GT3 News: Verstappen Wins in GT3 Race Debut on the Nurburgring Nordschleife

Max Verstappen (pictured), the four-time Formula 1 world champion, made a stunning GT3 debut, clinching overall victory alongside co-driver Chris Lulham in the 57th ADAC Barbarossa Prize, an NLS round at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Piloting the No. 31 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, the duo secured a commanding 24.496-second win over the No. 9 Haupt Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3, driven by Jann Mardenborough, who returned to GT3 racing at the Nordschleife for the first time since his tragic 2015 accident that claimed a spectator’s life.

Verstappen set the tone early, starting third but seizing the lead by the first corner of the four-hour race. His dominant opening double stint built a lead of over a minute ahead of the No. 6 HRT Mustang GT3, driven by Frank Stippler. After handing the Verstappen.com-sponsored Ferrari to Lulham past the halfway mark, the team maintained their advantage, though Lulham lost some time after the final pit stop, likely due to Code 60 neutralizations, narrowing the gap.

The No. 6 HRT Mustang GT3, driven by Stippler and Vincent Kolb, rounded out the podium, with the two HRT entries swapping positions after the final pit stops. These were the only SP9 Pro class cars in the top 50 overall. The No. 54 Dinamic GT Porsche 911 GT3 R, the only other all-pro GT3 entry, joined the race late and finished multiple laps down.

In a standout performance, the AT1-class No. 22 Max Kruse Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, driven by Benjamin Leuchter and running on E20 biofuel for the first time, charged to fourth overall, narrowly missing the podium. The pole-sitting No. 34 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo took fifth, winning the SP9 Pro-Am class.

Notably, 65-year-old Frikadelli Racing owner/driver Klaus Abbelen drove solo in his GT3 Ferrari to a remarkable tenth-place finish in his final Nordschleife race, marking a poignant farewell to the iconic circuit.

Race Results – Driver shown in car at Finish