05.06.2026Schnabl Engineering: Double bad luck at the 24 hours Nürburgring

For years, Schnabl Engineering has started with two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars on the Nürburgring Nordschleife – until 2025, both sported a uniform Falken livery and served as a development project for the Japanese tire manufacturer. Following the merger of Falken and Dunlop, Sven Schnabl's team split its cars and has been competing with one Dunlop Porsche and one Falken Porsche since the 2026 season.

After numerous victories and podium finishes in recent years, the team from Butzbach (Hesse) also began the 2026 season with a podium result for the Falken Porsche. In preparation for the season highlight, both cars completed numerous test sessions as part of the Nürburgring Endurance Series and the 24-hour qualifiers. Despite some setbacks, the team traveled to the Eifel region with optimism for the 24-hour race.

Qualifying proved anything but easy for the two Porsche 911 GT3 R cars. With a 17th-place finish, the Falken car, which had a better starting position, missed out on the final Top Qualifying session, but was the second-best Porsche behind the famous "Grello." The yellow Dunlop car only managed 27th on the starting grid.

The race went much better for the team. Both the Falken Porsche #44, driven by Tim Heinemann, Sven Müller, Morris Schuring, and Klaus Bachler, and the Dunlop Porsche #17, driven by Dorian Boccolacci, Alessio Picariello, Julien Andlauer, and Nico Menzel, defied the adverse conditions, with cold track temperatures and brief rain showers at the start of the race, and steadily worked their way forward.

On his way to the top five, Dorian Boccolacci, driving the Falken Porsche, fell victim to lapped traffic during the night. After the first third of the race, he collided with a slower car. The Frenchman managed to limp back to the pits but had to retire the car due to the damage.

Less than ten laps later, the sister car suffered a similar fate. While overtaking, Alessio Picariello ran wide onto the grass, which, due to the adverse weather conditions, led to a spin and impact. He had to abandon the car on the track and was also out of the race.

Despite these setbacks, Schnabl Engineering achieved some success at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, as both the Falken and Dunlop tires held their own against strong competition from manufacturers such as Michelin, Goodyear, and Yokohama in the challenging conditions.

The two 2026 Porsche models are already available from the manufacturer Ixo. Produced to Ixo's usual high standards, the models are faithful replicas of the originals. At a scale of 1:64, they are perfect for home decor or even the office.

Porsche 911 (992) GT3 R #44 24h Nürburgring 2026 Falken Motorsports 1:64 Ixo, RRP €29.95, item-no.: LEGT64-44NUR26

Porsche 911 (992) GT3 R #17 24h Nürburgring 2026 Dunlop Motorsport 1:64 Ixo, RRP €29.95, item-no.: LEGT64-17NUR26

produits

	Porsche 911 (992) GT3 R #44 24h Nürburgring 2026 Falken Motorsports 1:64 Ixo	29,95 €
	Porsche 911 (992) GT3 R #17 24h Nürburgring 2026 Dunlop Motorsport 1:64 Ixo	29,95 €