Scherer Sport PHX Audi took qualifiers race 2 win
Christopher Haase / Alexander Sims / Ben Green, driving the Scherer Sport PHX-Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II #16, took the victory at the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, 28.024 seconds ahead of Luca Engstler / Mirko Bortolotti / Patric Niederhauser in the Abt-Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, #84. The first race on Saturday had to be stopped in the starting phase following a tragic accident, race 2 on Sunday marked the end of the preparation phase for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, taking place from May 14th to 17th, 2026.
📷 © Foto-ADAC-GruppeC. 24 Hours Qualifiers -Race 2 start
The season highlight on the Nordschleife promises a continuation of the exciting duel from the prologue and plenty of top-class motorsport at www.24h-rennen.de.
#45 Ferrari starts first but not for long
In Top Qualifying, Thierry Vermeulen set the fastest time in the #45 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo26, with an incredibly narrow margin of just one thousandth of a second over David Jahn in the #23 BMW M4 GT3 Evo. Dennis Marschall took over the Realize Kondo Racing Ferrari at the start, but was only able to defend the lead briefly. The Italian racer was soon overtaken by the chasing pack and retired in lap three after contact with the barrier.
📷 © Foto-ADAC-GruppeC. #16 Audi, #3 Mercedes-AMG, #45 Ferrari, #911 Porsche
The Max Verstappen - Christopher Haase duel
The real racing spectacle then came from Max Verstappen in the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Christopher Haase in the #16 Scherer Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II: Both engaged in a sensational battle with slipstreaming duels and overtaking attempts. The four-time Formula 1 World Champion initially maintained the upper hand and dominated the first hour and a half of the race as the leader, before a front splitter failure forced him into the pits for a half-hour repair break after lap 10.
📷 © Foto-ADAC-GruppeC. Verstappen in #3 Mercedes-AMG-GT3
#16 Audi wins ahead of
In the end, it was Team Scherer PHX that prevailed with their #16 Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II. “Our weekend was an up and down,” analyzed Christopher Haase, reflecting on the Scherer-PHX perspective. “We really struggled with the rain conditions today. I also had a minor collision with the tire barriers. We really had a hard time getting the car to work. In Top Qualifying, the whole picture changed again, and the Audi performed quite well, almost perfectly. The race went well for us, but the balance isn't quite where I personally want it to be.”
📷 © Foto-ADAC-GruppeC. Scherer-PHX Audi R8 LMS GT3
#84 Lamborghini second
Satisfied faces among the runners-up: “From a sporting perspective, it was a great weekend for us. We had two good race starts – yesterday and today. Things are going in the right direction regarding preparations for the Nürburgring 24 Hours,” summarized Mirko Bortolotti, driving the Abt-Lamborghini #84. An incredibly thrilling finish unfolded in the battle for third place, with Thomas Preining / Matt Campbell.
Manthey-Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26 #911, ultimately prevailing after a spectacular fight in the final kilometers with Maro Engel / Fabian Schiller / Luca Stolz, RAVENOL-Mercedes-AMG GT3, #80.
Minute of silence for Juha Miettinen
The second race of the weekend began with a minute of silence to Finn Juha Miettinen (BMW 325i, #121), who tragically lost his life in a serious accident during the first race on Saturday. "The members of the racing team also came to the starting grid for the minute of silence and felt the support of the other drivers and the fans in the grandstand," explained race director Walter Hornung. “Our thoughts are with the family and teammates. At the same time, I am relieved that the other injured were all able to leave the hospital that evening after an intensive check-up. This is also thanks to the emergency responders who were on the scene of this serious accident. For the volunteer marshals, paramedics, and emergency chaplains who were present, the accident involving a total of seven vehicles was an extreme challenge. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for their efforts.” Source: Nürburgring Media
Next endurance races at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in 2026:
14.05. – 17.05. – 24h Nürburgring
20.06. – NLS6
01.08. – NLS7
12.09. – NLS8
13.09. – NLS9
10.10. – NLS10
Related Info
📷© Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring. Top international drivers and teams in Green Hell
📷 © Mercedes-AMG. Mercedes-AMG line-ups for Nürburgring programme
