Nürburgring – In motorsports, the difference between ultimate success and utter disappointment can be a matter of moments. At the Michelin 12H Nürburgring, Mühlner Motorsport started from pole position in the 992 class with car #921, led the race—and lost the car in the sixth hour of the race due to a serious accident.
After two class victories and a second-place finish at Paul Ricard, Mühlner Motorsport arrived at the Nürburgring as the leader in the 992 standings. Martin Rump, Conrad Tox Leveau, and Joshua Bednarski therefore had a clear goal: to further extend their lead in the Michelin 24H Series.
At first, the conditions seemed ideal. The #921 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup once again secured pole position in the 992 class, sending a clear message right from qualifying.
The package also performed well in the race. The #921 held its own among the front-runners and took the class lead. Drivers, engineers, and mechanics were working toward another big points haul—until the situation changed abruptly in the sixth hour of the race.
Joshua Bednarski was involved in a serious crash in Turn 1 while driving the #921, which was leading the class at the time. The incident immediately triggered a red flag. Bednarski was able to exit the car and was taken to a hospital as a precaution for further examination.
However, the damage to the Porsche was so extensive that continuing the race was not possible. This brought an end to a weekend that had begun with pole position and the lead, but failed to deliver the hoped-for championship result.
For Mühlner Motorsport, the retirement was particularly painful because it allowed their direct title rival, Red Camel-Jordans.nl, to make up significant ground. What had been a comfortable lead in the standings turned into a 24-point deficit heading into the season finale in Barcelona. With a maximum of 60 points up for grabs there, however, the title race remains wide open.
At the same time, Mühlner Motorsport fielded a second Porsche, car #904, in the race. Rolando Saca, Silvain Pastoris, and Marcus Menden completed the twelve hours and finished eighth in the 992 category—an important result for the team following the retirement of their sister car.
Thus, the weekend at the Nürburgring was one of extremes: class pole position, race lead, and proven winning potential on the one hand—a serious accident and a significant setback in the championship on the other.
Therefore, nothing has been decided yet.
At the 24-hour season finale in Barcelona, significantly more points are up for grabs than in a normal championship round. Mühlner Motorsport is therefore not traveling to Spain just to secure second place. The goal remains the same as it was before the Nürburgring: the title in the 992 class of the Michelin 24H Series Europe.
