Winward Racing’s #80 Mercedes wins the 24H Nürburgring

Nürburgring – Winward Racing has claimed victory in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with the #80 Mercedes‑AMG GT3, driven by Schiller, Engel, Stolz and Martin. After the dramatic retirement of the sister car, Max Verstappen’s #3 Mercedes, the #80 crew delivered a flawless, controlled run to secure a historic triumph on the Nordschleife. Matteo Drudi delivered an incredible drive to secure P3, but it wasn’t enough to take second place. Even with Bortolotti’s 86‑second post‑race penalty, the gap remained just large enough for the Lamborghini to hold on to P2.

A dominant run after Verstappen’s heartbreak

For much of the race, Verstappen and the #3 Winward Mercedes had been the benchmark, leading for hours and looking set for a sensational debut victory. But with just under three hours to go, a broken driveshaft ended their charge and shifted the spotlight entirely to the #80 car.

From that moment on, Schiller, Engel, Stolz and Martin were free to execute their strategy without pressure. Their pace remained consistent, their pit work clean, and the gap to the chasing pack grew steadily as rivals fell further behind.

The #80 crew kept it clean and controlled

With the competition several minutes back and no major threats emerging, the #80 team focused on risk‑free laps and mechanical sympathy. As long as the car stayed healthy, the victory was theirs to lose and Winward Racing executed the final hours with absolute precision.

Joy for Winward, frustration for Verstappen

The celebrations in the Winward garage were huge, but the contrast with Verstappen’s disappointment was clear. The Formula 1 champion had dominated large parts of the race and was on course for a historic win on his Nürburgring 24H debut. Instead, he watched from the pits as his teammates brought home the victory he had helped build.

It’s a reminder of what makes the Nordschleife so unforgiving: in a 24‑hour race, nothing is guaranteed, and surprises can strike at any moment.

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