Show summary Hide summary
Timo Glock will line up at this weekend’s Nürburgring 24 Hours in a striking retro livery that recreates the look of Michael Schumacher’s 1995 Benetton — a move that has drawn the attention of fans and the Schumacher family alike. The tribute blends motorsport nostalgia with a contemporary endurance entry and has immediate relevance as the race gets under way on the Nordschleife.
Schumacher heritage returns to the Nordschleife
Doerr Motorsport’s McLaren carries the familiar blue-and-yellow Bitburger motif that adorned Schumacher’s championship-winning Benetton B195, a deliberate nod to the mid‑1990s era. The project is a collaboration between Doerr, sponsor Bembel With Care and the Keep Fighting Foundation, which has endorsed the tribute and contributed branding both on the car and on Glock’s race kit.
Mechanics and crew members will also wear reproduction overalls styled to resemble those used by Benetton in 1995, and the team has said two of the period suits will be auctioned after the event to raise further interest and funds.
Electric cars with 400+ mile range: 44 models that cover long trips on a single charge
Chery Freelander 8 unveiled as XL rival to Land Rover’s compact SUV: what buyers need to know
Glock — a former Formula 1 driver most associated with Toyota and now a DTM competitor — is one of three ex‑or‑current Grand Prix starters on the entry list this weekend, alongside Markus Winkelhock and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who is competing in a Team Winward Mercedes‑AMG GT3.
- Car: McLaren 720S entered in the SP9 class by Doerr Motorsport
- Drivers: Timo Glock, Timo Scheider, Ben Doerr, Marvin Kirchhofer
- Tribute partners: Bembel With Care, Bitburger, Keep Fighting Foundation
- Notable rivals at the event: Max Verstappen (Mercedes‑AMG GT3), other factory and pro entries
- Key aim: finish the 24‑hour race without technical issues or penalties
How the livery came together
The idea grew out of a friendship between Glock and the owner of Bembel With Care, who wanted a standout concept for the Nürburgring outing. With Bitburger absent from motorsport sponsorship for more than two decades, the partners opted to revive the brand’s iconic livery as a straight‑forward visual tribute.
Doerr Motorsport moved quickly. After another team withdrew shortly before a support endurance race, Doerr’s outfit committed to preparing the McLaren on short notice — the car was being finished and delivered in the days leading into race week.
Glock said the reaction from paddock visitors and fans has been overwhelmingly positive, and he welcomed the backing of the Schumacher family through the Keep Fighting organisation.
On‑track ambition and realism
Preparation time for the McLaren on the Nordschleife has been limited. The team’s running across the NLS4 and NLS5 events was curtailed by a separate accident and mechanical issues, leaving them with only a handful of meaningful laps before the 24‑hour contest.
Glock was candid about expectations: with little experience of this car on the Nordschleife, the priority is completing the race cleanly. A strong finish inside the top 10 would exceed ambitions, he suggested, but avoiding technical failures and penalties is the realistic target for a hastily assembled programme.
The effort also represents a cross‑discipline lift for Doerr Motorsport, which fields the car in DTM and has used this entry to broaden its endurance credentials and public profile.
Why this matters beyond the paintwork
On the surface it’s a visual tribute; beneath that, the entry reconnects a major German brand with racing, spotlights a family foundation’s legacy project and gives a smaller team an opportunity to show its capabilities on one of motorsport’s biggest stages. For fans, it’s a direct link between two eras — the Schumacher dominance of the 1990s and today’s multi‑class endurance scene.
Whether the McLaren’s retro livery will be remembered for podiums or simply as a popular moment of nostalgia will be settled over the coming 24 hours. For now, the car has secured attention, invoked history and added another compelling subplot to this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours.
