The German team’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO crossed the finish line in third place at the end of an extremely close-fought race, having led several times in the opening phase and battled for second place in the final laps. That car number 34, driven by Christian Krognes, Mattia Drudi, Nicki Thiim and Felipe Fernández Laser, could be an unexpected protagonist had already become clear on Friday, when it topped Top Qualifying 1 and took second place in Top Qualifying 2.

The 2026 result represents Aston Martin’s first overall podium in the history of the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

“Congratulations to the drivers, Walkenhorst Motorsport and Aston Martin Racing,” commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager Pirelli. “Our engineers and theirs have done an excellent job over this year of collaboration, during which we have approached a race that is still relatively new to us with commitment and innovative solutions, and in which we are continuing to grow, also thanks to Walkenhorst Motorsport’s extensive experience. After last year’s podium, we can say that the characteristics of the P Zero and Cinturato tyres have been confirmed: they are both high-performing and reliable, even on such a demanding circuit and in weather conditions that were more variable and severe than usual, completely opposite to last year’s heat, with intermittent rain and hail and decidedly wintry temperatures.”

Among the other Pirelli-equipped cars entered in the race, the eighth and 17th places achieved by Dinamic’s Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26 cars are also worth noting.

In 2025, Pirelli entered into a multi-year partnership with Walkenhorst Motorsport, making the German team one of the Company’s reference partners for development activities on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

Some of these cars will share another distinctive feature in addition to their tyres: Pirelli’s signature yellow and black colours. The two Dinamic Porsches, one Walkenhorst Aston Martin and Dörr’s number 59 will race with special liveries developed for the occasion, underlining the close relationship of technological collaboration and joint development that links them to the tyre manufacturer.

“The Nürburgring has traditionally been a benchmark for everyone and the ideal track on which to test innovative and demanding solutions, as well as an opportunity to consolidate our research work side by side with professional partners who this year have chosen to celebrate our collaboration by bringing Pirelli colours onto their liveries,” commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Racing Activity Manager. “In this edition of the 24 Hours, the level of competitiveness and the record number of cars entered will make the weekend particularly demanding. As always, I expect a closely fought race in every category, full of uncertainty and open to every possible outcome until the very end. We are supporting combative, high-quality teams that have everything they need to make their mark.”

AUTO BILD will be celebrating its 40th anniversary at the Nürburgring 24-hour race and will be welcoming selected guests in the Pirelli Hospitality in the paddock.

The tyres

The GT3 cars in the SP9 class will be equipped with P Zero tyres optimised for the Green Hell and for the specific demands of the race, in accordance with the regulations. In the event of rain, crews will have Pirelli Cinturato tyres available.

The numerous GT4 cars fitted with Pirelli tyres will use the standard DHG and WHB tyres, designed for all GT categories in every championship.

Marciello converted victory in Saturday’s qualification race, clinching the Pirelli Pole Position Award, to a win in Sunday’s main 16-lap race despite a safety car period.

The Formula 3 World Cup was interrupted halfway through the 15 laps by a lengthy red flag period for barrier repairs, but Hitech driver Luke Browning was the star of the weekend after winning the qualification race and dominating the action on Sunday. The Williams Driver Academy member, who finished 15^th in his rookie season of Formula 3 this year, joins an illustrious list of former Macau winners – several of whom went on to become Formula 1 champions.  

MATTEO BRAGA, CIRCUIT ACTIVITY MANAGER
“Having four different brands in the top four of the FIA GT World Cup underlines the adaptability of our Pirelli P Zero DHF tyres to different cars and circumstances. It’s been four years since we were last here in Macau, due to Covid-19 restrictions, and during that time we have cycled through two different generations of tyres – yet the teams were able to quickly understand how to extract the best performance from the DHF on this unique track. Exactly the same was true for Formula 3, where the tyre we developed for the international championship proved to be very well-suited to the specialised demands of the Macau circuit as well, thanks also to the data collected throughout the season. We received a very warm welcome from all the fans and media here in Macau, underlining the outstanding popularity of this iconic venue, and we already look forward coming back next year.”

FIA GT WORLD CUP
The 20 GT3 cars all used Pirelli’s P Zero DHF tyres, as run on a variety of GT cars in championships all over the world: providing direct technology transfer to the ultra high performance P Zero tyres seen on the road.
Marciello, the GT winner in 2019 as well, said: “We’ve used Pirelli tyres all year and they have always given us plenty of success. This weekend was no different, but the track was even quicker, right from the very first sessions. Tyre degradation wasn’t an issue; we’re obviously used to doing much longer stints on these tyres.”

FORMULA 3 WORLD CUP
The 26 Formula 3 cars used the medium-compound P Zero tyres, also seen on this year’s FIA Formula 3 Championship. These were well-suited to the rapid Macau Guia circuit, providing an ideal compromise between durability and grip throughout the 6.120-kilometre lap. “Pirelli did a really good job”, commented Browning. “It was really enjoyable to feel the grip and the medium compound was perfect for the conditions. It was a difficult race to manage with all the restarts and safety cars, but it feels truly humbling to seal this result and join the incredible list of past winners.”

NEXT RACE
The 70^th Macau Grand Prix took place during the same weekend as Formula 1 in Las Vegas (which concludes its 2023 season next weekend) as well as the final round of the World Rally Championship in Japan. As all these Pirelli-equipped series draw to a close, the GT season continues at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi on December 10: part of the 350 motorsport competitions that Pirelli contests each year.

The list of previous winners underlines the event’s reputation: since the FIA GT World Cup was inaugurated eight years ago the victors have included GT champions such as Raffaele Marciello and Augusto Farfus, while the Formula 3 race – which dates back to 1983 – has Formula 1 multiple world champions such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher as previous holders of the trophy.

THE COMPETITORS
This unique history, combined with the incredible challenge of the 6.120-kilometre circuit, makes Macau an emblematic event on the world stage. A total of five different manufacturers will contest the GT category – although a non-German manufacturer is yet to win – while the Formula 3 race uses the same specification of car as seen on the F1 support race package this year.

Pirelli has years of experience in both categories, having supplied the FIA Formula 3 Championship since 2019 (as well as the GP3 Series since 2010), and making its debut in what was then known as the FIA GT Championship in the mid-2000s.

PIRELLI ALL OVER THE WORLD
The 70^th Macau Grand Prix weekend from November 18-19 is one of the busiest that Pirelli will experience all year, with the Formula 1 team marking its return to Las Vegas for the first time since 1982, while the World Rally Championship squad is in action at the season-closer in Japan. At the same time, Pirelli showcases both GT3 and Formula 3 in Macau at one of the most demanding events of the year: part of more than 340 championships that the Italian firm is involved in worldwide, on both two and four wheels.

THE CIRCUIT
The Macau Guia street circuit is well-known as one of the most fearsome tracks in the history of motorsport, thanks to its combination of flat-out straights and twisty sections up in the hills. Being a street track, the barriers are close and the grip is variable: there are also some incredibly narrow sections such as the Melco hairpin, which is only seven metres wide. Add in the chance of changeable weather, and it’s easy to see just why Macau has written itself into the history books.

THE TYRES AND SCHEDULE
The 21 GT3 cars will use the tried and trusted Pirelli P Zero DHF tyres that have been successfully raced all around the world in America, Asia, Europe, and Australia throughout 2023, in national championships as well as the GT World Challenge and the DTM. This tyre was introduced last year to accommodate the massive technical evolutions within the GT3 category, showcasing adaptability to all the different eligible cars as well as sustainability. On top of the slick P Zero, the drivers also have the Cinturato WHA available for wet weather. The FIA GT World Cup competitors have five sets of slick tyres available to them throughout the weekend (consisting of two half-hour free practice sessions on Thursday, a half-hour qualifying session on Friday, a 12-lap qualification race on Saturday, and the 16-lap World Cup on Sunday) plus three sets of wets.

The 27 Formula 3 cars will use the medium-compound P Zero slick, as also used in the FIA Formula 3 championship. This year’s Formula 3 tyres have been designed to allow young drivers to grow their talent on the most demanding tracks, with a Cinturato wet-weather tyre available as well in case of rain. The FIA F3 World Cup competitors have four sets of tyres available to them throughout the weekend (consisting of a 40-minute free practice session on Thursday, two 40-minute qualifying sessions on Thursday and Friday, a 10-lap qualification race on Saturday, and the 15-lap World Cup on Sunday) plus three sets of wets.

MATTEO BRAGA, PIRELLI MOTORSPORT CIRCUIT ACTIVITY MANAGER:
“We are delighted to be heading back to the legend that is Macau. This is one of the most demanding tracks on the international calendar due to its supremely challenging combination of flat-out straights as well as twistier sections that are also extremely fast: all on normal street asphalt with variable grip. The cars tend to run a low downforce setup while the close walls take no prisoners; this requires an extremely precise, reliable, and driveable tyre that is capable of adapting itself to a wide variety of circumstances and potential weather conditions. Luckily, we are able to rely on the global experience gained from the numerous GT championships that we take part in, as well as our agreement to supply the FIA Formula 3 Championship for the past five years. With drivers and teams of world-class calibre, this is set to be an extremely closely fought weekend where every element of the car, including the tyres, will play a key role in the final outcome.”