In a further uncharacteristic turn of events at the 35th Nürburgring 24hr endurance race, the race has been red-flagged at 04:00 EST owing to thick fog. Fortunately for the Phoenix Racing/Aston Martin Austria DBRS9 team, they were able to return directly to the pits where they took the opportunity to run checks on the car. The DBRS9 had run strongly through the night and was holding 5th place overall when the red flags were waved.
Meanwhile both factory Vantage N24s were directed to a Parc Ferme on the pit straight, where they proceeded to wait for further instructions. At 04:40 Race Control announced that all cars could return to the garages and that vehicles could be worked on. All teams are currently awaiting the re-start.
This unexpected race delay has prompted yet another race strategy modification with Meaden taking the wheel slightly earlier than planned from Mathai in the number 9 Vantage N24.
David King, Head of Product Communications & Motorsport commented: “The Eifel region is famed for its micro climates, and the weather can change rapidly without warning. On one side of the track the conditions can be perfect while on the other, thick fog can completely halt a race.
“It is so frustrating, as number 9 was really flying again after its long stop to replace the engine mount. Oliver Mathai was driving really well in the foggy conditions. This red flag is very untimely but we are using the time well to appraise each car and consider our plans for the second half of the race.”
Race control is yet to confirm when the race will re-start, or whether the time will be added to the end of the race.
The number 8 N24 Vantage is running 6th in class, and its sister car number 9 is 10th. Aston Martin’s first customer Vantage N24 team, Team Herreman is positioned 7th in class.
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A live GPS tracker system is also available for both Aston Martin Vantage N24s, available via the following links: