At a glance
- Strong customer teams compete in the 24-hour race in the Eifel.
- With 60 race cars, Porsche is once again the most strongly represented manufacturer.
- Nine former Porsche Juniors will be driving top cars in the SP9 class.
In the SP9 class, reserved for vehicles complying with FIA GT3 regulations, nine manufacturers and 41 race cars are competing this year – more than in any other class. Porsche customer teams make up the largest contingent, with 13 cars of the latest specification Porsche 911 GT3 R. In particular, the six cars with all-professional line-ups in the cockpit are among the leading contenders for victory.
The Porsche customer team Manthey had already demonstrated its ambition to achieve a top result back in mid-May: in the ‘Qualifier’ race, its 911 – nicknamed ‘Grello’ – finished third. Alongside the team from Meuspath, Dunlop Motorsport, Falken Motorsports and Lionspeed GP are each fielding a 911 GT3 R with an all-Pro line-up, whilst Dinamic GT is fielding two. With Klaus Bachler, Michael Christensen, Sven Müller, Thomas Preining, Julien Andlauer, Ayhancan Güven, Laurin Heinrich, Bastian Buus and Alessandro Ghiretti, nine of the 20 professional drivers in these racing cars have come through Porsche’s junior development program.
“The record number of 13 Porsche 911 GT3 R cars in the SP9 class confirms our consistent focus on the needs of our customer teams,” emphasizes Michael Dreiser, Head of Sales at Porsche Motorsport. “We are competing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with the evolution of the 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 R. This represents an improvement over the previous model in many details. Both the opening rounds of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie and the qualifying race have shown that the competition is particularly strong this year. With our cars in the top SP9 category and six different tire brands, our chances are wide-ranging. Hopefully this time we’ll have that little bit of luck that has eluded us in previous years at the Nürburgring.”
Porsche shapes the race’s grassroots character through a strong presence across many classes. Traditionally, the sports car manufacturer’s racing cars are among the most successful in the class standings at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. “In total, more than 200 drivers will be competing in around 60 Porsche racing cars – an impressive range that once again makes Porsche the most strongly represented brand at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring,” says Michael Dreiser.
The race and the legendary “Green Hell”
This year, the organizers of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring are again expecting over 200,000 spectators at the venue. The race is now in its 54th year. Since its inaugural event in June 1970, the endurance race has been cancelled only three times: in 1974 and 1975 due to the oil crisis of the time, and in 1983 because of construction work. Since 2005, a 25.378-kilometre combination of the historic Nordschleife and the modern Grand Prix circuit has been used. The track comprises more than 70 corners, including the famous “Karussell” with its steep banking. On this undulating course, the steepest incline is 18 per cent, whilst the maximum gradient is 11 per cent. On the 2.6-kilometre-long “Döttinger Höhe”, some racing cars reach top speeds of over 280 km/h. For Porsche, its involvement at the Nürburgring has great significance beyond motorsport: all road cars are tested on the approximately 20-kilometre-long Nordschleife. Furthermore, Porsche holds the absolute lap record in the so-called “Green Hell”.
The 24-hour race live on TV and via live stream
The German free-to-air channel Nitro will broadcast the Nürburgring highlight live for the full 24 hours. The channel family will stream all qualifying sessions and top qualifying sessions on RTL+. The race’s official website offers a free live stream and live timing at www.24h-rennen.de/live/. The track announcers will also keep the numerous fans at the track up to date with the latest information at all times via Radio Nürburgring on the FM frequency 87.7 MHz.
Further information and links
2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours: The full entry list
The challenger in detail: The upgraded Porsche 911 GT3 R
Keep track of the action at all times: Live streams and live timing
75 years of Porsche Motorsport: The history of #Raceborn
Driver comments ahead of the race
Laurin Heinrich (Porsche 911 GT3 R #24): “Being able to compete in the Nürburgring 24-hour race again after a three-year break means a great deal to me. A win here is surely right at the top of every racing driver’s wish list. We’ve put together a very strong package at Lionspeed. Even though we couldn’t prepare as thoroughly as planned in the NLS races, I’m very confident that we’ll achieve a good result as a strong team.”
Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #44): “I’m really looking forward to my tenth 24-hour race at the Nürburgring – I’m expecting a very tough, fast and intense race with a huge crowd. There are probably 20 cars in contention for the win. As is the case every year, preparation time is very limited, especially when four drivers are sharing the car. But we had a very good test under superb conditions. We don’t need to worry about the technology and reliability of the Porsche 911 GT3 R anyway; even in the new version for 2026, it’s perfectly tuned.”
Bastian Buus (Porsche 911 GT3 R #54): “With the start of my season in the GT World Challenge and the DTM, I’ve had an exciting few weeks – and now the 24 Hours of Nürburgring is coming up. For me, the first major highlight of the year is the epitome of endurance racing. Last year we finished third on the podium. Naturally, I’m hoping for an even better result this time. We want to find a bit more pace and fight for the top positions.”
Ayhancan Güven (Porsche 911 GT3 R #911): “I travelled straight from the World Endurance Championship at Spa to the Nürburgring – I like it when race weekends follow on straight away. The 24-hour event is attracting a great deal of attention this year. We’ve had good preparation with Team Manthey. I’ve finished second in this event in each of the past two years. Now we’re trying once again to win the Eifel classic – we’re going ‘all-in’ and hope to be in contention for the win.”
The schedule (CEST)
Thursday, 14 May
13:15 – 15:15: Qualifying 1
20:00 – 23:30: Qualifying 2
Friday, 15 May
8:50 – 9:25: Top Qualifying 1
9:45 – 10:20: Top Qualifying 2
10:35 – 11:50: Qualifying 3
13:35 pm – 14:35 pm: Top Qualifying 3
Saturday, 16 May
10:00 – 11:00: Warm-up
12:45 – 14:40: Grid formation
15:00: Start of the 24-hour race
Sunday, 17 May
15:00: Finish of the 24-hour race
