Nürburgring 24 Hours: Staring Grid Confirmed as Penalties Shake Up Starting Order Ahead of Race Start
The starting grid for the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours has been finalized after qualifying drama and Balance of Performance (BoP) penalties influenced the order for one of endurance racing’s biggest events. The legendary race is scheduled to begin at 15:00 local time (CEST) on Saturday at the Nordschleife, with 161 cars set to tackle the demanding 24-hour challenge.
An all-Lamborghini front row will lead the field away after Red Bull Team ABT locked out the top two positions in Top Qualifying 3. Luca Engstler secured pole position with a stunning lap of 8:11.123, while teammate Marco Mapelli completed a dominant performance for the team.
Behind them, Scherer Sport PHX’s Audi will start third, with the highly anticipated Team Verstappen Mercedes-AMG lining up fourth. Despite carrying a 35kg BoP weight penalty and encountering interruptions during qualifying, the Verstappen entry still secured a place on the second row.
Top 10 Starting Grid
#84 Red Bull Team ABT (Luca Engstler) – Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
#130 Red Bull Team ABT (Marco Mapelli) – Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
#16 Scherer Sport PHX (Christopher Haase) – Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II
#3 Winward Racing / Team Verstappen (Daniel Juncadella) – Mercedes-AMG GT3
#45 Realize Kondo Racing – Ferrari 296 GT3
#7 Konrad Motorsport – Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
#64 HRT Ford Performance – Ford Mustang GT3
#911 Manthey Racing – Porsche 91
Additional qualifiers from the SP9 class complete the top ten after the final grid adjustments.
With factory-backed entries from Lamborghini, Audi, Mercedes-AMG, Ferrari, Porsche, BMW and Ford all represented near the front, the stage is set for a fierce battle through the Green Hell. Weather, traffic management and reliability are expected to play decisive roles as teams prepare for a full day and night of racing around the 25-kilometre Nürburgring circuit.
The race promises one of the strongest fields in recent years, with global motorsport stars and GT specialists aiming to conquer the world’s most demanding endurance event.