Sunday June 2, 2024 by Philippe Brasseur
The climate within the Eifel massif, the German Ardennes, as soon as once more reveals all its aspects this weekend throughout the 52nd version of the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring.
After the solar on Friday for the final {qualifications}, it was beneath gentle rain that the beginning was given this Saturday at 4 p.m. native time. However as evening started to fall, temperatures rose barely. A cocktail which inevitably triggered the formation of more and more dense clouds of fog.
The race administration subsequently determined to carry out the crimson flag round 11:15 p.m., following 7 hours and quarter-hour of racing. The No.16 Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II from the Scherer Sport PHX crew was main on the time, with 46 laps coated. As occasion laws dictate that no parc ferme guidelines apply throughout such a pressured break, this enables groups to vary tires, refuel and restore any broken automobiles till the race can be restarted this Sunday morning. At present, as daylight has simply dawned on the Nürburgring and fog persists on sure sections of the circuit, the beginning may happen round 8 a.m., at finest.
The stopping of the race, which already occurred in 2021 for a similar causes, was inevitable given the circumstances, resulting in the gradual deterioration of visibility situations across the well-known and harmful Nordschleife. “For security causes, we should cease the race if visibility is simply too restricted. The marshals across the Nordschleife and the Grand Prix circuit should above all be capable of see their colleagues on the opposite aspect of the observe, in addition to the flags and light-weight indicators, and be capable of give their very own indicators accordingly,” explains the director of Walter Hornung race. “Over the previous few hours, we’ve mentioned the state of affairs with a number of meteorologists, who’ve come to the identical conclusion: visibility won’t enhance earlier than this Sunday morning,” he added, to elucidate the choice to such a protracted break.
The race path will then usually examine the visibility situations this morning, by way of inspection laps, and can announce the restart with an acceptable delay. There may be little hope that the revival can be given within the subsequent half hour. Greater than 250,000 spectators attend the occasion.
Behind the main Audi led by Christopher Mies, on the finish of the race we discovered the BMW of Daniel Harper, who began in pole place, and the Porsche of Kévin Estre. The primary Mercedes, that of Luca Stolz’s crew, is 4th. Mikaël Grenier and his teammates occupy twenty seventh place, sadly with no actual hope of victory. Within the TCR class, Bryan Herta Autosport’s Hyundai Elantra N leads its class. Ontarian Mark Wilkins, who’s making his debut on the occasion, is a part of the quartet of drivers of this automobile, ranked forty first general.
126 crews took the beginning however quite a few accidents have already occurred throughout the first 7 hours of racing, all on the outdated a part of the circuit, the Nordschleife.