Nürburgring 24 Hours race report: Final twist hands Rowe BMW victory as Manthey is penalised

Rowe Racing has won the 2025 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring after a dramatic final chapter where the Manthey EMA Porsche crossed the line first, but was stripped of victory due to a 100-second time penalty issued in the final hours.

The #911 Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Kévin Estre, Ayhancan Güven and Thomas Preining, had taken control of the race since the start on Saturday evening, surviving a restart and the usual Nürburgring chaos. However, the car’s aggressive push through traffic led to a heavy collision on the downhill section to Adenau with the #179 Dörr Motorsport Aston Martin GT4, which flipped and landed on its roof. Estre was able to continue, but race control later determined the Porsche had been at fault.

At 13:02, with just under three hours to go, race director Walter Hornung issued a 100-second penalty to Manthey for causing the collision. Crucially, the team chose not to serve the penalty while lodging a protest. Estre, back in the Porsche after the incident, crossed the finish line first with Rowe Racing’s Kelvin van der Linde just behind.

The decision went to the stewards, and shortly before the flag on the final lap, the protest was officially rejected. With the 100-second penalty upheld, Rowe Racing’s #98 BMW M4 GT3 was declared the winner.

Neck-and-neck battle in the final hours

The final stint was a relentless strategic duel. Augusto Farfus had briefly retaken the lead on track during hour 22, slipstreaming past the Porsche on the Döttinger Höhe. Although Manthey regained the position through pit stop rotation, Kelvin van der Linde took over the BMW and stayed within striking distance of Estre.

Rowe Racing’s lineup of Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, Raffaele Marciello, and Kelvin van der Linde executed a near-flawless race, combining pace with discipline amid constant Code 60 zones and rising attrition. Starting from 17th on the grid, the #98 BMW flew under the radar in the early hours. It wasn’t until nightfall that the car came into its own, with the cooler temperatures playing to the strengths of the BMW. From that point on, the crew steadily climbed the order through clean stints and sharp strategy.

Team principal Hans-Peter Naundorf said the team was aiming to build a lead of 20 to 22 seconds over the Manthey EMA Porsche to neutralise any strategic advantage from their offset pit stop. With the 100-second penalty against Manthey still under appeal, it remained uncertain whether the outcome would be decided on track or in the stewards’ room.

Late shuffles decide top five and class honours

The final classification placed Manthey EMA in second, ahead of the #54 Dinamic GT Porsche, which completed the podium. Behind them, the #28 Abt Lamborghini Huracán clinched fourth after a last-lap pass on the #65 HRT Ford Mustang, which nonetheless took Pro-Am honours with fifth overall.

For Rowe Racing, it marks a triumphant return to the top step of the podium at the Nürburgring, adding a second outright win to their 2020 success. While the controversy surrounding the result may linger, the #98 BMW’s composed drive through a hectic 24 hours stands as a testament to consistency, pace, and faultless execution in one of the world’s toughest endurance races.

Race results – Top 10

Farfus / Krohn / Marciello / van der Linde (#98 Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3), 141 laps
Estre / Güven / Preining / Pilet (#911 Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R), +1:17.810
Buus / Cairoli / Hartog / Sturm (#54 Dinamic GT Porsche 911 GT3 R), +1 lap
Mapelli / Engelhart / Engstler (#28 Abt Sportsline Lamborghini Huracán GT3), +2:57.644
Fetzer / Schumacher / Owega / Owega (#65 HRT Ford Performance Ford Mustang GT3) – Pro-Am, +14.281
Hofer / Reicher / Siedler / Klien (#84 Eastalent Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3), +3 laps
Palette / Böckmann / Bastian (#37 PROsport Racing, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3) – Pro-Am, +3 laps
Soufi / Paul / Elkmann / Lefterov (#7 Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3), +4 laps
Kim / Bruins / Holzer / Cho (#55 Hankook Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R) – Pro-Am, +5 laps
Nana / Breuer / Mutsch / Schmidtmann (#786 Renazzo Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3), +6 laps