Qualifying 3 shifted the focus away from the Top Qualifying battle and gave the rest of the 2026 Nürburgring 24h field one final opportunity to improve their starting positions.
With the Top 12 already set for Top Qualifying 3, the fastest pole contenders sat out this session. That separation gave the lower-class and non-Top Qualifying entries a clearer track and reduced the risk of the fastest cars interfering with teams still trying to secure representative lap times.
For those crews, Qualifying 3 still carried major importance. A stronger lap could improve track position, reduce early-race traffic issues and give drivers a cleaner platform for the opening hours of the race.
A busy field starts Friday running for 112 entries at the 2026 Nürburgring 24h
The 65-minute session marked the first Friday track action for 112 entries. The early phase unfolded without major disruption, although the field made only limited changes through the lower reaches of the classification.
The #302 Hyundai Motor Company ELANTRA N1 RP led the pack onto the Nordschleife. Manuel Lauck, Youngchan Kim, Mark Wallenwein and Mikel Azcona shared that Hyundai Motorsport N entry.
At that stage, warm and sunny conditions gave teams a useful opening window. However, the weather soon changed the character of the session and made late improvements much harder.
Rain arrives and reduces improvement chances
After a relatively calm start, rain arrived around the circuit. Reports first noted rain between Adenauer Forst and Breidscheid, before heavier rain fell with around 20 minutes remaining.
As a result, the session lost much of its late momentum. The heavier rain reduced the chance for meaningful improvements, although some cars still managed to find time during the final phase.
The conditions then changed again. After the heavy shower, sunshine returned between Schwedenkreuz and Breidscheid, while more rain was forecast around Kallenhard and Wehrseifen. Therefore, teams had to manage a typically unpredictable Nürburgring weather pattern during the final qualifying session for much of the field.
Incidents punctuate the session
Although Qualifying 3 avoided major early disruption, several cars still ran into trouble as the session developed.
The #899 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M2 Racing crashed heavily into the barrier on the right-hand side of the airfield. Yanis Anhorn, Frank Anhorn, Max Lamesch and John Marechal shared that entry.
Elsewhere, the #962 W&S Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, which led Cup 3 at the time, stopped off track at the Schwalbenschwanz exit with technical problems. The DMSB team then towed the Cayman away.
The #320 Four Motors Bioconcept-Car Porsche 911 GT3 Cup also hit trouble at the ice curve but continued slowly. The #164 W&S Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS spun at Adenauer Forst and carried on, while the #925 Huber Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup spun with slight impact in the same area.
Penalties add consequences for race day
Several teams also picked up penalties that will affect the start of Saturday’s race.
The #89 KMA-Racing VW Golf 7 GTI TCR DSG, driven by Marco Knappmeier, Maik Knappmeier and Dirk Groneck, must stop in the pits for 30 seconds after the first race lap due to speeding under Code 60.
The #321 sharky-racing.com VW Golf 7 GTI TCR DSG of Finn Mache, Danny Brink, Moritz Rosenbach and Joris Primke received the same penalty for disregarding the maximum speed during a Code 60 phase.
In addition, the #145 Riller & Schnauck powered by Cerny Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO must also stop in the pits for 30 seconds after the opening lap because of a Code 60 speed infringement. Peter Cate, Joshua Bednarski, Tom Schütze and Jeroen Bleekemolen share that SP 10 entry.
Later in the session, the #82 OVERTAKERACING x tm-racing.org Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport also earned a race-day penalty. Marco Vitonelli, Michael Schröder, Jacek Pydys and Sebastian Brandl must serve a drive-through after the first race lap for driving too quickly under Code 60.
Qualifying 3 locks in crucial race foundations for 2026 Nürburgring 24h
Qualifying 3 did not deliver significant drama, as rain restricted the final improvement window and kept much of the order stable. Nevertheless, the session played a crucial role for teams outside the Top Qualifying battle.
The lower-class crews used the 65-minute run to secure class positions, assess changing weather conditions and prepare for the opening phase of the race. With several penalties now carrying into Saturday and key class poles settled, the wider Nürburgring 24 Hours grid has taken shape ahead of the final push towards race day.
