100 days after the triumph: An interview with the winners of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring

Exuberant celebrations at the pit wall, tears in the eyes of those involved and deep relief written across their faces: When Maro Engel crossed the finish line at the Nürburgring in the #80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 on the afternoon of 17 May 2026 after 156 laps, there was no holding back the celebrations. The third overall victory at the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring is a fact – secured by Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL. Ten years on from the last victory for the performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach, Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller, Luca Stolz and the Winward Racing operational team have crowned their impressive comeback with a place in the history books. Today, exactly 100 days later, the four Mercedes-AMG Performance drivers look back on the emotional race weekend and reflect on the decisive moments of the 24-hour race.

100 days have passed since the victory. If you could capture just one scene from that race forever – which one would it be?

Maro Engel: “Crossing the finish line. That’s the best moment – when you know you’ve done it and see all those happy faces. Especially amongst those who’ve won the race for the first time, a few tears of joy were already rolling down their cheeks. That shows what this victory really means. For everyone. Including RAVENOL, who made this project a reality for the first time together with Winward Racing and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport.”
Maxime Martin: “It was a very special feeling when the car crossed the finish line. I can still picture the #80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 pulling up and us jumping onto the roof to celebrate. But what really sticks in my memory is the early stages of the race. When, in the first five or six hours, we were able to work our way up through the field from 25th place – that is, from right at the back of the starting grid.”
Fabian Schiller: “The moment when our two Mercedes-AMG GT3s were driving side by side around the Nordschleife on the final lap and we had a big lead over the cars behind.”
Luca Stolz: “When Maro crossed the finish line after 24 hours and 156 laps. When I close my eyes, the first thing I see is Fabi standing on the roof of the command centre in the pit lane, cheering.”

Die vier Sieger der 24h Nürburgring

Foto: Mercedes-AMG//Gruppe C Photography

When was the moment you felt: ‘Today we can win the 24-hour race’?

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Maro Engel: “When it started to rain and we made the right tyre choices. That allowed us to pull away from the field early on. That’s when I realised victory was within reach.”
Maxime Martin: “When we were battling for the lead with the strong rival car, the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, and had already built up a comfortable lead over the rest of the field by that point.”
Fabian Schiller: “Actually, quite early on in the race. For long stretches, it felt surprisingly under control – quite unlike many other 24-hour races, where you give it your all from start to finish, but the situations don’t necessarily develop in your favour.”
Luca Stolz: “To be honest, I’d already had a good feeling the week before, because we’d worked very well together as a team and prepared meticulously for the race. The team at Mercedes-AMG Motorsport started preparing for 2026 straight after the 2025 race, making key strategic decisions – for example, regarding aerodynamics, set-up and tyre strategy, as well as the lighting concept. As a driver, you could really feel the effects of that hard work in the week leading up to the race.”

In your view, who was the ‘unsung hero’ of the victory?

Maro Engel: “The first person who springs to mind is Phuc. After my crash on Friday during qualifying, he worked with absolute precision on the welding machine. Furthermore, throughout the weekend our thoughts were constantly with a team member who, sadly, was unable to be there due to a serious illness. We secured this victory for him, amongst others.”
Maxime Martin: “There wasn’t just one person. It was the whole team’s effort that made the difference – from the drivers to the mechanics and engineers, right through to the many people behind the scenes. And not just this weekend, but throughout the entire long run-up to the race.”
Fabian Schiller: “Our mechanics. After that rather heavy crash on Friday, they not only rebuilt the car but also got it back on the track in top condition for Saturday’s race. That was an outstanding team effort.”
Luca Stolz: “The whole crew! They prepared a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for us in the run-up to the race, and especially overnight from Friday to Saturday, which enabled us to win the race.”

Das siegreiche Team von WINWARD Racing

Foto: Mercedes-AMG//Gruppe C Photography

What do you take away from this success in the long term – as racing drivers and as people?

Maro Engel: “That if you constantly optimise everything you can influence yourself, success will eventually come. And that the race – and GT racing in general worldwide – has received a lot of attention. Max Verstappen played a major part in this with his participation. Even Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris congratulated me on my victory. The congratulations from my friend and role model Bernd Schneider, with whom I secured the brand’s last victory at the 24-hour race back in 2016, were particularly emotional.”
Maxime Martin: “After 15 attempts, I’ve finally managed to win this race with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. It’s shown me once again that you must never give up on your dreams.”
Fabian Schiller: “That you achieve your goals if you work hard consistently and always give your best – even if it sometimes takes longer than you’d like.”
Luca Stolz: “That you must never give up. That was already one of my core beliefs, but this victory has reaffirmed it once again. It was my tenth outing in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Nürburgring 24-hour race. After three podium finishes, we’ve finally managed to secure the overall victory. That shows it’s worth keeping at it.”

Der Jubel der vier Sieger

Foto: Mercedes-AMG//Gruppe C Photography

What might the public not have seen about the victory, but which was crucial to it?

Maro Engel: “The meticulous work of everyone involved. Initially in Affalterbach and later also in collaboration with Winward Racing, we worked on bringing the basic configuration of the car’s set-up back closer to earlier approaches. So we started with a modified set-up philosophy, placed greater emphasis on downforce and positioned the Mercedes-AMG GT3 slightly differently within the aerodynamic window. From the first test right through to crossing the finish line, we made virtually no compromises. And, of course, there was also the hard work put in by the team to get the car ready again after my crash in qualifying. The team invested many hours to even get the car to the start line and give us the chance of victory.”
Maxime Martin: “The right strategic decisions made by our team – and by that I really mean everyone involved. We simply got the most out of the situation compared to our rivals, both during the weekend itself and in the build-up, which was also more intensive than in 2025.”
Fabian Schiller: “The hard work in the run-up to the race and the foundations we’ve laid over the past few years together with the various teams and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. All of that made it possible to line up on the grid this year with such a competitive package.”
Luca Stolz: “The long and intensive preparation together with Winward Racing and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport was key to this victory. In the end, many people only see the performance on the track, but we’d already laid the foundations in the months leading up to the race.”

Further interesting statistics on Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol’s victory at the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours: