24H Nürburgring
24 Hours of Nürburgring: The Grello Porsche retires after Kevin Estre's off-track excursion
The Manthey Porsche number 911, forced to retire prematurely from the 24 Hours of Nürburgring ©Marius Hecker / DPPI
Eighth on the starting grid at the wheel of the legendary Porsche “Grello” #911 of Manthey Racing, the Frenchman, had a perfect start to his race with a particularly impressive first stint. Very quickly, the Porsche driver climbed the ranks thanks to a remarkably strong pace. After just over an hour of racing, Kévin Estre handed the car over in second position to his teammate Ayhancan Güven.
A few hours later, having just taken back the wheel from his teammate, the Frenchman was getting dangerously close to the Mercedes Benz AMG GT3 #3, which is none other than the Mercedes driven by Max VerstappenJules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella and Lucas Auer in the fight for second place.
Kevin Estre trapped by an oil leak
But the Manthey team's race took a dramatic turn moments later. A significant oil leak from a Porsche Cup car caught out Kévin Estre and his Grello. The Frenchman suddenly lost traction in his Porsche before crashing violently into the safety barriers.
Heavily damaged at the rear, particularly around the diffuser, Kévin Estre initially managed to get going again. But after assessing the damage, the team ultimately asked their driver to permanently retire the car, confirming the premature retirement of the quartet composed of Kévin Estre, Ayhancan Güven, Thomas Preining, and Matt Campbell.
A huge blow for Porsche and for the many fans present at the Green Hell, as the Frenchman seemed capable of fighting for overall victory against Verstappen's Mercedes.
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Gillou
17/05/2026 at 08:23 a.m.
Far too many risks taken after just four hours of racing in this 24-hour race. This driver's ego has taken a serious hit. Oil on the track—odd, no one else has mentioned oil in that area.
gilou
17/05/2026 at 07:58 a.m.
No FIA, no Alberto Freitas announcing a virtual safety car or a penalty for going off track, no stupid neutralization, no regrouping after a safety car, real track marshals, a real race, that's what it is!! With the best at the front!!!! Hey... it's Verstappen's team