Falken Motorsports claims second place at ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, overcoming wet conditions and race retirements.
Tough Conditions on Saturday, Podium Finish on Sunday
Falken Motorsports achieved the desired result during the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers last week with Alessio Picariello and Julien Andlauer, who drove the teal-and-blue Porsche 911 GT3 R, claiming second place.
The ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers was a two-day event, held on May 24th and 25th. In the first race on Saturday, May 24th, Picariello and Andlauer faced a challenge due to heavy rain showers which forced the race to run until dark. Even though they managed to secure a fourth-place start, Picariello and Andlauer failed to finish the race after their car, which was driven by Andlauer, slid off the track and hit the barrier.
The team successfully repaired the #33 Falken Porsche 911 GT3 R. However, the car was then parked for safety reasons, forcing Picariello and Andlauer to retire early.
However, the #33 was not the only teal-and-blue Porsche on the track. After securing starting grid number ten, Nico Menzel and Dorian Boccolacci, who shared the #44 Falken Porsche car, finished in fifth place overall.
During the second race on Sunday, Picariello and Andlauer’s luck turned for the better. They started the race from grid number four and had a strong start with Picariello as the starting driver. After heading to the pit for a tyre change, Picariello and Andlauer continued the race flawlessly, securing a second-place finish overall.
On the other hand, Menzel, who partnered up with Dennis Marschall instead of Boccolacci, suffered a misfortune. At some point in the 4-hour race, Menzel and Marschall were head-to-head with their teammates to try and secure top results. However, a puncture, which according to Falken, was “presumably caused by a third party”, then forced them to abandon the race.
The ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers was not a perfect racing event for Falken Motorsports. However, they still managed to secure a podium finish after winning the first two races of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). More importantly, the team also gained valuable insights on a wet track and as darkness falls. These two factors could be important for the 24-hour race at the same track, from June 19th to 22nd.
