Akshay Gupta secures victory at Nurburgring Langstrecken Series Round 2; Verstappen disqualified after overall race victory
Nurburg, March 23
Indian racing driver Akshay Gupta wins in the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken Series, securing 1st place in the AM sub-class of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring and finishing 43rd overall out of 132 starters in one of the most competitive endurance grids in the world.
Competing in the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Cup3) under car #949, Gupta shared driving duties with 19-year-old German driver Darian Donkel and 24-year-old German driver Aaron Wenisch in his debut race in Porsche GT4 category.
Qualifying in 12th position in Cup3 class (17 entries) for the 4-hour race, the team climbed up to 8th by the end of the opening stint driven by Donkel. In the following stint, Wenisch took over and climbed one more position to 7th where Gupta brought it home with a comfortable 1 min 53 second lead over the second-place car in AM category.
This result marks a significant bounce-back after a disrupted start to the season, where NLS1 was cancelled due to heavy snowfall, denying teams valuable track time and race rhythm.
The race also saw a dramatic twist at the front of the field. Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen, who had crossed the line in 1st overall, was subsequently disqualified, reshuffling the final classification.
Fellow Indian driver Arjun Maini, competing in the highly competitive SP9-PRO (GT3) class, qualified 12th in class and finished 11th, continuing his strong presence in top-tier endurance racing.
Akshay Gupta said, "This is my first race in a Porsche GT4. The car is completely different in terms of driving dynamics to what I am used to for the past two years. This is a mid-engined RWD car vs a front-engined FWD that I drove earlier. It also has an additional 145hp and weighs lesser. So, it is a lot to get used to in a short span but I am loving every minute of it."
"We are happy with the first place in AM category and ideally want to win the AM or the ProAM championship this year! That's the goal for 2026 and this win reassures us that that is well in sight. Not to get carried away here because we still have a lot of work to do to improve our lap times. We have 3 weeks until the next race to get better."
With this result, Gupta continues to build momentum in his transition into Porsche GT4 machinery, following multiple podiums and race wins in previous NLS seasons across production-based classes.
The Cup3 category, part of the Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring, remains one of the most competitive grids in the championship, making this victory a strong statement early in the season.
— IANS
Reader Comments
So happy to see this news! We need more coverage of our Indian drivers excelling abroad. The detail about him adapting from a front-wheel drive to a much more powerful rear-wheel drive Porsche in such a short time is seriously impressive. His humble attitude about still having work to do is commendable. All the best for the championship goal!
Great drive! But can we also talk about Max Verstappen getting disqualified? That's huge drama at the top. Puts Gupta's steady, winning performance in the AM class into even sharper focus. While the F1 star faltered, our guy kept it clean and brought it home. Consistency wins championships.
As a new follower of endurance racing, this is fascinating. Finishing 43rd overall in that massive, competitive field is a solid result. The teamwork aspect with his German co-drivers is key in these long races. Hope Indian sponsors and brands take note and support these athletes more. They are world-class ambassadors.
Brilliant! But a respectful criticism for our media: can we get more detailed technical analysis? I want to understand the car setup, the strategy during those 4 hours, and how they managed the traffic with 132 cars. The win is fantastic, but the journey is what racing fans truly love to dissect.
This is the kind of sports news that energizes me more than cricket sometimes. The mental and physical stamina required for endurance racing is next level. Bouncing back after a cancelled first round makes this win even sweeter. Jai Ho, Akshay! Bring that championship home in 2026
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