Kondo Racing Prepares for 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours with Experienced Line-Up
Realize Kondo Racing, in partnership with Rinaldi Racing, gears up for its second consecutive ADAC 24H Nürburgring appearance, fielding a Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo. The team will compete in the SP9 Pro category, with the #45 entry driven by Thomas Neubauer, Thierry Vermeulen, Dennis Marschall, and David Perel.
Neubauer and Perel return from last year’s squad, while Marschall joins from Falken Motorsports. Vermeulen, a promising 23-year-old Dutch driver, is poised to make his 24H Nürburgring debut after gaining experience in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie.
“I am extremely happy and excited to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours for the first time,” said Vermeulen. “I can’t wait to get on the track and start this new challenge with the team.”
Last year, Kondo Racing returned to the Nordschleife after a six-year hiatus, showcasing strong potential with Neubauer qualifying second overall and Perel leading early laps before retiring due to an accident.
Reflecting on last season, Neubauer stated, “We demonstrated great potential and speed, but did not achieve our desired results. However, we learned a lot and are confident we can perform at a high level this year.”
Masahiko Kondo, CEO of MK Company, expressed optimism about the upcoming challenges: “We are pleased to take on the Nürburgring 24 Hours race again. Despite a disappointing result last year, we aim to become the first Japanese team to win overall.”
Kondo Racing’s preparation will commence this weekend during the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie season opener, followed by participation in NLS2 and the ADAC Qualifiers ahead of the 24-hour race scheduled for May 14-17, 2026.
