NLS9 preview: Verstappen, Abbelen and Max Kruse Racing headline Barbarossapreis

The Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) returns this weekend for the 57. ADAC Barbarossapreis, the penultimate round of the 2025 season. A 110-car grid is set to tackle four hours of racing on the Nordschleife on Saturday 27 September.

Verstappen’s GT3 debut

The biggest storyline of NLS9 is Max Verstappen’s long-awaited GT3 debut on the Nordschleife. The four-time Formula 1 world champion lines up in the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 with Christopher Lulham. Both prepared for this moment two weeks ago with outings in GT4 machinery, and now Verstappen gets his first competitive GT3 miles in the Green Hell.

Abbelen returns

Klaus Abbelen just couldn’t stay away. Two weeks after announcing his final race, the Frikadelli Racing team boss is back in the Ferrari 296 GT3. At NLS8 his solo attempt was cut short by gearbox failure, and now he wants to complete a full four-hour race on his own – at 65 years old.

Find out more about the what and why of Klaus Abbelen’s record attempt at running the first solo GT3 race to finish his career with.

Max Kruse Racing steps up

Max Kruse Racing makes headlines with the first GT3 entered in the AT class. Partnered with the Fugel brothers, the team will run an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II powered by sustainable E20 fuel. Benny Leuchter, who only recently impressed with a double podium in his GT3 debut with Falken Motorsports, joins the line-up. Beyond the AT-class Audi, MKR’s commitment is staggering: the squad also runs a raft of Porsche Cup and BMW entries, making it one of the busiest teams in the paddock.

Strong SP9/GT3 grid

The GT3 field offers no shortage of challengers. Haupt Racing Team continues with its NLS8 winning Ford Mustang GT3 driven by Vincent Kolb and Frank Stippler and another Stang driven by Dennis Fetzer, Jann Mardenborough, Fabio Scherer. Dinamic GT fields a Porsche for Bastian Buus and Joel Sturm, and Walkenhorst Motorsport returns with Christian Krognes in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. With Verstappen joining the mix, the battle at the sharp end looks more unpredictable than ever.

Championship fight

With just two rounds remaining, the battle for the title is finely balanced. Ranko Mijatovic and Nick Wüstenhagen share the lead on 109 points, chased closely by Mühlner drivers Arne Hoffmeister and Tim Scheerbarth on 101. Philipp Leisen, Philipp Stahlschmidt and Daniel Zils are only a single point further back, keeping the championship wide open heading into the Barbarossapreis.