BMW celebrates 21st victory at the Nürburgring, despite power failure and scandal!

BMW celebrates 21st victory at the Nürburgring, despite power failure and scandal!

The 24-hour race at the Nürburgring once again exceeded all expectations this year. On June 22, 2025 at 5:30 p.m., the Rowe-BMW team with drivers Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, Raffaele Marciello and Kelvin van der Linde achieved victory after 141 laps. The team thus secured BMW's 21st overall victory, which occupies a special place in the long history of the race.

The Manthey Porsche with the driver quartet Kevin Estre, Ayhancan Güven, Thomas Preining and Patrick Pilet landed in second place. They initially dominated the race, but had to admit defeat due to a 100-second penalty that was subsequently imposed. This penalty resulted from a collision while lapping a GT4 car, while protests against this decision were rejected, as Motorsport reports.

Power failure causes disruption

The race was also interrupted by an unexpected power outage on Saturday evening that lasted more than two hours. A defective refrigeration system was responsible, which disrupted the entire race. Meanwhile, several teams had to contend with complications, such as Manthey-Porsche, whose fuel pumps were affected by the breakdown. The attendance of 280,000 across the four days of racing was a new record, while a total of 134 teams took part in the race. Unfortunately, there was also negative news: four drivers had to be taken to hospital, two of whom were seriously injured and had to be transported by helicopter, as [Tagesschau.de/inland/regional/rheinlandpfalz/swr-stromsperre-und-bmw-sieg-beim-24-hren-laufen-auf-dem-nuerburgring-102.html reports].

It was a dramatic event that left the audience in suspense. After the break, Rowe-BMW, ​​which had temporarily dropped to ninth place, was able to get back into the game with a strong performance during the night.

Race history and penalties

The first half of the race was a real roller coaster ride for the spectators. Rowe-BMW was over two minutes behind the leading Porsche, but the turning point came on Sunday morning. Estre, who was in control of the Manthey Porsche, made a crucial mistake that gave the BMW team the opportunity to make a mess. It was an exciting race to catch up, which ultimately resulted in the BMW delegation winning.

An interesting twist also arose when a 32-second penalty that was originally threatened for Rowe-BMW was withdrawn after new film footage. The team was finally able to finish the race as winners and celebrate their triumph - a second victory for Rowe-BMW in the prestigious event, while Marciello and Krohn were able to record their first victories in this racing series, as also described by Motorsport Magazin.

Success in racing is determined by a variety of factors, and the Nürburgring has proven once again this year that it is one of the most difficult and challenging race tracks in the world. From the numerous impressive statistics, such as the most wins for the manufacturer BMW or the large number of starters in the past, one thing remains clear: the fascination for the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring is unbroken.