Nürburgring 24 Hours Top Qualifying 1 Results: Walkenhorst Aston Martin Leads, Verstappen 5th

The first knock-out qualifying session for the Nürburgring 24 Hours saw the #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO set the fastest lap of 8:12.135. The team of Krognes, Drudi, Thiim, and Fernandez Laser will start Saturday's race from pole position.

Why it matters:

The Nürburgring 24 Hours is one of the most demanding endurance races in the world. Grid position matters less than reliability and strategy, but a strong qualifying effort can set the tone. Max Verstappen's Winward Racing team placed fifth, showing solid pace ahead of the main event.

By the numbers:

• Pole time: 8:12.135 (Aston Martin Vantage)
• Top 5 gap: Less than 2.8 seconds covered the fastest five entries
• Verstappen's effort: #3 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 – 8:14.871 (5th)
• Notable entries:
  • 2nd: #64 HRT Ford Mustang GT3 EVO (8:14.397)
  • 3rd: #130 Red Bull Team ABT Lamborghini (8:14.734)
  • 4th: #16 Scherer Sport PHX Audi (8:14.773)
• 46 cars set times; the slowest entry (BMW E89 Z4) posted 9:10.671

What's next:

The full field now prepares for the 24-hour race at the Nordschleife, scheduled to start on Saturday. Teams will focus on endurance setups and pit strategy, with weather and traffic playing major roles. Verstappen's squad has shown competitive pace, but reliability over 24 hours remains the ultimate challenge.