Porsche aims overall victory in the ‘Green Hell’
Porsche AG, together with its customer teams, is aiming for its 14th overall victory at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring on 16–17 May. The Porsche 911 GT3 R is considered one of the favorites in the top category with 13 cars of the latest specification Porsche 911 GT3 R.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at 24 Hours of Nürburgring 2025. Porsche Grello ahead of the pack.
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.
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.”
DUNLOP Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R #17
Four experienced drivers will share the black-and-yellow GT3 race car: the two Frenchmen Julien Andlauer and Dorian Boccolacci, the Belgian Alessio Picariello and Nordschleife local and expert Nico Menzel. Together, the quartet combines international GT experience, track knowledge and consistent performance at the highest level.
Preparations for the 24h race were intensive. The team’s appearances in the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series provided important data and insights. Following a weather-related postponement of the season opener, the team secured a top-10 finish in the overall standings in its very first race.
📷 © DUNLOP Motorsport. Porsche 911 GT3 R #17 ahead of the pack during NLS
The ongoing setup work on the Porsche 911 GT3 R, combined with the information gained regarding the DUNLOP tyres, forms a solid foundation for the 24h race. That’s crucial at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, where conditions such as weather, grip and traffic are constantly changing and delivering consistency, precision and strategic discipline are paramount.
The driver lineup brings these strengths to the table: Julien Andlauer impresses with his extensive experience in international GT and prototype programmes. Dorian Boccolacci and Alessio Picariello have both already proven their skills on the Nordschleife on multiple occasions and are now considered established figures in GT3 racing. Rounding out the lineup is Nico Menzel, a proven Nordschleife specialist with a deep understanding of the track.
Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
📷 © Luc Warnotte at NLS 1. Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26 will be shared by Laurin Heinrich, Laurens, Vanthoor, Ricardo, Feller.
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.”
#44 Falken Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R
Falken Motorsports is ready for the highlight of the season: the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. This year, the Japanese tyre manufacturer will enter a Porsche 911 GT3 R carrying car number 44, driven by an experienced and well-balanced quartet. Sharing the wheel of the teal and blue fan favourite will be Austria’s Klaus Bachler, Dutchman Morris Schuring and the two Germans Sven Müller and Tim Heinemann.
The opening races of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series provided Falken Motorsports with an important benchmark. Following the weather-related postponement of the season opener, Sven Müller and Tim Heinemann secured an impressive second overall in the rescheduled first race. The insights gained and the convincing performance have created strong confidence heading into the upcoming season highlight. Falken Motorsports is deliberately relying on continuity and experience within its driver line-up. Klaus Bachler has been part of the Falken squad at the Nürburgring Nordschleife since 2017 and has already celebrated several overall NLS victories with the team. What the 34-year-old Austrian is still chasing is victory in the 24-hour race itself.
Bachler shares the Falken Porsche with Morris Schuring, who brings fresh momentum to the team as an up-and-coming GT3 driver. The Dutchman celebrated overall victory at last year’s season opener - his debut race in Falken colours, alongside Sven Müller. Synonymous with experience and technical understanding, Müller has long been one of the team’s mainstays. Completing the quartet is Tim Heinemann, who has already proven himself to be an exceptionally quick driver on the Nordschleife.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at NLS 1. Falken Motorsports #44 Porsche 911 GT3 R will be shared by Klaus Bachler, Morris Schuring, Sven Müller and Tim Heinemann.
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.”
Dinamic GT Porsche 911 GT3 R #54
Dinamic GT Porsche 911 GT3 R #54 will be driven by MICHELE BERETTA, ALESSANDRO GHIRETTI, JOEL STURM, LOEK HARTOG
📷 © Luc Warnotte at NLS 1. Dinamic GT Porsche 911 GT3 R #54
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.”
Manthey-Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26 #911
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.
📷 © Luc Warnotte at NLS 1. Manthey-Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26 #911
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.”Source: Porsche
24 Hours of Nürburgring 2026 schedule
Thursday, 14 May
13.15 – 15.15: Qualifying 1
20.00 – 23.30: Qualifying 2
Friday, 15 May
10:15 - 10:45: Top Qualifying 1
11:05 - 11:35: Top Qualifying 2
12:00 - 13:05: Qualifying 3
13:35 - 14:35: 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
Related Info
📷 © Foto-ADAC-GruppeC. Scherer Sport PHX Audi took qualifiers race 2 win
📷© Luc Warnotte at Nürburgring. Top international drivers and teams in Green Hell
📷 © Mercedes-AMG. Mercedes-AMG line-ups for Nürburgring programme
