Nürburgring 24 Hours: Everything You Need To Know

Once a year, over a hundred cars descend upon the Nürburgring to take on a monumental 24-hour race. The N24 may not have the widespread prestige of Le Mans, but arguably, this is the most difficult endurance race on the planet.

Tuning into the race this weekend and need a quick crash course? Here’s everything you need to know about the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Tell me more about the track

You’ve heard of the Nürburgring. This stretch of tarmac in Germany’s Eifel mountains is the choice place for developing new cars, and BMW E46 drivers ending up in YouTube compilations after horrible misjudgments during Touristenfahrten sessions.

It is actually used for racing, too. For the N24, the Nordschleife toll road we all know is linked up with the permanent Grand Prix circuit to create a 15.7-mile-long lap.

Which cars are racing?

Many. The entry list for the 2025 N24 sits at a monstrous 136 cars – which makes Le Mans’ 62-strong grid look pathetic.

While all of those cars are on track at the same time, they won’t necessarily all be competing against each other – spread across 20 different classes.

The one to look out for the overall win is the SP 9, which sees GT3 cars competing. These are the fastest cars in the N24, and the most packed class with 27 entries.

We won’t break down every single sub-class here, as we’re not sure there’s enough bandwidth on our servers to explain them all in detail. In short though, everything from GT4 racers, TCR touring cars and production cars with some mandatory safety modifications all compete in a very varied grid. There’s even a Dacia Logan competing.

Will there be any drivers I’ve heard of?

Unless you’re a hardcore endurance racing fan, there’s probably not a great deal of drivers you’ve heard of competing at the N24. But that’s part of the fun.

That’s not to say it’s devoid of names, though. One-time F1 race leader Markus Winkelhock is competing in an Audi R8 GT3, for example.

For those of us chronically online, sim racing YouTube legends Jamble Wanglebork... *checks notes* sorry, Jimmy Broadbent and Steve Brown (SuperGT) are paired up in a BMW M4 GT4 alongside Misha Charoudin, best known for his videos at the ‘Ring, and Manuel Metzger.

Oh, and Akio Toyoda – you know, the chairman of Toyota – is competing in a GR Yaris. What an effortlessly cool man.

Will there be chaos?

Yes. Next question.

Oh, sorry, you wanted more? Well, aside from 132 cars taking on the Green Hell, there’s the constant threat of weather to consider. Given the length of the track and its geographical location, it’s not uncommon for one side to be baking hot and the other to be drenched in rain.

Although the forecast is a sunny one this weekend, it can turn on its head quickly at the ‘Ring.

Where can I watch the Nürburgring 24 Hours?

If you’re in the UK, the Nürburgring 24 Hours can be watched for free on YouTube on the race’s official channel. No excuses not to tune in then.

That will also apply to most of Europe, but it’s potentially geoblocked elsewhere.

How do you win the N24?

Be it an overall win or taking one in the many classes, the winner of the N24 will be the car that completes the furthest distance.

While it is a 24-hour race, it isn’t immediately brought to a halt once the clock stops – rather, at that point, the current lap will be the final one. Given it’s a 15.7-mile one at that, the race could well turn on its head right at the end.