The fabled Nurburgring is the home this weekend to the latest race in the 2023 GT World Challenge Europe calendar. Although, for this event, unlike other GT3 based championships that do race the fabled Nordschleife portion of the track, SRO Europe is on the Grand Prix layout for their race today. On the pole position, it is the #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo. Jules Gounon responded to Iron Lynx Lamborghini driver Jordan Pepper's fastest lap time during the qualifying session and promptly beat it to earn the top spot. Qualifying happened in the rain and it was a dramatic session earlier this morning for sure. We could see championship titles decided today. Of course, that remains to be seen.
For so many, the Nurburgring means legends, who have conquered this venue for 95 years. But today, as mentioned, the very best GT3 drivers piloting the best GT3 cars in the world not on the Nordschleife, but on the Grand Prix track. 54 cars and 150 drivers, the penultimate race of the Endurance Cup championship. Rowe Racing have won two races this year so far. Marco Wittmann, is optimistic and wants to maximize everything. In the Sprint Cup, at Misano Adriatico, Valentino Rossi finally won a race. We will have highlights of the Misano sprint event for you, soon. Stay tuned for that.
Tresor Orange1 and their Audi R8 is at a home race as is their German driver, Dennis Marschall. This is all in the Pro category. In Gold, Comtoyou Racing could win the Endurance Cup category. Max Hofer is racing in Australia for GT World Challenge Australia this weekend, another race we'll talk about later. WRT BMW #30 is in the points lead in the Gold Cup. Niklas Krutten was born and raised 45 minutes from the Nurburgring and knows the track well. They are leading Sprint and overall in the championship but are looking for more in Endurance.
Nine Silver-rated drivers entered, and Comtoyou Racing again, lead this championship as well. Sam DeJonghe, the Belgian driver, is surprised, but knows what the deal is. He knows he and his team have to go for it. Grasser Racing Lamborghini won the Silver class at the Spa 24 Hours last time out, four weeks ago. Austrian driver Clemens Schmid is confident. The package with the Lamboorghini is solid. The #99 Attempto Racing Audi has done well in Sprint and are going to look to do more at Nurburgring. Alex Aka and Lorenzo Patrese among the drivers.
In Bronze, higher rated drivers can partner with Bronze rated drivers. Sky Tempesta Racing and McLaren, and driver Chris Froggatt have had good luck this season and have the momentum. Haupt Racing Team won the class at the Paul Ricard tracj and did well in Sprint at Misano last time. Arjun Maini emphasizes to finish as high as possible and make no mistakes. In Pro-Am, it is two Bronze drivers partnered with a Pro. Car Collection have a huge advantage after wins at Paul Ricard and at the 24 Hours of Spa. Points are also awarded from the virtual world and the sim racing platform, Assetto Corse Competizione.
We are now set to go racing for the fourth endurance weekend of the year. For nearly a century, drivers have battled the elements on the Nordschleife and on the 3.2-mile Grand Prix circuit. 17 corners. We are joined by Jake Sanson and John Watson. It is Nurburgring, rain, snow, ice, wind, you name it. There is a strong headwind all the way around the track with a chill factor even in the summertime. 54 cars set to start this motor race. Mirko Bortolotti will start the second place Iron Lynx Lamborghini. Lamborghini was hit with a weight increase penalty and so did Mercedes, but Mercedes got more weight. BoP in retrospect, is something we do not talk about. Let the racing do the talking. There was a Balance of Performance change.
Ferrari given a 10 kilo weight break. Lamborghini got five kilos added and ten kilograms added to both Mercedes and Lamborghini. Plus, five for Lamborghini. Yes. I was right. Ten for Mercedes. Just checking the math, the numbers. We have Ralf Schumacher's son David here racing and the Schumacher name, thanks to David's dad Ralf and his uncle Michael and cousin Mick, they are all fabled names. Mick Schumacher is a Formula 1 test driver for Mercedes at Spa Francorchamps an hour and a half down the road this weekend.
The more weight you carry is a bearing for tires and brakes and for speed. The whole Balance of Performance thing might just come out in the wash. Iron Dames did a wonderful job in qualifying, Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey. If it is dry or wet, the Lamborghini's could very well play a role in the battle. They hope for changing weather conditions. Rahel Frey will be starting the car more than likely. The Iron Dames earned the pole in the Bronze Cup. If you are in the back half of the field, be patient. You'll have to focus on traffic management and clear away from everyone else.
Charles Weerts, Davide Rigon, Valentino Rossi, we've got lots of contending drivers down the order. Rob Collard in the Barwell Lamborghini is hoping to go well on his son Ricky Collard's birthday racing in England this weekend. Drivers suited and booted and ready to go racing. Mattia Drudi will start the #40 Orange1 Audi. They had a good race at Spa as we hear the German national anthem. If anyone in the top ten will make progress, we should see Audi drivers like Christopher Mies, Fred Vervisch, and Mattia Drudi, to be up towards the sharp end. The grid will soon be cleared and we'll be set to go racing after the German national anthem.
Jules Gounon, part of the polesitting team says that Akkodis ASP got the right spot at the right time and now it is dry compared to the rain in qualifying earlier this morning you saw on video. Are we sure it will stay dry? We'll have to wait and find out. Keep your jacket handy. The track temperature has actually gone up but there is a windchill factor. We'll have to see what is going to happen. There will be clouds coming towards the circuit. It is high cloud and not fog. Akkodis ASP Mercedes vs. Iron Lynx Lamborghini will be the battle to watch. Lamborghini had a nightmare race at the 24 Hours of Spa.
But today, they might just be on for success. We'll have to wait and find out in the next three hours. We just don't know yet what is going to happen. Audi could very well play the role of a darkhorse with three very competitive cars with no additional BoP changes. Watch for Winward Racing, Iron Dames, and GRT Grasser Racing Team as the cars set off on the formation lap. Three hours of racing with 54 starters, coming up. The field is well spread out, but they need to pack up into double file, Noah's Ark formation. We're going to see a lot of scrapping and a lot of overtaking. Here we go. Controlling thre start. Green! We're underway at the Nurburgring!
Maximilian Gotz is going for it squeezing the Lamborghini and there's a pinball machine here and Iron Dames around spun around and damage for one of the Ferrari's and one of the Mercedes. Tire smoke billowing from one of the cars. Hard to see. Maximilian Gotz all torn up! Three into one ain't working. The bodywork is rubbing on the rear tire. David Schumacher has leapt up to third place! Audi vs. McLaren side by side and now, the second Winward Mercedes and Davide Rigon are scrapping like crazy! A tire has gone down on one of the Mercedes! Three wheels on me wagon. Deary me!
Fred Vervisch passes David Schumacher and here comes Maro Engel! Holy smokes! Engel makes the move and Schumacher has to give it up. Schumacher got a bad exit out of the last turn. Oy yoy yoy! #57 in and out of the lane. Mattia Drudi got swamped on the left hand side of the road. He overshot the corner and went straight on. So much to unpack from the start of the race. Fred Vervisch has gone up to third spot. David Schunacher is ahead of the damaged Lamborghini, Jordan Pepper at the wheel of it. Maximilian Gotz is still dealing with bodywork damage and here comes the #998 BMW M4 GT3. Neil Verhagen vs. Jean Baptiste Simmenauer.
Reema Juffali is racing with Erwan Bastard who takes the spot away and Pietro Delli Guanti has some hip and shoulder with Ralf Bohn as well. Marciello leads the motor race thus far. Dennis Olsen is fastest in sector one in the second place Porsche. At the start, Maxi Gotz got a great launch! Cars scattering all over the place. Some argy bargy of course as we see the Iron Dames Lambo get spun and the BMW got a big clonk in turn one where everything funnels down to nothing, and everyone wants to go for the first corner at the same time. Not a good idea with 50+ GT3 cars on the raod at the same time.
David Schumacher uncorks fastest lap so far at 1:55.6, just like how his uncle Michael used to do it in Formula 1. Fred Vervisch battling with Engel and Schumacher. Neil Verhagen, Jean Baptiste Simmenauer, and so many more as Chris Froggatt and Charlie Fagg are in an all-McLaren battle as well. Sky Tempesta vs. Optimum Motorsport. Hubert Haupt leads Bronze after having a cracked engine block before Free Practice and qualifying yesterday. Charles Weerts wants by the #21 Comtoyou Audi. There's shuffling in the middle of the pack. Russell Ward is in the pit lane aboard the Winward Mercedes AMG GT3 with wheel and tire damage and perhaps, suspension problems.
Dennis Olsen is still applying the blowtorch to Raffaele Marciello as well. Pepper, Wittmann and Mies in their own scrap and so are Franck Perera and Mattia Drudi. K-PAX Lamborghini vs. Orange1 Audi. Rolf Ineichen in another Lamborghini, fastest of all in sector one as Iron Dames have plummeted to 11th in class 45th overall. Franck Perera really pressing hard. Many battles are taking place all over the track. Neil Verhagen wants by Davide Rigon and Rigon consolidates and keeps the place. Ferrari 296 GT3 vs. BMW M4 GT3. V6 turbo vs. inline 6 turbo. Drudi takes the long way around and is chasing down Maximilian Gotz.
Charlie Fagg, Valentino Rossi, and Charles Weerts all moving up and Maximilian Gotz leaves the door open and allows for a pass. Mattia Drudi moves up a place. Lick the stamp and send it. Maro Engel right on Fred Vervisch's six right now. Raffaele Marciello the only driver below the 1:55 bracket as the Mercedes #57 is in the garage. Game over. Marciello two seconds ahead of everyone else and setting fastest lap of the race so far and we are not even 15 minutes into the race yet! Jeepers creepers! King size action early doors at the Nurburgring, everyone. This is great! Dennis Olsen will soon be in a scrum with both Maro Engel and David Schumacher and the Iron Dames have spun again at the bottom fo the track! Good grief!
This is a terible disappointment for Rahel Frey. She was trying to be ambitious and got clonked by the Car Collection Porsche. It is all falling apart for Iron Dames. Maro Engel is having another go at Fred Vervisch through the Schumacher S. The gap between second and third is constant and the ga between Marciello and Olsen is growing. Raffaele Marciello has clear air out front and the ten kilogram performance and weight adjustment is not having an effect. Benjamin Hites holding off Pietro Delli Guanti. Lamborghini vs. Audi with identical motors, both the 5.2 liter V10 naturally aspirated lump in the back of those cars.
WRT BMW's are scrapping too. Charles Weerts in #32 trying to make his move on the sister #46 car with Valentino Rossi at the wheel of it. Oh no! Big damage for Iron Lynx! A spin, and, whack! Straight into the wall! Marco Wittmann clatters the Iron Lynx Lamborghini! We need a slow-motion replay on that deal. Jeepers creepers! Mattia Drudi tries a move on Rolf Ineichen and it is done and dusted. The Lamborghini trundling back to the pit lane. Right front bodywork damage. Terrible luck for Iron Dames and Iron Lynx who have had their races both unravel in 20 minutes as Charlie Fagg makes his move on Davide Rigon. McLaren vs. Ferrari.
Bodywork on the road probably from one of the Mercedes AMG GT3's. It is part of a rear diffuser. There is boywpork hanging off the back of one of the cars. Hard to tell which one. Mattia Drudi closing on Marco Wittmann, the championship leader. Jordan Pepper's Lamborghini all torn up at the front end! In replay, up the hill into turn ten, Wittmann makes the lunge, tags Jordan Pepper running over the curb with the tail snapping out of line. Wittmann wrongfooted the Lamborghini, Pepper loses traction, spins... and, ker-runch! Snap oversteer and the car spins off the road.
Mattia Drudi launches on Marco Wittmann and makes the pass! Yikes! He is making hay while the sun shines, now chasing after Christopher Mies in the Sainteloc Audi. Three brands in the top three and now trhere is trouble for the #58 Lamborghini, the GRT Grasser Lamborghini of Gerhard Tweraser. I was about to say that Marciello leads Olsen and Vervisch. Mercedes ahead of Audi and Porsche, and the gap is 4.2 seconds between Marciello and Olsen and Vervisch has Maro Engel and David Schumacher all over him. Schumacher in the top five as Tweraser is in the lane for repairs.
Gravel being kicked up at the exit of turn 11. Benjamin Hites is still under pressure from Pietro Delli Guanti and Delli Guanti goes off the road in the chicane! I think he lost the back of the car, skittered through the grass and is now back on the button. Oy yoy yoy! Weeerts being harried by Rossi, or vice versa actually and now, Hubert Haupt is in the way. Weerts has to be patient to try and chase down his teammate. All these GT3 cars are so similar in pace no wonder the racing is so close. Chris Froggatt has the McLaren #93 in 21st place for Sky Tempesta Racing. Weerts makes his move on Haupt and now Froggatt is right on his six. Froggatt goes to the left, motioning saying, "you dingbat! You didn't give me space!"
The stewards will be looking at that one. This is for the Bronze Cup win. This is breathless stuff, and we are not even half an hour into the motor race yet! Criminy! Qualifying has really given this race a boost. Not boring! This is fun! Valentino Rossi is closing on Maximilian Gotz nursing an ill race car. Rossi needs clear space and to get his elbows out just like in his motorcycle racing days where he became a legend. Alex Malykhin too in the #911 Pure Racing Porsche in Bronze Cup is turning it on as well. Froggatt still wants by Haupt. Watch out for track limits on the exit of turn four. He has already been pinged by the stewards for track limits.
Debris is still all over the road and the amount of gravel is even worse that has been thrown all over the road. Watch for the gravel. It is like a gravel quarry. Back to live action and Chris Froggatt remains on Hubert Haupt's six. Haupt's lap times are slower, and he is holding Froggatt up. Haupt is a fighter and won't give it up. He tries again into the hairpin. No dice. One of the Tresor Orange1 Audi's is off the road. Actually, that is the lapped #21 car of Erwan Creed, the #888 CSA Audi that is way down in 51st place. Valentino Rossi is fine but now, Maximilian Gotz is skating on ice onto the grass and over the paint! Oy yoy yoy!
That is manna from heaven for Charles Weerts. Rossi is now reeling in Davide Rigon and needs clear track to get to the Italian in the Ferrari 296 GT3. Poor old Maxi Gotz is in limp home mode and so is Erwin Creed. Debris all over the shop from Jordan Pepper's earlier accident. Haupt is on the flashers, and he is still being driven crazy. Flashing the lights just doesn't make a bleeping difference. Hubert Haupt will try every trick in the book and now, Chris Froggatt might be able to assuage his frustration. Raffaele Marciello out front to the tune of 8.8 seconds. Timur Boguslavskiy and Jules Gounon will drive later but this is a copybook drive once more from Marciello just as we saw at Paul Ricard a couple of races ago.
David Schumacher well in the lead of the Gold Cup at his home track. He has the pressure but is going for it. Charles Weerts has passed Maxi Gotz and now, is chasing down his sister car of Valentino Rossi. The BMWs are two of the fastest cars running anywhere between 248-250 kilometers an hour, and now, Fred Vervisch was forced wide by David Schumacher and Maro Engel also just made the pass. Job done. Fred Vervisch is stymied and there is a slow McLaren, that is the #93 Sky Tempesta car. Fred Vervisch tells David Schumacher, stay out of this fight. This is not your issue. That is true, because the drivers are in different classes.
Rossi leads Weerts but is 6.6 seconds behind Davide Rigon currently. There is nothing in it between them and Nicolas Baert was the culprit tagging Chris Froggatt who goes for a ride on the whirligig. Froggatt is madder than a hatter right now saying, "why me?!" The battle of the Lamborghini's, Rolf Inecihen has Franck Perera chasing. Different classes. Benjamin Goethe and Sven Muller, followed by Neil Verhagen and Jean Baptiste Simmenauer in a couple more BMW's. Benjamin Goethe is closing on the Iron Lynx and K-PAX Lamborghini's and Sven Mueller will also be a contender soon. I could've been a contender! Well, maybe he will be soon.
Charles Weerts has now gone around Valentino Rossi. Weerts has passed Rossi. That would be a fascinating overtake to see in replay. Weerts is driving more aggressively than Rossi. Meantime, Vervisch vs. Schumacher round two. Ding, ding. Back to your corners, and come out fighting. Up the inside and the door well and truly left open by Gotz and he is getting mugged by at least two cars. Five second time penalty at next pit stop for car #93, Chris Froggatt for causing a collision. Goodness me! Froggatt will be steaming!
Maximilian Gotz is dropping like a stone and Froggott is three wide with Gotz and with Prerz-Companc and makes the move! In Silver Cup, Benji Hites is being harried by Pietro Delli Guanti. More gravel spread through the Veedol chicane and now, David Schumacher wants a bite of the cherry again against Fred Vervisch and Christopher Mies is coming in a big hurry. Aurelien Panis also passes Pietro Delli Guanti. Delli Guanti wants by Benjamin Hites for the Silver class lead and Christopher Mies has passed Mattia Drudi. Only just saw and heard about that one. Thank you for pointing that out, John Watson.
A five second penalty for Chris Froggatt for causing a collision or was this a separate incident? We do not know. The #888 CSA Racing is also pinged for speeding in the pit lane. Gerhard Tweraser is driving with the red mist down and wants to unlap himself. Watch out for a racing driver driving angry. He will plow his way right through you. Down the hill they go. Rahel Frey has recovered and has come back up to 42nd place. Rob Collard sharing with Dennis Lind. Only two drivers. Happy Birthday to his son Ricky Collard, racing at Croft in England today. They are quite a long way in front of the Car Collection Motorsport #24 Porsche with Nicky Leutwiler at the controls.
Samantha Tan scrapping in Pro-Am with Lance Bergstein and the Walkenhorst BMW M4 GT3 of Anders Buchardt. Schumacher runs wide! Mies forced his way through. Mattia Drudi has down the same thing and Samantha Tan snatches third in Pro-Am and now, Samantha Tan got biffed into a spin since by side with Lance Bergstein! Gracious! We have seen Samantha Tan very successful in a BMW M4 GT3 in SRO GT World Challenge America as well. Tan was forced wide onto the tarmac and onto the grass, bullied off the road. Mattia Drudi still pushing hard. He is fifth having passed David Schumacher and Christopher Mies.
The action is hot and heavy here at the Nurburgring, maybe a bit too hot! Raffaele Marciello leads the motor race by 15 seconds. Marciello is whistling off into the distance doing his job, not in the middle of a war zone or getting boiled in hot water. An unscheduled pit stop for Herberth Motorsports in the #91 Porsche 911 GT3R for Herberth Motorsport as the #46 WRT BMW is coming to the lane for Augusto Farfus, the Brazilian BMW factory driver to take over from teammate and fellow factory racer Valentino Rossi, again, the multiple world champ on motorcycles. Charles Weerts to is coming in and Neil Verhagen in the Rowe Racing BMW too.
Grazie mill il doctore. Thank you, Valentino. Sheldon van der Linde, the South African is now in the #32 WRT BMW. Dennis Olsen trying to catch Raffaele Marciello but of course Maro Engel is chasing down the Norwegian Porsche driver. Christopher Mies in the lane for the #25 Sainteloc Junior Team Audi. Mattia Drudi reeling in Fred Vervisch and Maro Engel is catching Olsen as well, look. Drudi reeling in Vervisch. He is right on the button to try and pass. Maro Engel closing in on Dennis Olsen in the #96 car, the Rutronik Racing Porsche. Maro Engel to the lane, 55 minutes into the race. I wonder if he will hand off to one of the co-drivers.
Yes indeed. We'll see if this race goes green all the way. Sticker Pireli P Zero tires will be a good deal for the new driver, either Fabian Schiller or Luca Stolz. Mattia Drudi also in the lane in the #40 Audi who will have a different driver. Thomas Drouet is into the beleaguered #87 Akkodis ASP Mercedes, hobbling around. Franck Perera and Benji Goethe in as well. Fabian Schiller now driving the #777 Mercedes and Dennis Marschall in the #40 Audi. Fabian Schiller will be in recovery mode. Maxime Soulet in the lone Aston Martin, Louis Prette in the McLaren, and more.
That is not Soulet in the Aston. The Bullitt Racing car is being shared by Canadian Jeff Kingsley, Jacob Riegel of Germany, and Romain Leroux of France. Rutronik Porsche in the lane. They need to get out ahead of Fabian Schiller. Schiller is coming and he will pass the Porsche. Loren Heinrich takes over the Rutronik Porsche but loses a place. Nick Yelloly now in the Rowe BMW and Chris Froggatt is done with his stint, Jonathan Hui taking over the #93 Sky Tempesta McLaren with the five second penalty having to be added. Lorenzo Patrese replaces Pietro Delli Guanti in the #99 Attempto Racing Audi as Raffaele Marciello still leads.
David Schumacher has done a wodnerful job and is sharing with Miklas Born and Marius Zug. But Schumacher is definitely channeling his uncle. This is a great advert to other potential teams. There are hints David Schumacher could have an opportunity for next year. We'll see. Any race team manager has to put Raffaele Marciello on top of the short list for next year as well. This bloke is fast! We are now an hour into the race. 1/3rd completed. Fred Vervisch in second is going longer into the stint and o is the #30 WRT BMW of Jean Baptiste Simmenauer, Charlie Fagg in the McLaren, and Davide Rigon in the Ferrari. Simmenauer to the lane now. OK. Simmenauer and company are battling for the Gold Cup victory with Miklas Born now at the controls of the #57 Mercedes taking over from David Schumacher.
One more lap and Marciello will go into the lane right at the last possible moment. Can Vervisch and Comtoyou Racing make the undercut work? BMW #32 is regrouping to try and go for it and Marciello could stay out as long as possible but will lose time to the others. Dennis Lind has taken over the Barwell Motorsports Lamborghini. Dennis "The Menace" Lind is a quick bloke. Charlie Fagg brings the Optimum McLaren in and the Car Collection Porsche pits too. Marciello off in the gravel pit and now he has to pit. He has Sheldon van der Linde on new Pirelli tires.
Marciello in the lane. I thought so. I knew he was going to hit the lane. I knew that is what the strategy would be. Vervisch sees the carrot and also hits the lane. Timur Boguslavskiy is getting into the #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes. OK. Fabian Schiller in the #777 Mercedes is still towards the front as well. How will all of this chopping and changing wash through? Sarah Bovy has taken over the Iron Dames Lambo from Rahel Frey. Dennis Marschall in traffic has now passed by the #11 Comtoyou Audi handing over to Kobe Pauwels, the young Belgian racer.
Christopher Haase will finish out the race in the #11. Joel Sturm being harried by Robert Renauer. Pure Racing vs. Herberth Motorsports. Sebastien Baud now leads the class in the earlier delayed #79 Haupt Racing Team Mercedes and behind them, the #93 Sky Tempesta McLaren now in the hands of Jonathan Hui. Timur Boguslavskiy leads Fabian Schiller by 13 seconds with Loren Heinrich in third place. Dennis Olsen was in the middle after having a good start and saw the chaos ahead of him but took advantage and managed the gap in his stint. He was having a great time out there. The Porsche does not have the oomph of the Mercedes apparently. They are third behind two Mercedes' now.
Ten second time penalty at the next pit stop for the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, responsibility to Nicklas Nielsen but Robert Shwartzmann will take the penalty, the Israeli driver. Dennis Marschall only five seconds down on Loren Heinrich. Timur Boguslavskiy's gap is being reduced, whittled away to 11.9 seconds by Fabian Schiller. Dennis Marschall is going to be chasing down Lorne Heinrich into turn one. Nickolai Kjaergaard being monstered by Callan Williams. McLaren vs. BMW.
Garage 59 vs. WRT. No dice for Williams yet. Right behind them it is Antonio Fuoco in the #50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. Sheldon van der Linde has passed Nikolai Kjaergaard as well. Fuoco is really working over Williams for 15th place. He is short shifting. Fuoco sharing with countryman Davide Rigon and the Brazilian Daniel Serra. Boguslavskiy consolidating his lead. Fabian Schiller has to keep Heinrich at bay. Fuoco is going to try making his move. Watch the slow cars. The back markers know not to be a roadblock for the faster cars. All GT3 cars but different drivers at different skill and experience levels.
Marco Mapelli trying to pass Marius Nakken. Sheldon van der Linde also closing on Max Hesse and here comes Marco Mapelli as Michele Berretta has also passed. Sheldon van der Linde on the attack and will he make a move? Yes. He is trying to go afer the Rowe BMW and then on Michele Beretta in the Iron Lynx Lamborghini! Making massive use of the curbs and so is Max Hesse in the other BMW. Antonio Fuoco passes both Nicolai Kjaergaard and Callan Williams. Kikko Galbiati passes Marius Nakken as well! Nakken is the meat in the sandwich as Fuoco finds space.
Fuoco reads the situation and makes it past the Audi. Fuoco has to go defensive. Andy Meyrick has spun the #62 Team Parker Porsche 911 GT3R and clobbered a couple of the Styrofoam signs. Sheldon van der Linde harrying the Lamborghini. He is holding his ground and makes the pass on the Lambo. Max Hesse wants the bite of the cherry too but gets the door slammed in his face by Michele Berretta, but that pass by van der Linde on Berretta was sweet like chocolate! Timur Boguslavskiy still leads by 11 seconds over Fabian Schiller. Joel Sturm closing on Sebastien Baud. Pure Racing vs. Haupt Racing Team in Bronze Cup. Then comes the #91 Herberth Motorsports Porsche with Robert Renauer at the controls.
Porsche is not hampered by the Balance of Performance change and Audi weren't either. Ferrari had a ten-kilogram weight reduction and could have been marginally better on laptime and speed but it isn't working right now for them. Ferrari know where they are with the 296 GT3 and Max Hesse goes off and on into the gravel, and here comes Fuoco with a head of steam! No dice. Fuoco can't quite make it. The lead gap is now ten seconds between Bougslavskiy and Schiller. Maxi Gotz and company, game over. The #87 Akkodis ASP Mercedes has given up the ghost after an hour and 25 minutes of racing as we get closer and closer to the halfway mark. That is a mechanical malady that was due to the earlier accident.
Antonio Fuoco crawling all over the back of Max Hesse in the BMW with one of two Lamborghini's in the top 15, ahead. Michele Beretta, and the others, all in a scrap of their own. Fuoco closing on Hesse. Now, Kobe Pauwels gets dusted by Miklas Born. Christian Engelhart wants to get past both of them. Engelhart in the #54 Dinamic Motorsports Porsche is reeling in the rookie, Kobe Pauwels. Pauwels is consistent. He has gone from karting to rallycross, rallycross to TCR touring cars, and now, TCR touring cars, to GT3. The Bronze Cup scrap is getting feisty. Sturm closing on Baud and Renauer right on Sturm's six!
There's gravel all over the Schumacher S. Born and Engelhart have passed Pauwels with Nick Yelloly next but he is nine seconds down on Pauwels. Sam Neary is in the beleaguered #58 GRT Grasser Lamborghini. Not a factor. Sturm committing to the middle of the road trying to pass Baud doing the undercut. No dice yet. Renauer really wants to be closer to these two in case these blokes make a pig's breakfast out of this one. Sam Neary almost loses the Lamborghini! That was close for the GRT Grasser car! Neary sharing with Gerhard Tweraser and Fabrizio Crestani. Baud being harried by Sturm and Sturm still can't pass. Renauer being patient as we are halfway home.
Joel Sturm has a head of steam, and he is being driven crazy by Seb Baud. Sturm wants to pass and cannot get by that very wide Mercedes. Patience, patience, patience. Oh boy! Renauer runs off in the gravel. Sturm gets chopped by Baud! Baud won't let him have it! The #38 Ferrari 296 GT3 of Samantha Tan is penalized for speeding in pit lane. Wow! Sturm off the road and into the final corner, he has a spot where he can pass. Stick to the back of the Mercedes and he is getting defensive, flashing the lights.
Robert Renauer is sitting there thinking, my turn will be coming. These two are like brothers on Christmas fighting over a small present! Breathe, and try again. Bougslavskiy ahead of Schiller by 9.1 seconds over Heinrich, Marschall, and the rest. Sturm is going to try throwing the block on the Mercedes again. Flashing the headlamps again, burning the paint off the back of the Mercedes. This is a battle for 24th, 25th, and 26th overall. Jules Gounon will be next into the #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes as Baud parks the articulated lorry in the lane and continues the fight. Bougslavskiy, meanwhile, is motoring and Loren Heinrich, he is in trouble being harried by Dennis Marschall, the #40 Orange1 Attempto Racing Audi.
We are now in the second half of the race at the Nurburgring. The naturally aspirated V10 Audi motor has a great engine note. Sheldon van der Linde has gone around Marco Mapelli. BMW up one on Lamborghini. Simon Gachet will hand the #25 Sainteloc Junior Team Audi to Patric Niederhauser soon. Niederhauser almost won the Spa 24 Hours several years ago in the strange year that was 2020. Miklas Born still leading the Gold Cup class. Fabian Schiller not making inroads on Bougslavskiy as Christian Engelhart is chasing the #157 Mercedes aboard the #54 Dinamic Motorsports Porsche, as Joel Sturm has now passed Sebastien Baud.
Robert Renauer wants to try going for it on Baud, and not, Robert Shwartzmann is making hay while the sun shines and catching the others. Renauer gets alongside and then Sturm makes his move. Not enough punch from the V8 of the Mercedes to get by the flat six Porsche. Joel Sturm has solid pace. The Mercedes was really holding up the other two Porsche's. Keep digging as Marius Nakken is being harried by a Lamborghini. Five second time penalty for car #21 causing a collision with car #93, the penalty at the next pit stop. So, that is the second Comtoyou Racing Audi of Nicolas Baert.
