Overview
- The sister #80 Winward/Team Ravenol Mercedes took victory Sunday, delivering Mercedes’ first Nürburgring 24h win since 2016 after the leading #3 car stopped for repairs with about three hours remaining.
- Winward’s Steve Buschmann and Mercedes officials said a right‑rear driveshaft failure followed an ABS warning and vibrations, and the lengthy garage fix left the #3 back on track for the finish in 38th place.
- On his debut with Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, Max Verstappen led for long stretches, produced decisive night stints, and passed Maro Engel in a tense duel that at times grew a lead of roughly 20 seconds.
- Race control strictly enforced 60 kph Code 60 slow‑zone rules, disqualifying Timo Glock, Grégoire Boutonnet and Jarno D’Hauw for speeding in the zones.
- Organisers reported a record 352,000 attendance and a weekend sell‑out, reflecting surging interest in the Nordschleife marathon during Verstappen’s high‑profile debut.