At just 18 years old, Leo-Livius Ame Weber arrived at the Nürburgring 24 Hours as the youngest driver on the grid. Competing with W&S Motorsport in the Cup 3 AM class, the young German driver made an impressive debut by winning his class in his very first attempt at the race.

The young German driver will compete in the Cup 3 AM class with W&S Motorsport, combining school life with one of the toughest races in the world. Despite his age and limited experience compared to many Nürburgring regulars, Weber sees the opportunity as a major step toward his long-term endurance racing goals.

“Well of course, I think it’s amazing to compete in the 24 Hours at such a young age,” Weber said. “It’s a sort of prestigious race that every racing driver wants to do someday, so to gain this experience at such a young age is just amazing.”

What makes the story even more unusual is that Weber is still studying for his high school diploma while preparing for the event.

“I still go to school,” he explained. “I actually have exams coming up in two weeks, but now the focus is on this weekend and the performance on track.”

Balancing School and Racing

Balancing racing and school has not always been easy for Weber, especially during his karting years when most of his time was spent at the racetrack.

“Especially when I did karting, a lot of time went into the sport,” he said. “But now I can somehow manage it. My grades are very good, so somehow it works.”

To prepare for the Nürburgring weekend, Weber made sure to study in advance so he could fully focus on racing.

“I learned a lot beforehand so I could concentrate fully on the 24-hour race this week,” he explained.

From Karting Hobby to Racing Career

Weber’s motorsport journey started only a few years ago. Unlike many professional drivers who begin karting at a very young age, he first entered the sport in 2020 simply as a hobby.

“I always wanted to be a racing driver,” Weber explained. “When I was growing up, I watched racing on TV and Sebastian Vettel was a big idol for me.”

His parents originally told him he would need to save money himself before buying a kart.

“My parents always told me, ‘You have to save for your first go-kart,’” he said with a smile. “Then I basically annoyed them all day until I finally saved enough money.”

After buying his first kart in 2020, Weber quickly moved from track days into real competition.

“I started regional races in 2021, the German championship in 2022, and the European championship in 2023,” he explained.

However, by the end of 2023, Weber realized his height would become a disadvantage in karting.

“I was around 1.85 meters tall, which is too tall for a proper kart driver,” he said. “So we knew it was time to move into cars.”

Fast Progress Into GT Racing

Weber completed his first car test in late 2023 before immediately committing to racing full-time in cars the following season.

In 2024, he competed in the BMW 318ti Cup, one of the largest one-make racing series in Germany.

“There were up to 61 participants in one race,” Weber explained. “It was an amazing experience.”

The championship also allowed him to learn from experienced drivers including Timo Glock and Timo Scheider.

“They are drivers from whom you can learn a lot,” Weber said. “I could learn how to behave on track and how to fight with experienced drivers.”

Outside of driving, Weber also worked as an intern and freelance mechanic with a local racing team to gain more experience in motorsport.

That eventually led to an unexpected opportunity in a Porsche GT4 car after another driver became injured.

“The boss called me and said one of the drivers had broken his hand and asked if I could race the next weekend,” Weber explained. “Of course I said yes.”

Although the race itself ended early after an accident involving his teammate, Weber still viewed the experience positively.

“I learned a lot from it,” he said.

Nürburgring Opportunity

After additional experience in Porsche machinery and a rookie test in an LMP3 car through the European Le Mans Series, Weber realized he could potentially become the youngest driver in the Nürburgring 24 Hours field.

“I turned 18 on the 31st of December,” he explained. “So if I raced in this edition of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, I knew I would most likely be the youngest participant.”

His preparation for the event included competing in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, where he eventually secured the permit required to race at the Nordschleife.

“We got in touch with W&S Motorsport and now we are here,” Weber said.

Family Support

Despite his passion for motorsport, Weber comes from a family with no racing background.

“My parents don’t have anything to do with racing,” he explained. “It was completely my own idea.”

According to Weber, his family originally preferred music over motorsport.

“They would probably have loved it more if I became a musician,” he said. “But I always wanted to become a racing driver.”

Even so, Weber says his parents have fully supported his career.

“They respect it, they support it, and they have grown into the sport,” he explained. “I really can’t thank my parents enough.”

First Night Laps at the Nordschleife

One of Weber’s biggest moments during the weekend came during his first nighttime laps at the Nordschleife.

“It was also my first lap of the weekend because one of my teammates had an accident earlier,” he explained.

The mixed conditions made the experience even more memorable.

“Some parts of the track were dry, some were wet,” Weber said. “You see all the camping lights and all the fans around the track. It’s just an amazing feeling.”

Despite the huge atmosphere surrounding the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Weber says his mindset inside the car stays simple.

“When you’re driving, you’re just thinking that this is like every other race,” he explained. “You just do your job.”

Dreaming of Le Mans

Although competing at the Nürburgring already represents a major milestone, Weber admits his biggest dream still remains the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“My big goal in life is to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and stand on the podium there,” he said.

For Weber, Le Mans represents the highest level of endurance racing.

“It’s the greatest motorsport race in the world in my opinion,” he explained. “To race there and stand on the podium would be an incredible feeling.”

He also believes Le Mans presents a different challenge compared to Nürburgring.

“Le Mans has far more factory teams and factory drivers,” Weber said. “In my opinion, it’s an even higher level of endurance racing.”

Still, Weber made clear that the Nürburgring experience remains something special.

“Everything about this event is incredible,” he said. “You can’t really put it into words.”

Simple Goal for Sunday

For Weber and his teammates in the Cup 3 AM class, the objective for the weekend remains straightforward: survive and reach the finish.

“We set ourselves the mission to finish the race,” Weber explained. “No accidents, just drive through the race and see what happens on Sunday.”

For the youngest driver on the grid, simply seeing the checkered flag would already mean success.

“To be there at the finish and say, ‘We have done it,’” Weber said. “That’s the goal.”