After previously racing with Walkenhorst Motorsport in GT World Challenge Europe, Mex Jansen is now preparing for a return with the team ahead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
The Dutch driver will once again drive the with as he continues building experience at the famous Nordschleife circuit. Although the opportunity only came together shortly before the event, Jansen sees the program as an important step for both his current season and his future in GT racing.
Reunion with Walkenhorst Motorsport
The return not only brings him back to a familiar team and car, but also reunites him with people he already worked with during previous seasons. He explains how the connection with Walkenhorst never really disappeared after.
“I’ve always had a good time there and have always just kept in touch with those guys,” Jansen said. “At the beginning of the year, the idea of possibly doing something on the Nordschleife came up once. But it didn’t seem like it was going to happen.”
Everything changed shortly before the event when Walkenhorst still needed to fill a seat in their car.
“Until last weekend, or actually this week, they still needed to fill a spot in their car,” he explained. “We were able to make a really good deal out of that. So I’m very curious.”
“Good guys, always have been,” he said. “Nice to have a sort of reunion again, especially with a teammate I used to race with and a team I used to race for.”
Prioritising the Right Nürburgring Opportunity
Although Jansen had already discussed possible Nürburgring plans earlier this year, his main focus was first securing a strong full-season racing program elsewhere in Europe.
“I think mainly because the first priorities were getting a main program up and running,” Jansen explained. “In that sense, a GT World Challenge or a very nice program in ELMS this year.”
According to him, the timing eventually became perfect for a Nordschleife return.
“It has always been really cool to do something on the Nordschleife,” he said. “But that would have been a bit of an afterthought perhaps. The moment and the timing were just perfect. That is why this came about.”
Adapting Again to the Aston Martin GT3
The young driver, who turned twenty the week before the N24, has already gotten some laps in on the Nordschleife, but sees more opportunities on the challenging track the more experience he builds.
“I definitely think it is good, also for the future, to show that you are investing in a Nordschleife program like that,” he explained. “Plus, there are plenty of guys who eventually became mega famous and made it because of it.”
One advantage for Jansen is that he already spent a full season driving the Aston Martin GT3 in 2024.
“Well, of course I know that car. I drove it for a whole year in 2024,” he said. “Aston Martin has been very busy, and the team has naturally continued developing that car as well. Not just in terms of parts, but also in terms of settings.”
The return also becomes easier because he will once again work with the same engineer from his previous season.
“You know the team too,” Jansen said. “We happen to have the same engineer again, so you can practically read and write with him by now.”
“That always makes things a lot easier than when you have to get to know a new car and a new team in a limited amount of time.” Despite his previous Nürburgring experience, Jansen admitted that adapting to a GT3 car around the Nordschleife will still take time.
His permit races in the past were completed using a and a before moving into GT3 machinery, making the adjustment to the Aston Martin a significant step forward.
“Then a GT3 is suddenly very different,” he explained. “I do expect that driving at 95 percent quickly will be reasonably simple.”
However, Jansen acknowledged that becoming truly competitive at the Nordschleife requires much more experience.
“Winning those last five seconds, which really makes the difference between just driving well and truly being a Nordschleife Pro, simply takes time,” he said.
Because of that, he remains realistic about expectations for the upcoming weekend.
“I certainly expect that might not be possible this weekend, if I’m being realistic about it,” Jansen admitted. “But of course, I do hope to have competitive pace for the 24-hour race next month.”
The People Behind the Nürburgring Return and Reuniting with Hantke
The Dutch GT3 star reveals that connections from his time at in 2023 helped him to get the Nürburgring seat:
“At the time of my trial, Hein from Koopman had very good contact with those guys from Walkenhorst,” he said. “He basically introduced me there.”
“When push came to shove, that German GT4 program eventually came out of it,” Jansen explained. “So I am very grateful to Hein for that.”
Another important role came from , who helped organize the current Nürburgring deal behind the scenes.
“He certainly does,” Jansen said. “In that sense, he is Mr. Negotiator.” he laughs
“He has been doing that for years. He is much better at it than I am,” he continued. “He mainly arranged some things behind the scenes and ultimately really made sure that this deal came about.”
Jansen will also reunite with his former teammate for the Nürburgring program.
“Mainly just that you can laugh really hard,” Jansen said. “Nico [Hantke] is a nice guy.”
The Dutch driver also remembered the strong relationship they already built during their previous season together.
“We really noticed out on the track back then that it was just really successful,” he explained. “We often had a great time together too. It is really nice that we are racing together again after two years.”
Preparing for the Nürburgring 24 Hours
The main goal for both Jansen and is preparation for the .
“I think for the team it would basically just be the same for me,” he explained. “Gaining experience. Ensuring that the car is good. Ensuring the drivers are on pace.”
The team also wants to experience different race conditions ahead of next month’s endurance classic.
“In short, prepared as much as possible for the 24 hours,” Jansen said. At the same time, he admits that every driver still wants to show competitive pace during the event.
“Of course you don’t want to just ride along for nothing this weekend,” he said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be a racer. So you want to show a bit of what you can do.”
Jansen believes the biggest challenge for himself will be avoiding the temptation to push too hard too early around the Nordschleife.
“It’s still just an eight-minute track, 25 kilometers, of course,” he explained. “Especially at the beginning, I think I just need to give it time.”
“Those guys have done thousands of laps,” Jansen said. “They really know that track inside out. And you just won’t make it if you lack that experience.”
For itself, however, Jansen believes the team already has more than enough Nürburgring experience.
“It’s such a professional team,” he said. “I think they really know what they are doing. Perhaps their only challenge would be to keep those young drivers in check a little.”
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