Nürburgring 24 Hours 4 Hour update: Red flag halts racing after Manthey surge and Ferrari strategy play

The 2025 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring began under clear skies and high temperatures. From pole position, Thomas Preining took command in the #911 Manthey EMA Porsche and quickly pulled away from the field. Despite briefly being delayed by a Code 60 zone, the Austrian extended his lead by several seconds per lap before handing over to Kevin Estre after seven laps.

Early Movers and Strategy

Maro Engel got the jump at the start in the #14 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed entry, moving into second ahead of the #45 REALIZE KONDO RACING with Rinaldi Ferrari 296 GT3, started by David Perel. Meanwhile, Augusto Farfus charged from 17th to ninth in just half a lap aboard the #98 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, continuing his climb up the order in the opening stint.

Strategically, several teams, including the #45 Ferrari and the #98 BMW, chose to pit early after five or six laps. This allowed them to take advantage of the race’s sliding pit stop time regulations. By pitting early, they jumped cars ahead in the order. This could pay off again at the end of the race, when a shorter final stop might offer a critical advantage.

As more front-runners followed suit, the lead briefly changed hands, with the #45 REALIZE KONDO RACING with Rinaldi Ferrari moving to the front ahead of the #17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Red Flag and Early Drama

Racing was brought to a halt just past the one-hour mark due to a power outage in the pit lane, forcing a red flag and suspending all activity. The race is scheduled to resume at 19:45 CEST.

Among the early incidents, the most significant involved the #347 Toyo Tires with Ring Racing Porsche 911 GT3 CUP MR. Andy Gülden lost control through Flugplatz, made contact with the barriers, and moments later came to a smoking halt at Fuchsröhre, ending the team’s race. The #65 HRT Ford Performance Ford Mustang GT3 also encountered trouble, pulling into the pits after smoke appeared on the Döttinger Höhe, though it later rejoined. More lucky was the #35 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO as it survived a high-speed off-track moment at Pflanzgarten without serious damage.

Watch the restart and remainder of the race on GT.REPORT/live.