GirlsOnly take double class victories in Nürburgring 24H qualifiers
- MIKA BÖCKER
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Preparation for the 24-hour of the Nürburgring was off to a very successful start for the female drivers, as the qualifying races featured two class victories for all-female team GirlsOnly, who swept the weekend in the AT3 class with Fabienne Wohlwend, Patricija Stalidzane, Janina Schall and Beitske Visser.
Preparation for the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring got off to a strong start for the female drivers, as the qualifying races saw two class victories for the all-female GirlsOnly team, who swept the weekend in the AT3 class with Fabienne Wohlwend, Patricija Stalidzane, Janina Schall, and Beitske Visser. In extreme weather conditions in both races, the women claimed class wins and podium finishes at the Nürburgring, gaining valuable experience ahead of the 24-hour race in June.
On Saturday morning, the weather remained dry, and the track was correspondingly fast and unlike previous NLS races, no major issues occurred. Since the 24-hour event uses a longer track layout, lap times were slightly slower than those in the regular championship.
The fastest female-driven car in qualifying was Miki Koyama's #160 Toyota, which posted a time of 8:51.826, finishing 32nd overall and 4th in the SP8T class. The well-known GirlsOnly team—now competing exclusively with e-fuels—raced in the AT3 class, a category for alternative fuels. They qualified 45th overall and 2nd in class with a time of 9:05.580. The #484 Toyota Supra qualified 106th and 9th in the VT2-R class. Desiree Müller’s #100 BMW finished 102nd with a 10:39.057 lap, placing fifth in the BMW 325i class. Sarah Ganser’s team qualified 75th overall and 1st in class with her Porsche Cayman.
However, the favorable weather didn’t last long. A heavy downpour set in for the first race that evening, and the start took place in persistent rain, which continued throughout. Despite the conditions, all starting groups made it through the Grand Prix circuit without incident.
Minor off-track excursions were inevitable, though things remained under control until the Nordschleife. It was there that the first issue occurred, as Flavia Pellegrino Fernandes’ Toyota Supra spun at the Sabine Schmitz corner and required a long recovery, ending their race on the first lap.
Other female-led teams handled the conditions with varying success. Nakayama dropped to 36th in the #160 car and 5th in class.
Meanwhile, Fabienne Wohlwend moved the GirlsOnly BMW up to 44th overall and into the class lead. Ganser’s Cayman advanced to 72nd overall and held onto the class lead.
As rain intensified, the track became more treacherous, and an increasing number of accidents slowed the race. The #160 struggled in these conditions, falling behind the GirlsOnly car within the first 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the Cayman gained another six positions. After one hour, the overall outlook for the women was positive: the GirlsOnly team climbed to 42nd overall, while Koyama’s team slipped to 45th but held 6th in class. Ganser’s team led its class in 66th place, and Müller’s crew broke into the top 100.
With slower lap times and reduced fuel consumption due to the wet conditions, GT4-based cars were able to extend their stints. This helped the GirlsOnly car climb to 33rd overall before heading to the special refueling-only pit lane for alternative fuels after about 100 minutes. For safety reasons, this alternative fuel pit lane is in fact separate from the main one, and only refueling is permitted, which required a second stop in the regular pit lane for tyres and driver changes—dropping the GirlsOnly BMW to 62nd overall.
Koyama’s team, also driving a GT4-based Toyota Supra, stayed out longer and only fell to 50th after a driver change to Giuliano Alesi. Ganser’s Cayman completed its stint and returned in 71st place.
Müller’s BMW maintained its position around 100th overall.
After Janina Schall took over driving duties for GirlsOnly, Fabienne Wohlwend commented on the extreme conditions:“We’re used to the Eifel weather, but this was next level. The conditions were so difficult, and it was really hard to get the tyres up to temperature. I had so much wheelspin, so much aquaplaning—there were some really dangerous moments.”
“I was really happy to get the car back to the pits safely. After two hours in the car, I’m almost ready for bed tonight. The team definitely pushed me. I asked, ‘Hey, how many laps left?’ and they said, ‘We still have fuel—keep going, you’re doing well.’ They really motivated me today, and I needed that. It was extremely difficult.”
She also expressed confidence in Schall, who took over the car:“She’s gathered experience here now. She’s done the first three races and made confident progress. These were definitely new conditions for her, but I think she’s doing really well.”
After 2.5 hours, all pit stops were completed, and many teams had already entered their second stint. Koyama was back in the #160 car, now 32nd overall and 5th in class. Schall had brought the GirlsOnly BMW back up to 58th overall, still leading the AT3 class. Ganser’s Cayman remained in 70th, gaining more experience in tricky Eifel conditions. Müller’s team, now with Welker at the wheel, had made good progress—rising from 100th to 87th.
