DUNLOP Motorsport finishes in the Top 10 on debut at the Nürburgring Nordschleife
Strong debut result for DUNLOP Motorsport: At the 58th ADAC Barbarossa Prize, the second round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series and also the delayed season opener following the cancellation of last week’s race, the Porsche team secured a top-10 finish right off the bat.
Nico Menzel and Dorian Boccolacci shared the black-and-yellow Porsche 911 GT3 R with start number 17 and put on a convincing comeback. After an unfortunate qualifying session, the duo fought their way up to ninth place overall, celebrating a successful debut in the “Green Hell.”
In the morning qualifying session, DUNLOP Motorsport was still missing that little bit of luck. During the 90-minute time trial, the team missed the brief window when there were no yellow flag periods on the legendary Nordschleife. One such incident ultimately slowed Menzel and Boccolacci down, leaving them with only the 24th starting position. However, the driver duo was not fazed by this. Starting driver Nico Menzel initiated the comeback immediately after the start of the four-hour race and moved up to 18th position as early as the first lap.
He handed the car over to teammate Boccolacci, who consistently exploited the potential of the new DUNLOP slicks and impressed with fast lap times. Thanks to a strong team strategy, the duo had already worked their way into the top 10 before the race was halfway through. At the same time, DUNLOP Motorsport used the race to further develop tires and technologies under extreme conditions. SENSING CORE from Sumitomo Rubber Industries uses the tire itself as a sensor and delivers real-time data on wear, pressure, wheel load, and track conditions - without additional hardware. The technology enhances safety and efficiency, detects critical conditions such as loose wheel nuts early on, and enables strategic advantages, such as optimized pit stops.
Successfully tested under extreme conditions at the Nürburgring, SENSING CORE shows great potential for motorsports and production applications. However, by the time Menzel and Boccolaci had fought their way into the top 10 halfway through the race, the leading group had already pulled so far ahead that the No. 17 DUNLOP Porsche could no longer contend for a podium finish. After four hours, closing driver Boccolacci crossed the finish line in ninth place overall, meaning DUNLOP Motorsport can celebrate a solid top-10 result on its race debut.
In three weeks, the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Endurance Series moves on to the next round: The 57th Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy on April 11 will once again be held over the usual race distance of four hours. This will provide DUNLOP Motorsport with another opportunity to prepare for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring (May 14–17).