Clemens Schmid is leadint rhe Silver Cup class in the #85 GRT Grasser Lamborghini followed by Lorenzo Patrese in the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi, son of sports car and Formula 1 veteran Ricardo Patrese. No rain yet but it could be coming. Lorenzo Patrese slightly quicker on lap times than Clemens Schmid. Catching is one thing and passing is completely different. Bougslavskiy leads but the gap is down to 8.6 seconds and now Fabian Schiller is closing in even more. Boguslavskiy got stymied by the #62 Team Parker Porsche 911 GT3R of Andy Meyrick.
Antonio Fuoco has passed the #998 BMW M4 GT3 of Max Hesse in the second Rowe Racing BMW. Dennis Marschall closing on Loren Heinrich hand over fist for third place. We should be talking too about the Sprint Cup races. I shall find and post videos of some of those races and what happened fairly soon if time does permit. Trust me. Boguslavskiy losing more time in traffic as Heinrich makes a mistake allowing Marschall to close in again. Patrese is only 3.9 seconds behind Schmid for the Silver Cup lead. Rob Collard and Miklas Born lead Pro-Am and Gold Cup. But Marschall is pushing to catch Heinrich and the Bullitt Racing Aston Martin woll be in the way. He gets through does Heinrich and so does Marschall.
Good thing the Aston Martin noticed. Well done to get out of the way, Jeff Kingsley, the Canadian driver. Fabian Schiller losing time to Timur Boguslavskiy before pit stops and we are just 12 minutes outside of completing the second hour and now, Sheldon van der Linde scrapping with Nick Yelloly and van der Linde makes the move! I think Nick Yelloly realized he had nothing in the locker to fight van der Linde. Marco Mapelli now harrying Nick Yelloly as well, in the #6 K-PAX Racing Lamborghini. Mapelli tries making a move but can't quite make it. Yelloly is still in front and Mapelli knew that discretion was the better part of valor.
Jef Machiels has his hands full with the Iron Dames Lamborghini and Sarah Bovy. Mapellli makes the ove on the BMW of Yelloly and Mapelli is forced the long way 'round. Something wrong on the Rowe BMW with a loose diffuser on the left rear so he is losing time hand over fist. Michele Berretta and Antonio Fuoco closing in. Lamborghini vs. Ferrari in a scrum of their own. Robert Renauer has made his move on Sebastien Baud in the Bronze Cup. That was inevitable. The gap first to second is now 5.6 seconds as Timur Boguslavskiy has made a mistake! Jules Gounon will finish the race.
There are gray clouds descending over the Nurburgring once more. That could be a title or verse for a song, honestly. The Rowe BMW is cannon fodder for the queuing cars behind. That was a big clonk of the curb by Fuoco in the Ferrari! Don't drop it now, mate. Part of the aerodynamic bodywork is off the BMW. He has lost a strake off the diffuser or a rear fender. Fuoco diving up the inside of the Lamborghini and the BMW comes through as well! He gets by Berretta and Hesse. Now he is chasing down the other BMW. Now, pit stop time. Heinrich bails for the lane and the order is chopping and changing.
Heinrich not about to lose ground to Marschall and Thomas Preining will finish the race. Christian Engelhart handing the #54 Dinamic Porsche to Ayhacan Guven, the Turkish driver, to finish the race. The tires are squirming. BMW's in for wholesale stops. Kjaergaard and Berretta in the lane too for new boots. Fabian Schiller will now close in on Timur Boguslavskiy and he does not pit. Nor does Boguslavskiy. Well, well, well. More and more curious. Where is Fabian Schiller? Schiller is in the lane. He is handing over to Luca Stolz, I think.
We have not had yellow flags or a safety car here at the Nurburgring. Clean and green the whole way. Ricardo Feller is going to drive the final stint in the #40 Tresor Orange1 Audi. Feller will be charging after Thomas Preining. This is going to be very tight with an hour to go. Boguslavskiy did not get out of the car quick enough as Jules Gounon will finish the race for Akkodis ASP with new Pirelli P Zero tires. He can just blast away out of the pit lane. #777 might go by. He was on the air jacks too long! Luca Stolz bearing down on Timur Boguslavskiy and Alex Fontana is a lapped car that is the cork in the bottle for Marciello.
Big lockup for Fontana who goes off in the gravel trap! Wow! I wonder if he was scared off the road. He locked up the right front. That is so strange because these GT3 cars have antilock brakes. Kobe Pauwels is now the erstwhile leader and the #5 Optimum Motorsports McLaren is slowing, with Dean MacDonald. Left rear tire puncture past the pit lane and a full lap around the circuit with a flat left rear tire! Slow down and be very careful. The skies are darkening like crazy! We could get some Nurburgring rain in the final hour and Luca Stolz is bearing down on Jules Gounon. The Comtoyou Audi #12 Art of Canada car has had a huge spin! Loris Hezemans has cubed, flatspotted his Pirelli P Zero tires!
Stolz crawling all over the tail of Jules Gounon, the Andorra domiciled Frenchman, the Andorran licensed driver, son of former F1 driver Jean Marc Gounon. Ricardo Feller has passed Patric Niederhauser. He wants by Thomas Preining in the #96 Rutronik Porsche. Ricardo Feller is all over him like cheap suit. #54 cops a 15 second penalty for short refueling and a time penalty at the end of the race! Feller closing on Preining in a hurry! Can he stay close to the Porsche? Will he be brave? Yes! Feller thankfully has backed off but is trying out of the final turn. No dice.
Preining stays ahead. Next opportunity in turn one. What can he do? No dice. Traffic ahead. They are bottled up behind the #2 GetSpeed Mercedes. Marvin Kirchhofer has a real ice cream headache being stymied by the Car Collection Porsche and Leonardo Pulcini is in that scrap as well. Feller still steaming along behind Preining and Preining knows what the deal is and keeps his rival at bay. Aron Walker is now in the #2 Mercedes, a bloke who went from karting right into GT3. Feller tries around the outside and is now on the grass! Through the final trun, side by side. Who has the advantage? Preining is going the slam the door but Feller tries the other side. He is pushing, pushing, pushing.
Preining in deep. This is great racing! Feller again almost off the road! Give each other working room. Feller still being hammered by Preining and are still side by side! Into the Schumacher S. No dice. Feller slams the door in Preining's face! Feller is getting an unsportsmanlike driving flag! What on earth! That was an incredible battle and they were racing clean! Alain Adam... what is this about? Kobe Pauwels is still back there. Antonio Fuoco hands off the #71 to Daniel Serra. Pauwels actually in the lane and has handed the Comtoyou Audi to Christopher Haase.
