Historic victory in the Green Hell

Historic victory in the Green Hell

Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol charges to overall win in 24h Nürburgring

Following a dramatic crash in qualifying and a spectacular comeback, Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Maxime Martin delivered Mercedes-AMG’s first victory in the Eifel in ten years.

Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol has won the 54th running of the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. In one of the most thrilling races in recent history, the #80 quartet capped off a spectacular comeback from 25th on the grid with the prestigious overall win. For the brand with the star, this ends a ten-year drought on the legendary Nordschleife.

Setback in qualifying and a spectacular comeback

The road to victory was nothing short of a veritable motorsport fairy tale. The team having posted the outright fastest time in the opening qualifying session on Thursday, the tide turned dramatically in the top qualifying session on Friday. A heavy crash in the Hatzenbach section completely destroyed the rear suspension of the Ravenol-Mercedes. By virtue of an exhausting night shift, the mechanics had completely rebuilt the GT3 car by midnight. The reward followed promptly: having missed out on the time trial, the car started the race from 25th on the grid, but the repaired car underlined its ambitions with the fastest time in warm-up.

As the starting lights went out on Saturday afternoon, the team started its offensive. The drivers fought their way through the top-class field of GT3 cars in spectacular fashion. When a typical Eifel rain front swept across the track in the evening, the strategy team demonstrated perfectly timed decision-making. An optimal tyre change enabled the team to pull away from the competition and, 3, to take the top two positions together with its sister car with starting number 3.

A commanding two-car chase and late-race drama

What followed was a breathtaking and controlled two-car chase through the dark night. The two leading Mercedes-AMG GT3s gave each other no quarter and engaged in thrilling battles for position, including an epic wheel-to-wheel duel in the Tiergarten dip between Maro Engel and Max Verstappen. Together, the two cars controlled the pace at the front in commanding fashion until the sister car managed to build up a lead of over two minutes on Sunday morning.

Just under three and a half hours before the chequered flag was waved, however, fate dealt the team a cruel blow. The race-leading car with starting number 3 suffered a technical failure through no fault of its own and had to abandon its hopes of victory. Car number 80 moved up into the lead and managed the advantage flawlessly in the closing stages. Not even a sudden rain shower during the final lap could stop finishing driver Maro Engel. After 24 hours of extremes, he crossed the finish line as the emotional overall winner.

Quotes from the freshly-crowned Nürburgring winners

After the race, the newly crowned winners let their emotions run free. For Luca Stolz, crossing the finish line lifted a huge weight off his shoulders: “Thank goodness the pressure is off now! After ten years, we’re back on the top step of the podium at the Nürburgring with Mercedes-AMG. We all knew the whole time that we absolutely had what it takes. Today is simply a brilliant day for all of us.” His team-mate Fabian Schiller, meanwhile, looked back on the successful tactics and explained: “We started from 25th place on the grid, which of course wasn’t ideal, but the 24-hour race isn’t just about the starting grid position. When I got into the car, the rain set in – and as a team we made the absolutely right tyre decision. From then on, we drove a flawless race, successfully stayed out of trouble and brought home the victory in commanding fashion.”

Finishing driver Maro Engel, who drove the car through the dramatic rain-soaked finale, highlighted above all the performance of the crew behind the scenes: “In the end, that really wasn’t the weather I would have wished for in the final half hour, but that’s just the Nürburgring. A huge thank you goes to the entire team, who put in a real night shift to get the car back in perfect shape after my mistake in qualifying.” At the same time, he was thinking of his unlucky colleagues in the sister car: “I feel incredibly sorry for the guys – both AMGs were bloody quick. After ten years, we’re finally back on top. We have fought so long for this.” A very personal lifelong goal was finally realised for Maxime Martin, who emotionally rounded off the historic family success: “This was my 15th start here at the Nürburgring. I’ve finished a bitter runner-up three times in the past, but now I’ve finally done it. An absolute lifelong dream has come true for me. My father won this legendary race back in the day, and now I have too. It’s simply fantastic.”

Martin Huning, Director of RAVENOL Motorsport, said: “For us at RAVENOL, this overall victory is an undisputed historic milestone and a highly emotional affair. We are filled with pride to hold the winner’s trophy in our hands. What the whole team achieved following the severe setback in qualifying clearly shows the team’s magnificent fighting spirit. The Green Hell demanded everything from us this weekend with extreme weather changes and the toughest conditions. An unforgettable weekend for RAVENOL and Mercedes-AMG!”