Timo Glock 'Had to Be Punished' as Nürburgring License Revoked After Immediate DSQ

Former Formula 1 driver and Sky F1 Germany pundit Timo Glock has acknowledged that he "had to be punished" after a safety breach at the Nürburgring 24 Hours led to his immediate disqualification and the revocation of his Nordschleife racing license.

Glock, who made 91 F1 starts between 2004 and 2012 and raced for Toyota, Jordan, and Virgin, was competing in the endurance classic behind the wheel of a Dörr Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3. He was caught traveling at 112 km/h in a Code 60 zone — a slow-speed sector where drivers are limited to 60 km/h due to track hazards like accidents or debris. The infringement occurred at the Metzgesfeld section of the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The stewards handed Glock an 82-second stop-and-go penalty and two DMSB penalty points. Combined with two penalty points he had already accumulated during the Nürburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers last month, the total triggered an automatic disqualification and the revocation of his DPN license — the permit required to race at the Nordschleife.

Why it matters:

The incident serves as a stark reminder that safety rules at the Nürburgring are enforced without exception, regardless of a driver's reputation. Glock, a respected former F1 driver and current pundit, is not above the regulations. The penalty highlights the seriousness with which race control treats speed limit violations in dangerous zones, especially on the world's most demanding and hazardous racetrack.

The details:

• Glock accepted full responsibility: "I only have myself to blame. That hurts, but it has to be punished. It's the most dangerous racetrack in the world."
• He acknowledged that missing marshals at Metzgesfeld is easy: "You never really look up there."
• After Glock's disqualification, the #69 entry continued with drivers Timo Scheider, Ben Doerr, and Marvin Kirchhöfer, ultimately finishing 16th overall.
• Glock's McLaren was painted in a special livery honoring Michael Schumacher's 1995 Benetton B195, celebrating a partnership between sponsor Bitburger and Glock's friend's company Bembel With Care.
• The project also supported the Keep Fighting Foundation, founded after Schumacher's 2013 skiing accident.

What's next:

Glock's DPN license revocation means he is banned from racing at the Nordschleife until further notice. While he expressed regret, he made clear that he accepts the penalty and hopes to learn from the mistake. For now, his endurance racing plans are on hold, but he remains active in F1 broadcasting and other motorsport appearances.