Comtoyou Racing produced a defensive and strategic clinic at the 3 Hours of Nürburgring, converting their maiden Endurance Cup pole position into a commanding overall victory. Drivers Mattia Drudi, Marco Sørensen, and Nicki Thiim delivered three hours of flawless execution in the No. 7 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO, capturing their second win of the 2026 season following their victory at Circuit Paul Ricard.
From Pole Position to Opening Lap Control The Belgian team laid the groundwork during Sunday morning’s three-part qualifying, setting an unbeatable combined average time of 1:53.591 across all three driver sessions. Marco Sørensen launched off the line for the opening race stint, holding off sharp challenges into Turn 1 from Maxime Martin in the No. 17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO and Bastian Buus in the No. 80 Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Behind the leaders, chaos erupted at Turn 1 when Markus Winkelhock’s No. 84 Eastalent Racing Audi was tagged into a spin and collected by trailing traffic, triggering the race’s first major retirement. Sørensen maintained his composure through the disruption, building a slender lead at the head of the 55-car field.
Absorbing Pressure and Class Highlights Mattia Drudi consolidated the lead during the middle stint before handing the Vantage GT3 EVO over to Nicki Thiim for the final hour. The Danish veteran absorbed intense pressure from the chasing pack, managing tire wear and backmarker traffic across the closing laps to bring the car home for the victory.
Following post-race penalties for initial podium finishers, Kelvin van der Linde, Jordan Pepper, and Charles Weerts were elevated to second overall in the No. 32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, while Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella, and Charles Lulham claimed third for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing.