The Nurburgring 24 Hours qualifying session on Thursday afternoon set the stage for an intense race, with an early surprise as the defending race winner and Max Verstappen were beaten by the #80 Ravenol Mercedes. This unique qualifying format, with three 'top qualifying' sessions on Friday, adds an extra layer of complexity to the race, providing early hints of the pecking order. The session saw Verstappen quickly set the early benchmark with an 8m18.539s, but it was Fabian Schiller in the #80 Mercedes who ultimately took the top spot with an 8m14.957s, a significant 3.6s faster than Verstappen's entry.
The #80 Mercedes' performance was a notable feat, especially considering the brief turns at the end of the session by Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and Lucas Auer. The #1 Rowe Racing BMW, driven by Raffaele Marciello, also impressed by taking second place, while the #3 Team Verstappen Mercedes had to settle for third. The top five was completed by the #99 Rowe Racing BMW and the #911 Porsche.
The session was not without incident, however. Alexander Hardt's #900 Porsche GT3 Cup car was struck by the all-female #146 WS Racing entry, driven by Carrie Schreiner, resulting in a halted car and a narrow escape for Hardt. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in such high-speed racing.
The top 10 results after the first qualifying session were:
- #80 Mercedes
- #1 Rowe BMW
- #3 Team Verstappen Mercedes
- #99 Rowe BMW
- #911 Manthey Porsche
- #130 Team ABT Lamborghini
- #77 Schubert BMW
- #64 HRT Ford
- #16 Scherer Sport PHX Audi
- #17 Dunlop Porsche
This early stage of the race already hints at a competitive and unpredictable race, with the #80 Mercedes and #1 Rowe BMW showing strong performance and the #3 Team Verstappen Mercedes and #911 Porsche in close pursuit. The incident involving Hardt also underscores the need for caution and awareness in such high-stakes racing environments.
