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The #911 Manthey Porsche was forced out of the Nürburgring 24 Hours after a dramatic accident at Brünnchen, leaving Max Verstappen’s Winward Mercedes with a considerably clearer path to victory. The incident — caused by fluids on the racing line — also triggered further collisions and highlighted glaring safety and communication problems early in the race.
Just shy of the four-hour mark, Kevin Estre lost control of the Manthey-run Porsche in the fast Brünnchen complex and struck the barrier tail-first. Team officials confirmed the damage was terminal: a snapped belt led to engine seizure and the car could not be repaired trackside. Estre remained in the cockpit for several minutes while the crew assessed the situation before the car was retired.
How the incident unfolded
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Race telemetry and team reports point to a fluid spill from the #320 Four Motors Porsche as the direct cause. Drivers approaching the corner had little warning and, according to Manthey, the substance made the track effectively impossible to negotiate at racing speed.
Estre’s retirement had immediate sporting consequences. The #3 Winward Mercedes shared by Max Verstappen, Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella and Lucas Auer — which had already shown strong pace — moved into a dominant position. Verstappen’s double stint earlier in the race had opened a gap of more than 20 seconds, and with several factory rivals eliminated the Mercedes now enjoys a significant strategic advantage.
There was a further collision in the same corner when Arjun Maini in the #64 HRT Ford also lost control on the same slick patch and hit the barriers hard. Both incidents reinforced how rapidly a surface contamination can cascade into multiple retirements at Brünnchen, a corner already notorious for spectacular moments.
Marshalling errors compound the damage
Estre’s crash was not the only turning point. A separate sequence of mistakes by marshals removed two other likely winners from contention. Officials admitted that a green flag was mistakenly displayed at one post while the adjacent post showed a Code 60 slow-zone warning, creating a dangerous mismatch of instructions.
The result: the #47 KCMG Mercedes accelerated only to be caught by the sudden speed restriction, and the following #16 Scherer-Phx Audi could not avoid contact and struck the back of the Mercedes. The stewards characterised the incident as a system error and imposed no penalties on the drivers; they also urged tightened procedures to avoid repeat occurrences.
Earlier still, the #45 Kondo Ferrari had its own misfortune at Hatzenbach after an on-track clash with a slower Porsche Cayman, ending another factory effort prematurely.
- Retirements: #911 Manthey Porsche (Estre), #47 KCMG Mercedes, #16 Scherer-Phx Audi, #45 Kondo Ferrari.
- Major incidents: oil/fluids at Brünnchen blamed for multiple crashes; marshalling error produced a high-speed collision under mixed flag signals.
- Leading contenders: #3 Winward Mercedes (Verstappen’s crew) and the #67 HRT Ford, with the #80 Winward sister car the nearest on-track threat.
On track the rhythm has become tactical. The lead has swung between the Winward Mercedes and the HRT Mustang depending on pit cycles, but when pit strategies are accounted for the #3 Mercedes — bolstered by Verstappen’s blistering stints — sits in clear control of the race. Teams such as the BMW entrants have struggled to match the outright pace required to challenge for the win.
Nicki Raeder, managing director of Manthey Racing, described the sequence as “the harsh side of endurance racing,” stressing that the team had no realistic way to avoid the spill and that mechanical damage rendered the car unrepairable during the event. He also hinted Manthey may return with a two-car entry in 2027 as the outfit assesses its next steps.
For spectators and competitors alike, the opening hours of this 54th Nürburgring 24 have been a reminder that endurance races are decided as much by reliability, track conditions and race control as by outright speed. With night approaching and several factory teams sidelined, the contest has shifted toward strategy and attrition.
What to watch next: pit-stop sequencing between the Winward entries and the HRT Ford; any further stewards’ interventions after the marshalling review; and whether organisers alter procedures for handling on-track fluid spills during the remainder of the race.
