Mercedes-AMG factory driver Mikaël Grenier will strengthen GetSpeed Team PCX Racing’s championship challenge at this weekend’s inaugural Michelin 12H Nürburgring.
The No. 28 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO enters the penultimate Michelin 24H SERIES European Series round with a six-point advantage over HOFOR Racing in the overall GT3 standings.
Meanwhile, a 30-car field will tackle the Nürburgring Grand Prix Circuit from 3–5 July as the championship visits the German venue for the first time. The event will divide its 12-hour distance into two six-hour contests across Saturday and Sunday.
Grenier strengthens GetSpeed at home
Grenier will share the championship-leading No. 28 Mercedes-AMG with regular drivers Benjamin Paque, Jordan Boisson and Patrick Charlaix.
The Canadian brings further professional experience to the line-up after helping GMR secure victory in the Bathurst 12 Hour earlier this year. He also represents Mercedes-AMG as a Performance Driver across its global customer racing programmes.
GetSpeed enters the weekend with additional motivation because the Nürburgring serves as the team’s home circuit. The German operation bases its headquarters at the venue and will support two Mercedes-AMG entries during the weekend.
Jonathan Hirshberg joins Patrick Liddy, Tanner Harvey and Steve Jans in the No. 286 Team JR286 Mercedes-AMG. That crew currently holds second place in the GT3-Am standings and gives GetSpeed another opportunity to strengthen its championship position.
Grenier’s arrival therefore gives the team another proven front-running driver at a crucial stage of the campaign. With only the Barcelona finale remaining after Nürburgring, every qualifying position and race point could influence the title outcome.
Mercedes-AMG rivals increase pressure
HOFOR Racing arrives in Germany as GetSpeed’s closest overall challenger after winning the previous round at Circuit Paul Ricard.
The Swiss squad also leads the GT3-Am standings and will restore Chantal Prinz to its driver line-up. She joins her husband Alexander Prinz, her father Michael Kroll and regular driver Torsten Kratz in the No. 11 Mercedes-AMG.
HOFOR’s Paul Ricard success reduced GetSpeed’s advantage to six points and transformed the Nürburgring contest into a direct title confrontation. Another victory could move HOFOR to the top before the championship travels to Spain.
Ajith RedAnt Racing also remains in the overall championship fight. Ajith Kumar, Kobe de Breucker, Yannick Redant and Ayrton Redant will continue in the No. 93 Mercedes-AMG after building their campaign around consistent points finishes.
Viper Niza Racing adds a fourth Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO to the field. Consequently, Mercedes-AMG will command the largest manufacturer presence in the headline category.
Porsche adds factory-backed firepower
Grenier will not provide the grid’s only factory-supported reinforcement.
Porsche-contracted driver Joel Sturm joins Proton Competition in the No. 73 Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO. The 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 champion will share the car with Manuel Lauck, Constantin Dressler and Jörg Dreisow.
Proton enters as the reigning European Series teams’ champion, while Lauck, Dressler and Dreisow claimed the previous drivers’ title. Sturm’s speed adds further strength to an experienced crew as Porsche chases its first outright victory of the season.
Meanwhile, Up2Race will make its European Series debut with a second Porsche 911 GT3 R. Oleksiy Kikireshko, Tim Heinemann and Fabio Grosse will lead the newcomer’s first championship appearance.
Saintéloc Junior Team also holds a prominent position in the title fight after winning the opening round at Mugello. Ernst Inderbitzin joins Pierre Kaffer, Michael Doppelmayr, Elia Erhart and Stéphane Tribaudini in the French squad’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II.
Ferrari and Lamborghini return to the grid
Pellin Racing will return after missing Paul Ricard and will field its No. 29 Ferrari 296 GT3.
Meanwhile, full-season entrant Era Motorsport will continue with the updated Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO. The two teams give the Italian manufacturer separate opportunities to challenge the leading Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Audi squads.
ARC Bratislava also returns after sitting out the previous round. Miroslav Konopka will share the sole Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO with his sons, Matej and Adam Konopka, and Zdeno Mikulášek.
The crew previously claimed GT3-Am victory at Mugello and will aim to re-establish itself among the class contenders in Germany.
Mühlner defends 992 championship advantage
Mühlner Motorsport leads the 992 standings after Martin Rump and Conrad Tox Leveau secured consecutive victories earlier in the season.
Joshua Bednarski joins the pair in the No. 921 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup as the team attempts to defend its 16-point advantage over Red Camel-Jordans.nl.
However, the No. 909 Red Camel crew enters with momentum after finally claiming victory at Paul Ricard. Fabian Danz will race alongside Luc and Rik Breukers and their father, Ivo Breukers.
Mühlner also plans to run a second Porsche for Rolando Saca and Silvain Pastoris, although the team still needs to confirm another driver for the No. 904 entry.
Elsewhere, QMMF by HRT Performance will skip the Nürburgring round despite leading the 992-Am standings. Its absence gives the second-placed Seblajoux Racing crew an opportunity to take control of the class before Barcelona.
Reduced entries reshape supporting classes
AsBest Racing will launch a three-car challenge in TCE-TCX. The championship-leading No. 102 SEAT León Cup Racer will compete alongside a CUPRA TCR DSG and a Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport. However, rival Not Only Motorsport will miss the round, giving AsBest an opportunity to extend its advantage.
Vortex will also sit out the event despite winning every GTX contest so far this season. Instead, KEO Racing will make its series debut with a Ligier JS2 R and will provide the class’s only entry. Meanwhile, Bonk Motorsport will provide the sole GT4 representative with its No. 431 BMW M4 GT4 EVO.
Those absences reduce several supporting classes to small fields. Nevertheless, the championship implications should encourage each remaining entrant to prioritise reliability and maximise every available point.
GetSpeed will begin its home event as the championship favourite, but its narrow points advantage leaves little room for error. With Grenier strengthening the No. 28 crew and HOFOR carrying momentum from Paul Ricard, the inaugural Michelin 12H Nürburgring could decide which team controls the title fight ahead of the Barcelona finale.
