Dacia Drama Adds to Nürburgring 24 Hours Chaos as Verstappen Team… read more
The closing hours of the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours delivered even more heartbreak and drama as fan-favorite underdogs Ollis Garage Racing endured a crushing setback, while and his Team Verstappen squad saw their hopes of victory disappear because of a technical failure.
One of the most emotional moments of the race came on Sunday morning when cameras captured the battered No. 300 Dacia Logan being hauled away after an accident. The small-budget entry had once again become a crowd favorite throughout the event, with many fans cheering for the unlikely team battling against far more powerful GT3 machinery around the legendary Nürburgring circuit.
Before attention shifted to the Dacia’s troubles, the race had already produced a dramatic twist at the front. The No. 3 Mercedes-AMG entry run by Team Verstappen had been fighting for victory when disaster suddenly struck. Driver Dani Juncadella was forced to bring the car back to the pits before returning it to the garage. It was later confirmed that the Mercedes suffered a broken driveshaft, ending what had looked like a serious challenge for overall victory.
As the Verstappen team dropped down the order, television coverage quickly focused on another unfolding nightmare. The No. 300 Dacia Logan, entered by Ollis Garage Racing, had crashed and lost its left-front wheel during the incident. The sight of the damaged car being recovered immediately sparked reactions from fans online, many of whom were devastated to see the beloved underdog squad in trouble once again.
The difficult ending added to an already frustrating race for the Dacia crew. Earlier in the event, the team had received a penalty for failing to respect a Code 60 zone, one of the Nürburgring’s most important safety regulations. During the caution period, the Dacia was clocked at 104 km/h while Neumann was behind the wheel, exceeding the permitted speed limit in the restricted section.
Race officials responded by handing the team a 74-second stop-and-go penalty, along with two DMSB Penalty Points. For a small team already fighting against the odds, the punishment dealt a major blow to any hopes of achieving a respectable result.
Despite lacking the pace of the leading GT3 cars, the Dacia squad had still managed to win admiration from fans thanks to their determination and persistence. The entry, driven by Oliver Kriese, Alexander Becker, Christian Geilfus, and Neumann, arrived at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours hoping to finally enjoy a clean race after several painful experiences in previous editions of the event.
The team’s history at the Nürburgring has been filled with disappointment. Their campaigns in both 2023 and 2025 ended in crashes, making this year’s race another opportunity to finally reach the finish line and reward the loyal supporters who have followed their journey.
That is why the latest accident felt especially cruel. With only around three hours remaining in the race, hopes of redemption appeared to vanish once again as the Dacia sat stranded and damaged beside the circuit.
Adding to the frustration, reports from the paddock suggested the team did not initially want the car to be towed away by the recovery vehicle. However, the vehicle was removed regardless, allegedly making repairs more difficult afterward. Fans online expressed sympathy for the team as images of the recovery circulated across social media.
Even so, the story may not be completely over yet. The Dacia has since been returned to the paddock, where mechanics are continuing efforts to repair the heavily damaged machine. The team still hopes to make it back onto the track before the race officially ends.
Under Nürburgring 24 Hours regulations, a car is only classified as retired if it fails to finish within 15 minutes of the winning car after the chequered flag falls. That rule has given the Ollis Garage Racing crew one final glimmer of hope in what has otherwise been another dramatic and emotional chapter in their Nürburgring journey.