Nürburgring 24 Hours

Nürburgring 24 Hours

Definition and Historical Status
The Nürburgring 24 Hours (officially known in English as the Nürburgring 24 Hours) is an endurance motor racing event organised by Germany's ADAC and staged annually in May at the legendary Nürburgring circuit in Germany. Established in 1970, the race stands as one of the world’s most prestigious and gruelling automotive endurance challenges, standing alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona as part of endurance racing's classic trio.

Circuit and Race Format
The track layout for the Nürburgring 24 Hours combines the iconic Nürburgring Nordschleife with the Grand Prix circuit, charting a total lap distance of 25.378 kilometres. The Nordschleife section alone spans more than 25 kilometres, packing a staggering 73 corners and an elevation drop of 300 metres between its highest and lowest points. Situated in the Eifel mountain region, the circuit is notorious for its volatile weather, which, together with dramatic elevation changes and ever-shifting surface grip levels, has earned the venue its legendary moniker, the "Green Hell". The event runs a multi-class format where cars compete simultaneously, ranging from near-production entry-level categories up to top-tier GT3 machinery, pitting professional drivers and privateer racers against each other on the exact same tarmac.

Entry Scale and Licensing Requirements
The 54th edition in 2026 drew a massive grid of 161 race cars—the largest entry field since 2014—featuring 41 GT3 contenders from nine major marques battling in the premier SP9 class. Driver eligibility is strictly regulated; competitors must hold a DMSB Nordschleife Permit, commonly known as the "Ring Permit" or "Ring Licence", which is divided into Grades A, B, and C. Contesting the 24-hour race requires at least a Grade B permit, whilst piloting high-performance machinery demands a Grade A licence.

2026 Race Highlights
The 2026 edition took place from 14 to 17 May, drawing a record-breaking crowd of 352,000 trackside spectators. The race delivered non-stop drama; four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen made his highly anticipated Nürburgring 24 Hours debut, but with under three and a half hours remaining, his No. 3 Mercedes-AMG was forced into retirement due to a driveshaft failure, cruelly ending his bid for victory. In the end, the No. 80 Mercedes-AMG GT3—shared by Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maxime Martin—clinched outright victory after completing 156 laps, sealing Mercedes-AMG’s first overall triumph at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in a decade.

Participation of Chinese Drivers
In the 2026 race, Chinese driver Kerong Li teamed up with compatriot Hongli Ye, Danish driver Anders Fjordbach, and Britain's Harry King, flying the flag for High Class Racing in the SP9 Pro-Am class and the IGTC Independent Cup. Heading into the race leading the Independent Cup drivers' standings, Li was the sole competitor among that season’s IGTC Independent Cup entrants to hold a valid Nürburgring Nordschleife racing licence.

Race Culture
Beyond serving as a proving ground for competitors, the Nürburgring 24 Hours is Germany’s biggest motorsport festival. Throughout the race weekend, close to 300,000 fans pack the perimeter of the circuit, creating an electric carnival atmosphere. With 2026 marking the 50th anniversary of the Volkswagen GTI nameplate, Volkswagen chose the event to stage the world premiere of the all-electric ID. Polo GTI, while fielding three Golf GTI Clubsport 24h race cars across the SP4T and SP3T categories. The BMW M3 Touring 24H also made its competitive debut at this edition, ultimately crossing the line to take an impressive 5th place overall.