Much of the Nürburgring 24 Hours was hampered by grim weather, jeopardising the performance of the two Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 crews involved in the race. Octane 126’s #26 car finished 19th in its class and 20th overall. The #16 Hella Pagid - Racing One entry finished the race in 21st class position and 49th overall.
Prior to the red flag. Octane 126 team’s Ferrari got the race off to a start from the front row after an excellent performance in qualifying by Luca Ludwig, with the German driver second behind Maro Engel’s Mercedes. It was also a fine start for Jonathan Hirschi, who took the lead right off the bat. Some ten minutes in, however, a heavy downpour began taking its toll on the grip of the #26 Ferrari’s tyres, causing Hirschi to ease up and avoid unnecessary risks. And thus Ferrari began to shed positions, having to pit several times amid complaints about poor visibility. In Pro-Am class, the #16 Racing One Ferrari, having set off from the 13th row, had managed to hold its position unchanged. However, due to the interminable rain, the near zero visibility and asphalt unable to drain off such an abundance of rainwater, race stewards decided to suspend the race shortly before 11.00pm.
The restart. After an all-night hiatus, the race resumed at 08.00 in the morning after a lap behind the Safety Car, with less than 8 hours remaining before the conclusion. The Octane 126 team left the restart in the hands of Hirschi who set off from 22nd position in the class and 23rd overall. Meanwhile, the Hella Pagid - Racing One team entrusted the initial phase to Jules Szymkowiak in 21st class position and 22nd overall. In addition to Hirschi and Simon Trummer, Luca Ludwig and Björn Grossmann alternated behind the wheel of the #26 car and were given the responsibility of finishing the race. The event, by now marred by such dreadful weather conditions, had jeopardised any chance of a final result for Ferrari, even after an extraordinary second place earlier in qualifying. Meanwhile, in the #16 Hella Pagid - Racing One machine, Jules Szymkowiak, Stephan Köhler, Christian Kohlhaas and Nikolaj Rogivue took turns at the wheel, posting 21st place in Pro-Am class