If you like hairy German men who sweat Jägermeister and set fire to things, I recommend heading to Brunchen corner in the middle of the night during N24.
It’s as good an illustration as any of the kind of wildly enthusiastic and loyal support that this endurance race is famous for.
Over the past weekend, 240,000 fans descended upon the Nordschleife. Attendance is on the up year after year, and for good reason.
The comparatively easy access to the grid and pit lane is a big pull for spectators, and something that sets it apart from lots of other motorsports, with all 160 cars and drivers swamped with thousands of fans - as close as 30 minutes before the race start.
As for the race itself, fans are guaranteed high drama, thanks in part to the Nüburgring’s notorious weather, which this year saw a blisteringly hot start followed by a hailstorm. Mayhem ensued, with many teams seeing months of preparation go up in smoke within an hour of the start as their cars skidded off the track, and a red flag was shown.
Our sister site, Autosport, has the report of a dramatic win for Mercedes-Benz. I saw the action unfold with Porsche; neither of its 911 GT3 R cars - based on the 911 GT3 RS - finished the race.
Even a team with as rich a motorsport history as Porsche can struggle to tame the Nordschleife in this incredibly trying format, where there are so many external factors to contend with.
It's high stakes in endurance racing, and the Nürburgring's mix of brilliant atmosphere, eclectic fans, stunning scenery and packed-out grid makes it a special event to witness.
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Thoroughly enjoyable race
Great race. Live on Youtube.
Some improvements for the GT3 :
- ban the ABS and TC,
- reduce downforce.