ROWE RACING BATTLES ITS WAY CLOSE TO THE PODIUM

Thrilling racing, record crowds and a rollercoaster of emotions – the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring proved once again to be an enormous challenge for ROWE RACING in 2026. Facing a top-class field of competitors and extreme conditions, the entire team once again impressively demonstrated its capabilities and wowed over 352,000 racing fans at the world’s longest race track with its performance.

BITTER END FOR LAST YEAR’S WINNING CAR

Determination, precision and performance – it was precisely these qualities that helped ROWE RACING secure victory at the world’s biggest racing event in 2025. This year, the winning car with start number #1 was the one being chased. The BMW M works drivers Augusto Farfus, Raffaele Marciello, Jordan Pepper and Kelvin van der Linde got off to a decent start and managed to establish themselves in the top 10. Due to technical problems, the defending champions were forced to retire from the race on Saturday shortly before midnight after completing 107 laps in a promising position.

FIRST A SPIN, THEN A COMEBACK

Dan Harper got off to a shaky start in the #99 car, with a brief moment of panic in the very first minute. Following a collision, a spin just before the Nordschleife entrance was unavoidable. Fortunately, the car remained unscathed, and Harper and his team-mates Max Hesse, Sheldon van der Linde and Dries Vanthoor went on to show that they too wanted a say in the battle for overall victory. In the end, however, a strong driving performance was not quite enough to secure a podium finish – fourth place was the final result after a fantastic comeback.

WINNING IS JUST A MOMENT, PERFORMANCE LASTS FOREVER

The impressions from the Nürburgring Nordschleife were clear: ROWE RACING is one of the best endurance teams in the world and is always capable of fighting for the top places. In the end, it comes down to the little things and that missing bit of luck needed to get the timing right in the different phases of a race.

Nevertheless, the foundation for success always remains the same: preparing as well as possible and then delivering when it counts. That is why we are looking ahead, because champions never rest on their laurels. Not after victories, and certainly not after setbacks. The next highlights are already waiting for the ROWE RACING team: the GTWC race at Monza on 31 May and the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (27 - 28 June).