With 50 minutes remaining, Miki Koyama returned to the Toyota GT4 in 30th overall. After earning her Nordschleife permit in the previous NLS race, her goal was to gain more experience in wet conditions. Patricija Stalidzane took over in the GirlsOnly BMW, while the #455 and #100 cars were handed to Hoenjet and Pendegrans, respectively.
Koyama finished 44th overall and 5th in the SP8T class, just 39 seconds ahead of the GirlsOnly BMW, which secured a class victory in its AT3 debut with 45th overall. Ganser’s Cayman finished 71st and 2nd in class, while Müller’s BMW 325i crossed the line in 83rd, placing fifth in its category.
For the second race, the weather conditions during qualifying and the race were reversed compared to the previous day. Koyama's Toyota qualified in 32nd place and fifth in class, with Nakayama set to start the race. Patricija Stalidzane would take the start in the GirlsOnly BMW, which would lead the AT3 class from 37th place overall. After the accident in Race 1, the Teichmann entry would start the second race from sixth in the VT2-R class and 82nd overall. The women's teams were rounded out by Müller's BMW in Stadtplatz, starting third in class with Schäfer behind the wheel.
The start was a tyre gamble for many teams, as the track was still drying from morning rain and most teams did not begin the race on slicks. Both GT4 cars with female drivers came in for a tyre change after just one lap, dropping them down the order. It took some time for the entire field to transition to the correct tyre strategy, and about 60 minutes passed before everyone was on the same compound.
Among the women’s teams, GirlsOnly again achieved the best overall position, grabbing 31st overall and maintaining the lead in the AT3 class. The #160 Toyota, now with Alesi at the wheel, had fallen to 91st and sixth in class. Flavia Pellegrino Fernandes had taken over the #484 Toyota, moving up to 87th overall and seventh in class. Müller was just behind, running 88th overall.
By that point, the track had dried completely, but that didn’t mean the race was accident-free. Multiple slip-ups and collisions caused extended Code 60 slow zones. While the women’s teams remained unaffected, they were able to benefit in their respective classes. GirlsOnly’s main rival, the Lynk & Co. #827, for example, managed only six accident-free laps before suffering a major crash in the Adenauer Forst.
At the halfway mark, Beitske Visser was still leading the AT3 class in the GirlsOnly BMW, now running 38th overall. Kotaka had taken over the #160 Toyota, climbing to 75th and fifth in class. Schmitz took over the #484 car from 87th and tried to make up more ground in class. Further back, the #100 entry with Pendergrass continued to gain valuable experience for the 24-hour race.
After her stint, Flavia Pellegrino Fernandes reported: "It was great. It was the first time I've driven this car; we're actually doing a rollout. So I did a bit of testing, and it's driving really well. The team has prepared it well. Unfortunately, we had a small accident yesterday, but they managed to repair it quickly, and today the car is back in working order."
Schall in the GirlsOnly car started the final stint from 51st place, Koyama from 59th in the Toyota GT4, Müller took over the BMW 325i, and Mönch from 87th in the second Toyota. Notably, the GT4 cars’ positions at this point didn’t reflect their true standing, as both had already completed their final pit stops, unlike many others.
Even after 2.5 hours of dry conditions, the crashes didn’t stop. Trouble was particularly frequent in the Hattenbach, Fuchsröhre, and Hohe Acht sections. The reason was quickly evident: while the asphalt dried, the grass and kerbs along the track remained very damp and, with many drivers pushing their limits and hit those wet patches, they lost control and suffered heavy crashes. Fortunately, none of the women’s teams were involved.
The race took another turn in the final minutes. Just ten minutes from the finish, rain returned between the Falken-Kurve and Adenauer Forst. Hattenbach was hit by a monsoon-like downpour. However, with so little time left, the race wasn’t red-flagged, and most drivers took no additional risks in the wet areas. There were a few skids, but no further major incidents.
The GirlsOnly team crossed the finish line as the best women’s team once again: in 44th place overall, Wohlwend, Visser, Schall and Stalidzane completed a perfect weekend with a second consecutive class victory. After early difficulties, Miki Koyama’s #160 Toyota finished fifth in class and 57th overall. The relatively young team showed in both races that they’re capable of strong results even in tough weather conditions.
Desiree Müller also impressed, finishing 76th overall and fifth in class. After the setback in Race 1, Pellegrino Fernandes' team delivered a solid performance in Race 2, finishing 79th and also fifth in class.
In four weeks, things will get serious when the now-experienced women return to tackle the 24 Hours through the Green Hell—on the world’s most challenging racetrack. Thanks to their strong preparation, exciting racing and strong results can be expected.