The sister AF Corse #51 Ferrari will see Alessio Rovera finishing this race. Feller and Preining in their scrum ran 1:58's and Niederhauser in clear air ran a 1:55. Michelle Gatting finishing the race for Iron Dames. Maxime Martin is now in the #46 BMW and now Alex Aka and Glenn van Berlo are in a scrap in Am. Maxime Martin conceded and might have trouble. He is slowing! Oh no! That car is headed for the pit lane. Is it a tire? Is it mechanical?
Stolz all over Gounon for the lead! Blimey! Jon Miller gets spooked in the #38 ST Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. A water leak for the #46 BMW! The water pump could be broken, or it has punctured it's water jacket, holing the radiator. Lucas Stolz just 4/10ths of a second behind Jules Gounon. No double stint for Rob Collard, and maybe Dennis Lind is doing a double stint in the Barwell Lamborghini. Dries Vanthoor is catching Sandy Mitchell as well. K-PAX Lamborghini vs. WRT BMW. We now know what happened to the #46. He clobbered the Audi! There was an Audi in the way!
Thwack! Well, that answers the question. Luca Stolz is so close, dreaming of champagne. Marius Zug has brought the #157 Mercedes AMG GT3 up to sixth place. The Silver Cup lead battle sees Glenn van Berlo vs. Alex Aka. Lamborghini vs. Audi, both with the same 5.2-liter V10 motor. Alex Aka chomping away at van Berlo's lead. Aka could be in traffic trying to pass Michelle Gatting. No. That is the #66 car. Tresor Attempto have been held up big time. Dennis Lind has made a move. Fred Makowiecki down in 39th place in the #44 CLRT Porsche.
Trouble for the Pure Racing Porsche with the left front fender loose, Klaus Bachler has walloped someone. Now, the #91 Herberth Motorsports Porsche is back there, too. Mechanical black flag for Klaus Bachler, a meatball flag, the black flag with the orange dot. Eddie Cheever III. chasing down Arjun Maini for second in Bronze Cup. Dylan Pereira in the #66 Attempto Audi was the other car involved with the #46 BMW of Maxime Martin. A penalty for Pereira, the Luxembourg driver. Gounon is being reeled in by Luca Stolz.
Al Manar Racing have had a good season in the Endurance Cup this year. Bodywork flying for the Dinamic Motorsports Porsche! It looks like a bonnet to me. Christopher Haase passes Dan Harper. Audi on BMW. Gounon and Stolz closing on Fabrizio Crestani, letting the leaders go. Crestani is stone last. Half a dozen cars have retired from the race. Gounon closing on Cheever and Maini battling for second in Bronze Cup. Mercedes vs. McLaren. Luca Stolz is trying hard to close the gap. Stolz has lapped ttaffic. Cheever tries passing Maini but he has not done so.
Stolz is being held up like mad. He is absolutely fuming. Get out of the way! Gounon has put himself in a good spot. Now, Stolz is finally able to pass the back markers. Maini defending on Cheever! Can Cheever make the pass? Not yet. Stay to the left. Make Cheever go the long way. No dice. Discretion is the better part of valor. Maini was one of three Indian drivers discovered in the Force India karting project a decade ago. Maini is really pushing hard. Cheever is not keeping speed up. Fabrizio Crestani still wants to unlap himself. But they are having to collect data for the future. They are not contenders.
Half an hour to go. Cheever is going tom try again. Can he make a move? Tim Heinemann in the Herberth Porsche has made good his escape and hit the pit lane. Eddie Cheever III. still closing on Arjun Maini. Fabrizio Crestani is still pushing. To the Veedol chicane they come. This is a race of frustration for the whole field with the Balance of Performance and the Nurburgring short course is one where it is so difficult to gain an advantage over a competitor. Leonardi Pulcini, Marvin Kirchhofer, and Daniel Serra all in a battle. Lamborghini, McLaren, Ferrari. This has been a race of battles of the classes, of the driver ratings.
All GT3 cars of course, from different manufacturers. The next overtake might be Patric Niederhauser on Thomas Preining. Sainteloc Audi on Rutronik Porsche. Niederhauser has really been pushing hard. He has closed to the tail of the Porsche with Preining at the controls. The Audi of Patric Niederhauser, he might have more grip than the Porsche of Preining does. Niederhauser does not have enough juice yet to get by. He is putting the pressure on him, as Sandy Mitchell passes for seventh trying to pass the Winward Racing Mercedes of Marius Zug, the Gold Cup leader. Niederhauser right on Preining's six!
Niederhauser still being stymied. Niederhauser has more grip than Preining. Where on the track can I gain sufficient time? Force Preining into a mistake. Niederhauser glued to the decklid of the Porsche! No chance into turn one in the braking zone. Niederhauser using a lot less track than Preining is. The Audi is a better-balanced car than the Porsche at this juncture. Just over 20 minutes of racing left. Preining cleanly exiting the corners over Niederhauser. Dennis Lind the Pro-Am leader and Aron Walker is chasing down Jon Miller. GetSpeed Mercedes vs. ST Racing Ferrari.
Dennis Lind doing a fabulous job behind the wheel of the Barwell Motorsports Lamborghini running at 1:56.3 compared to 1:58 for the leaders. Lind might be hitting the windscreen wiper. We could be seeing some spritzes of rain. Will we see the rain in the final 20 minutes? Niedherahuser tries the long way over Preining in the Porsche! He can't make it stick! But now he tries again. Side by side. Preining fighting back. Preining makes the move. Niederhauser driving smartly, using tactics. niederhauser has the grip and just cannot pass the Porsche!
This is wonderful racing! Marvelous racing! Gounon leading Stolz by nearly four seconds and on a Sunday drive as Thomas Preining is playing mind games with Niederhauser. Is this luck? No. It is cars and brainpower for the mental exercise of solving the riddle of your rival. Can Niederhauser solve the answer to Preining's puzzle? Stay high, force the Porsche wide. Preining marginally compromised but stays ahead defending his fourth place. Niederhauser on offense. Preining on defense. This is amazing! Niederhauser will have regroup.
