An overall win at the Nurburgring 24 Hours is not only one of the most prestigious crowns in international motorsport, but the 2026 edition promises to be more thrilling than ever. With more than 40 cars entered, the GT3 field is larger than it has ever been.
As Max Verstappen prepares to line up for the start of the race for the first time, who are the Formula 1 star’s primary rivals in the hunt for victory? And which teams are more likely to be dark horses? Our check on some of the favourites lining up for this year’s race provides an assessment of the hierarchy ahead of the weekend.
We have limited this analysis to the 22 cars entered in the SP9 GT3 Pro category, which, on paper, boast the strongest driver line-ups. The rating is based on a scale of one to five: from outsider to absolute top favourite.
The evaluation considers the complete package: How fast is the car? How much quality and experience does the team have on the Nordschleife? What is the potential of the driver line-up? And finally: Which tyres are the teams running?
Tyres, in particular, could be a decisive factor. For years, Michelin has been the benchmark on the Nordschleife. Especially in the predicted cold or wet conditions, the French manufacturer’s tyres could hold an advantage over the competition.
Furthermore, this assessment refers exclusively to race chances. Past events have repeatedly shown that several outsider teams can cause a surprise in qualifying with a single fast driver. However, for the overall victory, a balanced combination of fast pilots with sufficient Nordschleife experience is essential.
As always with editorial assessments: they cannot claim absolute objectivity and remain, to an extent, subjective. Here are the cars to watch out for in the 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours.
Rowe-BMW #1
Drivers: Augusto Farfus/Raffaele Marciello/Jordan Pepper/Kelvin van der Linde
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
The defending champions are among the top favourites again this year, especially since three of the four winning drivers from last year remain on board.
Winward Mercedes #3
#3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing
Photo by: ADAC Motorsport
Drivers: Max Verstappen/Lucas Auer/Jules Gounon/Daniel Juncadella
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
The crew centred around Max Verstappen will be under more scrutiny than any other team and is expected to have a major say in the fight for victory. The F1 star is second to none when it comes to pace compared to Nordschleife aces.
Konrad Lamborghini #7
Drivers: Maximilian Paul/Pavel Lefterov/Patricija Stalidzane/Christian Engelhardt
Rating: 1.0 out of 5
The upgrade to the Evo2 version of the Lamborghini is certainly progress. However, the driver line-up has relatively little GT3 experience on the Nordschleife. A top-10 finish would be a success.
Scherer-Phx Audi #16
Photo by: Gruppe C Photography
Drivers: Christopher Haase/Alexander Sims/Ben Green
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
In 2026, the blue Audi must still be considered in the fight for the overall win. Slight deductions are made due to Ben Green’s relatively low Nordschleife experience.
Dunlop Racing Porsche #17
Drivers: Alessio Picariello/Dorian Boccolacci/Nico Menzel/Julien Andlauer
Rating: 3.3 out of 5
The quality of the car, the operational team, and the drivers is beyond question. However, the Dunlop tyres could be a disadvantage – especially if it gets wet, which is quite likely.
Lionspeed Porsche #24
Photo by: Gruppe C GmbH
Drivers: Laurin Heinrich/Laurens Vanthoor/Ricardo Feller
Rating: 3.6 out of 5
Three lightning-fast factory drivers in a Porsche – and yet more of a ‘dark horse’ than a top favourite. This is because Lionspeed is competing for the overall win on the Nordschleife for the first time.
Prosport Mercedes #26
Drivers: Adam Christodoulou/Mikael Grenier/Chris Lulham/Marek Bockmann
Rating: 2.3 out of 5
A solid combination of team, car, and drivers, but competing in this arrangement at the 24h race for the first time. Therefore, they have an outside chance.
Walkenhorst Aston Martin #34
Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO
Photo by: Gruppe C GmbH
Drivers: Christian Krognes/Nicki Thiim/Mattia Drudi/Felipe Fernandez Laser
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Walkenhorst is still waiting for a major breakthrough on the Nordschleife with the Aston Martin Vantage. The Pirelli tyres are a question mark here, even though the driver line-up is top-tier.
Falken Porsche #44
Drivers: Tim Heinemann/Sven Muller/Morris Schuring/Klaus Bachler
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
The Falken squad has been a staple on the Nordschleife for years. While a major win is still missing at the 24h race, the team must definitely be counted among the extended circle of favourites in 2026.
