The fourth and fifth rounds of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie will take place this weekend as part of the 24h Qualifiers, marking the first double-header of the 2026 season.
Organisers will use the full 24-hour configuration of the Nürburgring, with cars bypassing the AMG Arena and turning sharply left after Turn 1 before completing the remainder of the Grand Prix circuit. The layout change provides teams with vital preparation ahead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
GT3 grid swells amid Verstappen effect
The SP9 class, reserved for GT3 machinery, will feature a remarkable 37 entries this weekend, almost double last year’s tally of 19 cars. Teams will use both four-hour races to fine-tune their cars and strategies ahead of the 24-hour race.
Much of the attention will centre on Max Verstappen, whose No. 3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG enters the weekend as a leading contender. After winning on his NLS debut last year and losing a likely victory due to disqualification earlier this season, Verstappen will aim to convert strong pace into results.
With Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon unavailable, Verstappen will partner Lucas Auer.
Strong competition returns across the field
Christopher Haase returns to action in the No. 16 Scherer Sport PHX Audi after missing the previous round. If he replicates his strong opening stint from NLS 2, he could challenge for victory alongside teammates Alexander Sims and Ben Green.
Dunlop Motorsport will also return with its Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Dorian Boccolacci and Alessio Picariello, as the team continues to build experience in its debut season.
Falken Motorsport fields another Porsche entry with Tim Heinemann, Sven Müller and Morris Schuring.
Porsche and BMW line-ups underline depth
Additional Pro Porsche entries come from Dinamic GT and Manthey. Dinamic’s car will feature Michele Beretta, Michael Christensen, Alessandro Ghiretti and Joel Sturm, while Manthey fields Thomas Preining, Matt Campbell and Christoph Breuer. Kévin Estre will miss the event due to IMSA commitments.
BMW also brings a strong presence. The No. 77 Schubert Motorsport entry returns after inheriting victory in NLS 3, with Charles Weerts and Ugo de Wilde stepping into the car.
The No. 99 Rowe Racing BMW, which won NLS 2, will feature Max Hesse, Jordan Pepper and Kelvin van der Linde.
BMW will also continue its unconventional M3 Touring project in the SP-X class, with Jens Klingmann, Connor De Phillippi and Neil Verhagen behind the wheel.
Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari entries add variety
The No. 47 KCMG Mercedes-AMG returns after narrowly missing victory in NLS 3 due to a late penalty. Nirei Fukuzumi, Naoyo Gamo, Jesse Krohn and David Pittard will share driving duties.
Another Mercedes-AMG entry comes from Team Ravenol, with Maro Engel, Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz.
Fresh from a dramatic GT World Challenge Europe victory, Nicki Thiim will compete in the No. 34 Walkenhorst Aston Martin alongside Christian Krognes.
Ferrari will be represented by a single Pro entry from Rinaldi Racing, with David Perel, Dennis Marschall, Thierry Vermeulen and Thomas Neubauer.
Unique entries and fan favourites return
The SP9 Pro class also features a HRT Ford Mustang GT3 driven by Vincent Kolb and Frank Stippler, while Luca Engstler, Mirko Bortolotti and Patric Niederhauser will drive the Red Bull Team ABT Lamborghini.
Fan favourites will also take to the track, including Jimmy Broadbent and Misha Charoudin in the No. 632 Black Falcon Porsche.
The WS Racing all-female line-up, featuring Carrie Schreiner, Janina Schall, Patricija Stalidzane and Fabienne Wohlwend, will also compete.
Nürburgring 24h qualifiers weekend schedule and weather uncertainty
Saturday’s qualifying will begin at 08:30 CEST, followed by the race at 17:30 CEST, which will run for four hours. The German Historic Endurance Championship race will take place at 12:00 CEST.
On Sunday, qualifying starts at 08:15 CEST, with Top Qualifying at 10:40 CEST determining the final grid positions. The second four-hour race will begin at 13:00 CEST.
Weather could play a decisive role, with a 30–40% chance of rain expected. At the Nürburgring, changing conditions can vary dramatically across the circuit, often creating unpredictable and chaotic racing scenarios.
All Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers sessions will be streamed live on YouTube.
