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.

In 2026, there are more eyes than ever on the endurance classic, thanks in no small part to the presence of a certain Dutch driver on the starting grid, as well as some cars that are bound to be instant fan favourites. For the first time in its history, the event is sold out, so if you're one of the thousands of new fans tuning or heading to the track in this this weekend, here's everything you need to know.

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. For 2026, a mighty 161 cars are entering the event, rather putting the 62 cars entering Le Mans next month to shame. While all of those cars are on track at the same time, they won’t all be competing against each other – they're spread across 23 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 a huge 49 cars this year.

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 machinery as humble as a Dacia Logan and Opel Corsa running.

There are a few cars worth looking out for, though. Last year, BMW pulled what we thought was a typically cringeworthy car industry April Fools' joke by showing off a render of an M3 Touring estate dressed up as a GT3 racer. Turns out, the joke was on us – BMW has actually built it, and is entering it in this year's N24. While it's running in the SP-X class, a category for experimental machines that don't fit into any of the other categories, it's essentially an M4 GT3 underneath, so is theoretically in with a shout of a very strong finish.

Also running in SP-X is a trio of HWA Evos. That's the glorious carbon-bodied restomod of the Mercedes 190E Evo, bringing some excellent retro flavour to the event.

Sadly, what won't be racing is a Renault Twingo. German outfit Rauh Racing had been planning to enter a modified version of the adorable city car, and the build was well underway, but the race's organisers hit the brakes on the entry a few months ago.

Will there be any drivers I’ve heard of?

Does the name Max Verstappen mean anything to you? The four-time F1 world champ's participation is easily the biggest story surrounding the 2026 N24. The Dutchman has been vocal about his feelings on the latest F1 regulations, and how this entry represents a chance for him to get back to some more old-school motorsport.

He's running in the top SP 9 class in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, under the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing banner, shared with sports car experts Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, and they're expected to be in contention for the overall win. The squad finished first in a four-hour warmup race in March, before being disqualified after the event for using more than the allowed sets of tyres.

Otherwise, it's a mixture of big names in sports car racing and lesser-known drivers whose entire lives revolve around this circuit, but there are a few other names that might be familiar. For those of us chronically online, sim racing YouTube legends Jamble Wanglebork... *checks notes* sorry, Jimmy Broadbent and Steve Brown (SuperGT) are returning for the third year in a row alongside Misha Charoudin, best known for his videos at the ‘Ring, and Manuel Metzger. After two years in a GT4-spec BMW M4, they're moving up into a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Oh, and if you happen to spot a Toyota GR Yaris being piloted by a mysterious driver known only as Morizo, that's actually Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda. What an effortlessly cool man.

Will there be chaos?

Yes. Next question.

Oh, sorry, you wanted more? Well, aside from 161 cars taking on a track as difficult as the Green Hell for 24 hours, 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. 

The 2024 race actually only lasted around seven and a half hours before dense, persistent fog caused it to be red flagged, while last year, different weather conditions led to a lengthy red flag: the searing heat overloaded an air-conditioner, which led to a power outage in the paddock.

Although the forecast is for mostly cloudy and mild temperatures, it can turn on its head quickly at the ‘Ring.

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.

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.