The Eifel showed its harsh side during the first race of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers (May 24–25): the four-hour contest put all 108 entrants to the test under cold and wet conditions that demanded everything from their driving skills. Perfect weather for the true virtuosos behind the wheel, who demonstrated their mastery and the capabilities of their machines. In the end, the 2024 24h race winners—Scherer Sport PHX—came out on top, but this time with their new-for-2025 Porsche 911 GT3 R (#16), driven to victory by Laurens Vanthoor and Patric Niederhauser. They finished ahead of fellow Porsche squad Manthey EMA (#911), who had taken pole in the morning’s qualifying. Third place went to the GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#14) with rain specialist Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller, and Luca Stolz. A chance for redemption comes quickly: Race two of the 24h Qualifiers will also run over a four-hour distance starting Sunday (May 25) at 1:00 p.m.
Right after the start of the weekend’s first race, the GT3 frontrunners showed just how fierce the battle for top positions in the 24h Qualifiers can be. Kevin Estre in Manthey EMA’s iconic “Grello” Porsche (#911) initially held the lead, while a thrilling three-way fight unfolded behind him for second. Falken driver Julien Andlauer (#33 Porsche 911 GT3 R), Frank Stippler in the Scherer PHX Porsche #8, and Laurens Vanthoor in the GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#16) were racing with sprint-race intensity. The Nürburgring Nordschleife, as ever, had the final say: both Estre and Andlauer dropped back on the slippery track, clearing the way for Vanthoor to take over the lead—a decisive move that ultimately secured the win. The Belgian summed it up succinctly: “There are probably no tougher conditions in motorsport than what we had here today.”
Teams Use Weather for Setup Fine-Tuning
Kevin Estre, who delivered a strong double stint in the second-placed #911 “Grello”, reflected: “They don’t call it the ‘Green Hell’ for nothing. I’m just glad I managed to keep the car on track—probably the toughest two and a half hours I’ve ever had on the Nordschleife. But we finished the race, and P2 is fine for us.” Estre was among the drivers whose teams used the treacherous conditions to experiment with wet-weather setup. “Everyone was trying something with tire pressures at the start—we got it wrong. In the first very short stint, we simply had the wrong pressure. I had no chance. But it’s definitely better to find that out now rather than during the 24h race—that’s what we’re here for.” Veteran Frank Stippler described a similar experience: “We went with way too low tire pressure. As the rain got heavier, I kept hitting aquaplaning patches—very sudden, almost digital loss of grip. It was hard to manage, and at times with the spray it felt like driving blind.”
Double Significance: Final 24h Prep and NLS Doubleheader
The 24h Qualifiers weekend holds a special place in the Nordschleife endurance calendar. The two races serve as the final chance to prepare for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h in June and offer many drivers a valuable opportunity to collect the laps needed for their "Permit"—the special Nordschleife license. The weekend also awards championship points for the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie twice, which means strong entries across all classes. In today’s first Qualifiers race, championship leaders Arne Hoffmeister, David Jahn, and Tim Scheerbarth (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 992, #921) defended their position at the top. The trio has won every NLS round so far in the highly competitive Cup 2 class.