Kondo Ferrari #45
Kondo Racing with Rinaldi Ferrari 296 GT3
Photo by: Jan Brucke/VLN
Drivers: David Perel/Dennis Marschall/Thierry Vermeulen/Thomas Neubauer
Rating: 3.6 out of 5
A fast car with fast drivers that could cause a surprise, especially in qualifying. But can the team maintain this level over 24 hours?
KCMG Mercedes #47
Drivers: Nirei Fukuzumi/Jesse Krohn/David Pittard/Naoya Gamou
Rating: 2.3 out of 5
A top placement in qualifying is possible here as well. However, the driver line-up is too unbalanced to intervene in the fight for the overall win.
Dinamic Porsche #54
Dinamic Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
Photo by: Gruppe C GmbH
Drivers: Joel Sturm/Michael Christensen/Bastian Buus/Loek Hartog
Rating: 2.6 out of 5
Dinamic now possesses a lot of experience on the Nordschleife, but the Pirelli tyres could be a limiting factor here too.
Dinamic-Porsche #55
Drivers: Michele Beretta/Alessandro Ghiretti/Joel Sturm/Loek Hartog
Rating: 1.6 out of 5
The second Dinamic Porsche appears slightly weaker in terms of drivers than its sister car and is therefore likely to have only outside chance this weekend.
HRT Ford #64
Drivers: Frank Stippler/Arjun Maini/Fabio Scherer/David Schumacher
Rating: 2.3 out of 5
With Frank Stippler, an absolute Nordschleife ace is in the car, but this Mustang crew is rated slightly weaker than its sister car.
HRT Ford #67
Drivers: Dennis Olsen/Christopher Mies/Frederic Vervisch/Frank Stippler
Rating: 3.3 out of 5
Based on the driver line-up alone, this Mustang is the Ford car with the best chances. The question mark is the Yokohama tyres, which could be at a disadvantage compared to the Michelin benchmark in cold or damp conditions.
Dorr McLaren #69
Dorr Motorsport McLaren 720S EVO GT3
Photo by: ADAC Motorsport
Drivers: Ben Dorr/Marvin Kirchhofer/Timo Glock/Timo Scheider
Rating: 1.6 out of 5
Certainly a fan favourite due to the livery and the two ‘Timos’ (Glock and Scheider), the McLaren has not been a winning car on the Nordschleife so far. The team also has significantly less experience there than many of its competitors.
Schubert BMW #77
Drivers: Charles Weerts/Marco Wittmann/Philipp Eng/Robin Frijns
Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Fundamentally a crew that belongs in the inner circle of favourites. Compared to Rowe, however, we are not giving full marks due to the Yokohama tyres.
Winward Mercedes #80
Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD Mercedes-AMG GT3
Photo by: ADAC Motorsport
Drivers: Maro Engel/Fabian Schiller/Luca Stolz/Maxime Martin
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Fast car, fast drivers with Nordschleife experience: The second Winward Mercedes is also a hot candidate for the overall victory.
Abt Lamborghini #84
Drivers: Luca Engstler/Mirko Bortolotti/Patric Niederhauser
Rating: 3.6 out of 5
The successful team from the Allgau region has often been fast on the Nordschleife with the Huracan, but it hasn’t been enough for the big win yet. Part of the extended circle of favourites.
Rowe BMW #99
#98 Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO
Photo by: Eric Le Galliot
Drivers: Dan Harper/Max Hesse/Sheldon van der Linde/Dries Vanthoor
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
Four factory drivers, an experienced team, and a proven car: There is no reason why the second Rowe BMW should not fight for the overall win.
Abt Lamborghini #130
Drivers: Marco Mapelli/Nicky Catsburg/Nick Yelloly
Rating: 3.6 out of 5
Similar to the sister car, an overall victory would be a surprise — also because, with the exception of 2023, the 24h race has long been firmly in the grip of German manufacturers.
Manthey Porsche #911
Manthey Porsche 911
Photo by: Jake Galstad / Lumen via Getty Images
Drivers: Kevin Estre/Thomas Preining/Ayhancan Guven
Rating: 5.0 out of 5
One of the most successful Nordschleife teams, a fast car, and three drivers beyond any doubt. It remains among the narrowest circle of contenders for the overall win in 2026.
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– The Autosport.com Team
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