The wait for racing fans is over. 24 Hours of Nürburgring officially kicks off with Qualifying 1 and 2 being concluded. However, as the name suggests, qualifying is not exactly qualifying, it was an unofficial Free Practice session for the 150-plus cars competing in this year’s edition.
While the entire Formula 1 grid rests and waits for its next challenge at the Canadian Grand Prix, not until May 22, it is race week for the 4-time F1 Driver’s Champion Max Verstappen as he competes at the renowned 24 Hours of Nürburgring in the SP9 GT3 category with his Mercedes AMG-Team Verstappen Racing.
How does Qualifying work in 24 Hours of Nürburgring?
Qualifying for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring is a multi-day process involving general sessions for all cars and specialised “Top Qualifying” shootouts for top-tier entrants to set the grid. The format features intense, multi-stage sessions across Thursday and Friday, designed to manage over 100 cars on the 25km+ Nordschleife circuit.
· General Qualifying Sessions (Q1, Q2, Q3): Held on Thursday and Friday, these sessions are for all competitors to set lap times, familiarize themselves with the track, and ensure they meet the 120%-time limit within their class to be eligible for the race.
· Night Qualifying: Included in the general sessions, this allows drivers to gain crucial experience driving the Nordschleife in darkness.
· Top Qualifying (TQ) for Top Classes: For faster categories (mainly SP9/GT3, SP11/GT2), the top positions are determined by a specialized two-stage shootout on Friday.
1. TQ1: Open to all eligible top-tier cars not already seeded. The top 20 advance.
2. TQ2: The 20 fastest from TQ1 (plus pre-qualified cars) compete for positions, with only the top 7 advancing to the final showdown.
3. TQ3: The final, deciding session featuring up to 12 cars (advancers + pre-qualified entries) fighting for pole position.
· Pre-Qualified Cars: Select teams can guarantee a direct place in the final TQ3 session based on their performance in the earlier NLS Qualifiers.
· Grid Structure: The starting grid is determined by the results of Top Qualifying, followed by the best times from the general qualifying sessions.
· Mandatory Requirements: Every driver must complete at least two timed laps during the qualifying sessions to qualify for the race.
Team Verstappen Racing car number 3, driven by Verstappen, Jules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella and Lucas Auer entered Q1 and finished the session with a time of 8:18:539, enough to finish third. Car number 80 Mercedes AMG Team RAVENOL topped the charts, setting a time of 8:14:957. GT3 veteran Kevin Estre’s team Car number 911 Manthey Racing finished 5th with a time of 8:21:717.
Q2 was a combination of night and rain racing, sponsored by high speed racing by the 150+ competing cars. However the rain did not allow any top team to set faster times than Q1.
The time charts after Q2 remain the same as Q1
Further Schedule
Friday will witness Top Qualifying, which sets the final grid, and will begin from 1:45 PM IST, followed by Top Qualifying 2 at 2:35 PM. Battle for the Pole Position will commence at 5:05 PM IST with Max Verstappen eyeing a second pole position at the Green Hell, the first coming at the NLS 9 race. The Green flag for the final race will take place on Saturday, 6:30 PM IST. Vi
Where to watch in India?
Viewers can watch the race at ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring’s official YouTube channel for free.
