15 May 2018
Maranello, 15 May 2018 - As usual, the 24 Hours of Nurburgring was a fascinating marathon for men and cars, a race that showed off the qualities of vehicles and the skills of drivers. The only Ferrari entered, the 488 GT3 of Wochenspiegel Team Monschau, assisted by Rinaldi Racing, completed the race and was the best car driven by a Pro-Am class crew.
Tricky race. As always, the 23-kilometre German track was a challenge for the entire 24 hours. However, to tell the truth this year’s race lost a few hours due to fog. After starting in fine weather, in the early hours of the morning a heavy squall descended on the Eifel track causing problems for many of the drivers. After the storm, the air temperature started to rise again and the water soon evaporated, turning to mist. Initially, the situation was manageable, but when the race marshals couldn’t see each other from one station to the next, suspension was inevitable.
Solid finale. Proceedings only resumed a few hours later, after which the Ferrari of George Weiss, Jochen Krumbach, Oliver Kainz and Christian Menzel put in a great final spurt to take eighth position overall and be the best car with a Pro-Am crew.
Ferrari presence. Although there was only one Ferrari on track, albeit very fast, Maranello was present as never before in the German race. In the paddock, the mirrored glass of Competizioni GT hospitality stood out, attracting the attention of spectators, enthusiasts and sports customers alike. Many people flocked to admire two of the three Ferrari 488 sports models: the 488 Challenge and a 488 GT3 twin of Wochenspiegel Team Monschau’s car. In recent years there has been a steady increase in the number of Ferraris appearing in the German championships. Currently, the VLN championship sees Wochenspiegel Team Monschau, which this year has doubled its contingent, along with Racing One, albeit with a 458 Italia GT3. From this year there’s also a 488 GT3 owned by HB Racing competing in the ADAC GT Masters national championship.