The McLaren is coming in a hurry, the Henrique Chaves car chasing Eddie Cheever III. Sky Tempesta vs. Garage 59. Chaves is 26th overall in the #188 Garage 59 car. Once again, Preining is fending off Niederhauser. Niederhauser runs wide on corner entry. Maybe he is getting frustrated, or he just cannot solve the puzzle without an extra letter. Stay on the book. Stay on script. The Audi is smoother out of the Veedol chicane. Niederhauser has to keep his own Pirelli tires in mind and save them to the end. Sandy Mitchell has now passed Marius Zug in the overall running order.
Dries Vanthoor in the #32 WRT BMW has also passed Zug and now wants to go by Sandy Mitchell. BMW #32 are on the march to be the first BMW home here at the Nurburgring. Ralf Aron in the #81 Theeba Motorsports Mercedes passes Jacob Riegel in the #33 Bullitt Racing Aston Martin as Christopher Haase is six seconds down on Marius Zug. Niederhauser continuing to pressurize Thomas Preining but Preining has the torque advantage from the 4-liter flat six Porsche vs. the 5.2-liter V10 Audi. The Porsche is filling the race track that Niederhauser wants and Henrique Chaves way down the order is closing in but he is not a factor.
Ricardo Feller is comfortably in thrid and Patric Niederhauser is tossing the Audi around like crazy. He is lasee focused on Thomas Preining but might have an ice cream headache coming from Henrique Chaves. Ayhacan Guven is also on the verge of a penalty. Preining going defensive on Niederhauser and Niederhauser will tryu to outbrake the Porsche and can't quite get there. He can't get on the power. Niederhauser is trying and has tpo back off and Preining slams the door again and Chaves is now right on their collective sixes!
Ten minutes remaining. Sandy Mitchell and Dries Vanthoor are going for sixth place behind the K-PAX Lamborghini of Sandy Mitchell. Niederhauser crawling all over Preining and they knew they'd get chopped by a lapped car. There is no room for a pass into the chicane. I am stunned at the brain capacity of these two drives. This is a nil, nil draw, a chess match at 200 miles an hour! Niederhauser just cannot solve Preining's riddle. The #8 AGS Events La,borghini goes off the road. Tim Heinemann leading the Bronze Cup. Nico Jamin at the controls of the #8 AGS Events Lamborghini.
Tim Heinemann is leading the Bronze Cup over Eddie Cheever III. who has passed Arjun Maini and now the MadPanda Mercedes has spun. Ezequiel Perez-Companc has spun and he has a left front punctureed tire! The wheel is locked! Good grief! Game over. He will have to pull that off the road. You cannot make the pit lane. I think he is looking for a corner station and has found one. Maini runs wide and Cheever says, "thank you, mate" and makes his move. Perez Companc had just passed Alex Aka. Was there contact between the Mercedes and the Audi? Aka has lost time to Glenn van Berlo too.
The McLaren has passed Preining and so has Patric Niederhauser! Niederhauser has made the move on Thomas Preining and the same is true for Henrique Chaves. Stolz is now three seconds behind Jules Gounon. Daniel Serra chasing down a queue of cars and Marvin Kirchhofer in the McLaren has just passed him and is chasing the Iron Lynx Lamborghini of Leonardo Pulcini and Dan Harper in the BMW is at the front of the queue. Serra has two BMW's of Phillip Eng and Nicklas Krutten behind him. Glenn van Berlo continuing to lead the Silver division.
Alex Aka is not in view, almost seven seconds behind. Luca Stolz is slightly quicker and not giving up but rolling the dice is going to be hard with lapped traffic between himself and Gounon leading the motor race. We will see the final lap maybe next time by. It looks like we could have our first repeat winner of the year in GT World Challenge Europe. Dries Vanthoor has made a mistake dropping to eighth behind Marius Zug. We will have two more laps to run. Niederhauser passes Preining. Zug passes Vanthoor. The scrap is still on between Harper, Pulcini, Kirchhofer, and Serra. BMW, Lamborghini, McLaren, and Ferrari.
Luca Stolz flashing the lights at the Optimum Motorsports McLaren. He moves out of the way, cordially. Lift and coast into the turn and let your rival by. Stolz 2.4 seconds behind. Never say never. One lap to go. Stolz has to keep the faith. 2.2 seconds is the gap. Jules Gounon was being cautious into the turn around the back markers. Car #33 five seconds added to final race time for causing a collision, for Jacob Riegel. Jules Gounon had the pressure on him from Luca Stolz and managed the traffic to perfection.
Jules Gounon cruising to what will be a second victory of the year for Akkodis ASP and Mercedes in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe! Akkodis ASP Mercedes win the Nurburgring! Winward Mercedes will win the Gold Cup. David Schumacher, Miklas Born, and Marius Zug are victorious in the Gold Cup, seventh overall. Mercedes unaffected in real terms by the Balance of Performance adjustments. In Silver Cup it is the #85 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini of Glenn van Berlo and company and in Bronze Cup, the #91 Herberth Motorsports Porsche get the victory. Dennis Lind and Rob Collard win Pro-Am.
The championship fight is going to go down to the wire. Details to come. Cue the dance music for the results sheet.
Overall/PRO: #88 Marciello/Bougslavskiy/Gounon Akkodis ASP Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
Pro-Am: #78 Collard/Lind Barwell Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3
Evo 2
Gold Cup: #157 Born/Schumacher/Zug Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
Silver Cup: #85 van Berlo/Hites/Schmid GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan
GT3 Evo 2
Bronze Cup: #91 Bohn/Renauer/Heinemann Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
The top eight finishers were all German cars. Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, and BMW. Akkodis ASP only needs a top five finish in the Endurance Cup finale at Circuit Barcelona Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain at the end of September/beginning of October. We'll see you then, in Spain, for the finale, with some Sprint series races still to talk about in the near future. For now, so long from the Nurburgring in Germany. Auf wiedersehen. So long, everybody. Take care.
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