two additional hours of broadcasting. The official race website provides a free live stream and live timing at www.24h-rennen.de/live-en/. The crowds at the track can access the latest information at any time via the track announcer or on Radio Nürburgring on the VHF frequency 87.7 MHz.

An overview of the teams and drivers (SP9 class, Porsche 911 GT3 R)

Herberth Motorsport #5 – Robert Renauer (D), Vincent Kolb (D), Dennis Olsen (N), Matt Campbell (AUS)
Lionspeed GP #24 – Antares Au (HKG), Patric Niederhauser (CH), Patrick Kolb (D), Indy Dontje (NL)
Falken Motorsports #33 – Julien Andlauer (F), Klaus Bachler (A), Sven Müller (D), Alessio Picariello (B)
Falken Motorsports #44 – Joel Eriksson (S), Tim Heinemann (D), Nico Menzel (D), Martin Ragginger (A)
Dinamic GT #54 – Marco Holzer (D), Marco Seefried (D), Bastian Buus (DK), Marvin Dienst (D)
Manthey EMA #911 – Laurens Vanthoor (B), Thomas Preining (A), Kévin Estre (F), Ayhancan Güven (TR)

Drivers’ comments before the race

Matt Campbell (Porsche 911 GT3 R #5): “I’m super excited to go racing on the Nordschleife again soon. This is always a major highlight and one of the best events of the entire year for me. Our tests were successful in the Eifel a few weeks ago. This was the first time I’ve driven on this legendary track since the last 24-hour race. As far as I’m concerned, it can start immediately!”

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #33): “I love the Nordschleife! To prepare for this year’s 24-hour race, we had first-class results with Falken Motorsports. Julien Andlauer, Alessio Picariello, Sven Müller and I make a strong crew in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. While our team is well positioned, we all know the Eifel and the long-distance classic: anything is possible at any time. I hope that we can build on our great results from the spring and fight for overall victory.”

Kévin Estre (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “The 24-hour race is a very special annual event – especially when you get to drive the famous ‘Grello’. Last year we put in a lot of work but missed out on harvesting the fruit of those efforts. We intend to change that. Our preparation went well. We’ll have a great car for the race – so it’ll be great fun on the Nordschleife. We’ll do everything we can to hand Manthey another win.”

The schedule

Thursday, 30 May
13:00 – 14:45 hrs: Qualifying 1
20:00 – 23:30 hrs: Qualifying 2

Friday, 31 May
13:30 – 14:45 hrs: Qualifying 3
17:30 – 19:15 hrs: Top Qualifying

Saturday, 1 June
12:40 – 13:25 hrs: Warmup
16:00 hrs: Start of the 24-hour race

Sunday, 2 June
16:00 hrs: Finish of the 24-hour race

The competing Porsche race cars (classes)
Porsche 911 GT3 R (SP9)
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (Cup2, SP-X, AT2)
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (SP10)
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport (SP7, AT3, Cup3)
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport (SP7, Cup3)
Porsche Cayman GTS (V6)
Porsche Cayman S (V6)
Porsche 718 Cayman GTS (SP4T)
Porsche Cayman CM12 (V5)
Porsche 911 Carrera (V6)