Nürburgring champion Michael Schrey returns from short-lived retirement: “My heart is still in racing”

After more than 25 years in racing, Michael Schrey signed off in style in 2025 by winning the Pro-Am championship in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland. It seemed like the perfect final chapter to a career that included multiple ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) titles, success in GT4 competition, and countless races on the Nordschleife.

Yet only months later, the two-time NLS champion is already back on the grid.

At the opening round of the 2026 NLS season, Schrey returns to competition with Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport, sharing the #888 BMW M2 Racing with fellow Nordschleife champion Ranko Mijatovic.

In an exclusive interview with GT REPORT, Schrey explained that the comeback was never meant to be a full return to racing.

“It’s just for some particular races,” Schrey said. “Originally I wanted to drive two historic races. Because the historic races and the NLS race are in combination, and one driver was also missing from the car, we decided that I would drive the first part of the NLS season as well. It’s not really a full return. Let’s put it this way: I’m helping a little as the second driver on the car.”

A retirement after 25 years

Schrey’s decision to step away at the end of 2025 was carefully considered.

By that point, the German driver had built one of the most consistent résumés among German privateer racers. His achievements include championships in the ADAC GT4 Germany and GT4 European Series, as well as two championship titles in the NLS.

But after a quarter-century of racing, the demands of the sport had begun to weigh heavily.

“I did it for a long, long time, over 25 years,” Schrey explained. “It was time to say, ‘okay, that’s it for now.’ Racing requires a lot of time and effort. You need many days off from work for it, and many things don’t run well under these conditions — like family and job. So I decided to step back a little bit.”

A familiar team and lineup

Despite the retirement announcement, the opportunity to return alongside a familiar team and driver lineup proved difficult to resist.

Schrey is sharing the BMW M2 Racing with Ranko Mijatovic, himself also a two-time NLS champion. The two drivers have known each other for years and have previously raced together in GT4 machinery.

“I’ve known Ranko for many years now,” Schrey said. “We also drove some races together in GT4 cars some years ago. I know that he’s really quick, and I know he won the championship twice in the last couple of years. So it was for sure one reason that I rejoined, especially together with him.”

Just as important was the team behind the project.

“The whole team played a role,” Schrey added. “From my heart I really wanted to return, but also because of the people in the team. Michael Bonk, the team owner, asked me to come back for some races. That also helped me make the decision.”

“My heart is still in racing”

For the veteran himself, the comeback also confirmed something he already suspected.

“My heart is still in racing,” Schrey admitted. “So it was really a good decision made from the heart to rejoin. I’m really happy about that.”

Still, Schrey is careful to emphasize that his return should not be seen as a full-scale comeback.

For now, the plan remains limited to selected events — mainly a handful of NLS races and a couple of historic outings.

“We will see how it goes,” he said. “I always said I might drive some races. Maybe two or three races, maybe some NLS rounds. That way it’s not the most intensive way in terms of time.”

After 25 years in the sport, Schrey may have stepped back from full-time racing, but as his quick return to the Nordschleife shows, the connection between a racing driver and the track is rarely easy to break.

Wessel Manden contributed to this report