Schubert Motorsport has won the third round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). In the four-hour race on the Nordschleife, the trio of Marco Wittmann, Philipp Eng and Robin Frijns in the BMW M4 GT3 EVO prevailed against strong competition in a tactical contest. This is the team’s fourth overall victory in the series.
Behind the winners, Ayhancan Güven and Matt Campbell finished second in the Manthey Porsche. The podium was completed by the quartet of Dennis Olsen, Frédéric Vervisch, Christopher Mies and Vincent Kolb in the Ford Mustang GT3.
Qualifying: Mercedes-AMG initially in front
David Pittard secured pole position in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in qualifying. Next to him, the eventual winning car started from the front row. He was followed by several GT3 cars, although an Audi from KKraemer Racing was unable to take part in the race due to technical problems.
Qualifying was unfortunate for Manthey: several Code 60 phases prevented a better position, meaning that the team only started the race from 16th place.
Strategy decides intense race
The start of the race initially saw thrilling battles for position. Pittard maintained the lead, while other vehicles pushed forward early on. As the race progressed, it developed into a strategic race with changing tactics and pit stops.
Schubert Motorsport impressed above all with consistency and flawless processes in the pit lane. At the same time, Güven and Campbell continuously worked their way forward through the field and ultimately secured second place.
The pole-setters around Kamui Kobayashi finished fourth – partly due to a time penalty after an infringement in a Code 60 phase, which cost crucial seconds.
Comments on the race
Philipp Eng was pleasantly surprised by the success after the race and emphasized the high level of performance in the field. The victory after a long break on the Nordschleife was particularly remarkable.
Christopher Mies also drew a satisfied conclusion. After a long break on the track, he had to get used to the track again, but was delighted with the podium result.
Ayhancan Güven particularly emphasized the race to catch up. Despite difficult conditions in qualifying, the team was able to impress with its strategy and patience. Overtaking is often a challenge on the track, which is why consistency and avoiding mistakes were crucial.
Strong performance from Gamota Racing
Gamota Racing also attracted attention: in addition to sixth place in the overall standings, the team won the SP9 PRO-AM class with aplomb. Driver Moritz Kranz also received an award for his strong first stint.
Cup classes deliver excitement
Intense motorsport was also on offer in the one-make cups. In the Cup 2 class (Porsche 911 GT3 Cup), Sorg Rennsport with Patrik Grütter and Fabio Grosse narrowly came out on top. The duo even made it to tenth place in the overall field.
Smyrlis Racing remained unbeaten in the Cup 3 category (Porsche Cayman GT4). Oskar Sandberg and Alexander Fielenbach once again secured class victory and thus lead the overall standings. Several other drivers are tied at the top of the standings.
Premiere for the HWA EVO.R
The race of the new HWA EVO.R in the SP-X class was also followed with excitement. One car finished in midfield, while its sister car retired prematurely with technical problems. Nevertheless, the vehicles offered an interesting outlook on future developments in the series.
Focus on young talent
The focus was also on young motorsport talent: the first winners of the season were determined in several age groups at the start of the youth karting championship in the historic paddock. The event underlined the importance of promoting young talent within the series.
Outlook for the next races
The season continues without much of a break: the qualifiers for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring are already scheduled for next weekend. The next regular NLS race will follow in June with the ADAC Eifel Trophy.