Leading GT race team Breakell Racing produced a superb performance in the 2025 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, mounting an impressive challenge for a class podium result on their way to a double race finish in the legendary endurance race.
The British team further enhanced their reputation as a competitive force on the Nürburgring Nordschleife with a brilliant showing in the endurance classic last weekend (19-22 June), scoring top six class finishes with both their Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport and BMW M240i Racing.
Whilst continuing their long-standing association with the Nordschleife that stretches back over a decade, this event marked the team’s first time competing under the ‘Breakell Racing EU’ banner out of their new base in Sinzig, Germany – based just 25km from the Nürburgring.
Entering their Cayman into the 24-hour race for the second time, an exciting driver line-up saw former IndyCar star Pippa Mann joined by experienced racers Alvaro Fontes, Guillermo Aso and Martin Rich to compete in the incredibly-competitive, Cayman exclusive ‘Cup 3’ class.
While Mann, Fontes and Aso were racing the car for the first time, Rich got to grips with it last month during the N24H qualifiers weekend. A strong performance across a pair of four-hour races served as perfect preparation for the main race and successfully earnt him a DMSB license upgrade to Permit A.
The N24H marked the team’s second outing with their new-for-2025 BMW M240i Racing meanwhile. Gino Manley and Andrea Simon returned after racing the BMW in NLS 3 last month, alongside David Drinkwater and team principal James Breakell for his fourth start in the event.
The event began with three qualifying sessions, which combined offered over six hours of track time on the 15.77-mile circuit. The team maximised their preparation time ahead of the race, with the drivers gaining lots of valuable mileage in both the daytime and into the darkness.
Strong pace throughout meant the #932 Porsche and #667 BMW crews would line up sixth and seventh on the grid in their respective classes. Both cars got off the race off to a positive start, before the red flags were flown at the 90-minute mark due to power outages in the pitlane.
After a two-hour delay, the action resumed and the Cayman started charging up the order. Brilliant drives meant that by the six-hour mark of the race, they had settled into the top three overall in ‘Cup 3’ as the leading AM entrant in the class.
Their challenge for a podium finish continued through the night, as Breakell Racing impressively went toe-to-toe with specialist Nürburgring squads running multiple cars in the class. Unfortunately come Sunday though, a couple of incidents on circuit would cruelly end their quest for silverware.
In those moments though, the team perfectly highlighted their spirit and dedication to their racing. On both occasions they worked tirelessly to get the car back to the pits, fixed and returned to action to ensure they would have the thrill of reaching the chequered flag sixth in class – second of the AM runners.
The BMW line-up meanwhile produced an incredibly consistent performance over the race, with impressive stints from all four drivers ensuring they were in the battle for a top six finish throughout in the incredibly competitive, one-make BMW M240i Racing Cup class.
Some unfortunate mechanical issues outside of the team’s control lost them some ground, but fantastic work in the pitlane ensured each problem was solved efficiently and the car was brought home in sixth place to complete a fantastic double finish for the team.
James Breakell – Team Principal: “The Nürburgring 24 Hours really is the most amazing event to be part of. So much time and effort went into getting our two-car entry together for the race and it was absolutely worth it, to see our team battling it out in the best endurance race in the world.
“The race started really well for us, both cars were running pretty strongly before and after the red flag. For my team to be running in the top three in the Cup 3 class for a number of hours, against the calibre of competition in that class, is a huge achievement for us.
“Unfortunately a couple of incidents on Sunday morning ended our podium challenge, but the second of those gave us the chance to show the phenomenal resilience and dedication of our team. The car was stranded out by the Karussell and we had to take it upon ourselves to get it recovered to the pits.
“We had to drive out to the far side of the circuit, battling through the crowds and the traffic, before trekking through the woods to find the car. We successfully negotiated with the marshals to get it recovered back to the garage, which allowed us to get it fixed and back on track to reach the finish.
“The BMW proved itself to be a brilliant little car. There were a couple of mechanical problems with it, but the team turned it around and it just kept going and going. I can’t thank everyone in the team enough for their amazing effort and perseverance to overcome all the issues and get the cars to the finish.
“Personally, it was an incredible experience driving the BMW. The two night stints were particularly memorable, lights everywhere, GT3 cars bearing down on you – it was absolutely terrifying but in the same way, utterly exhilarating. I loved being out there and doing my bit to bring home a good finish.
“Our performance in this race further proves that Breakell Racing can put together competitive cars with competitive drivers and go up against the most experienced and established teams in the Nürburgring paddock, alongside our successful one-make and GT racing programmes.
“A huge thank you to the whole team who played their part in the event – the drivers, their friends and families who supported us, our dedicated group of mechanics and engineers, our support staff including our media team, and my wife Emma for her continued support. Roll on the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours!”
Breakell Racing EU will be contesting the remaining five rounds of the 2025 ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) season, ahead of a full programme in the championship next year and another multi-car entry into the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Drivers interested in competing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, whether experienced with the circuit or newcomers looking to obtain their DMSB race permit, are invited to get in touch with Breakell Racing via email: info@breakellracing.co.uk.
