Before the DMSB Court of Appeal: Mühlner Motorsport wins Cup2 title

The DMSB Appeals Tribunal has reached a final decision regarding the controversial championship final of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (PETN). Mühlner Motorsport has been awarded the class victory in the season finale of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), thereby also securing the title in the Cup2 classification. Nico Bastian can therefore now be celebrated as champion with hindsight.

The title win was preceded by a turbulent finale. Mühlner Motorsport and the BLACK FALCON Team ZIMMERMANN battled right up to the final stages for the class victory, which would also decide the championship. Nico Bastian initially crossed the finish line in the Mühlner Porsche with a lead of 0.284 seconds over Alexander Hardt’s Black Falcon car. However, a 30-second time penalty initially imposed on Mühlner saw him relegated to second place, meaning that BLACK FALCON was initially declared the winner and champion.

As the evening progressed, the decision was revised several times. With the help of on-board footage from the Mühlner car, the original time penalty was initially rescinded. In the official results lists subsequently published, Bastian and Scheerbarth were once again listed as class winners. Later, however, the Mühlner Porsche was handed another time penalty, which saw BLACK FALCON return to first place. Mühlner Motorsport subsequently lodged an appeal.

The DMSB Appeals Tribunal has now ruled in Mühlner’s favour. The focus was less on the actual situation on the racetrack and more on the formal correctness of the sporting procedures. The court ruled that the official final result published by the race stewards is legally binding and may not be altered retrospectively. This is based on paragraph 11.7.3.s of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, according to which the confirmation of classifications and results is the responsibility of the stewards.

This decision brings the championship drama to a definitive end: Nico Bastian of Mühlner Motorsport is the official PETN Cup 2 champion for the 2026 season. The case could also have implications for future NLS events. To avoid similar situations, official final results may in future only be published much later, once contentious decisions have first been conclusively clarified with the Stewards.