The first race weekend of the season was eagerly anticipated. Excitement within the team was huge — but in the Eifel, one thing is always reliable: typical Nürburgring weather.
Friday initially went according to plan: W&S Motorsport completed the scheduled practice session as intended. A brief incident involving the Häberle car showed just how tricky the conditions could be — but the team quickly got everything back under control. After that, it was clear: we were ready for Saturday.
For NLS 1, W&S Motorsport had five cars on the entry list: the Porsche #164, #961, #962 and #982, plus the BMW M2 #899.
Saturday brought the next twist. The timetable was first pushed back by two hours, and the start was only possible with a significant delay. Although track conditions improved slightly, temperatures remained too low.
In the end, safety came first: due to safety concerns caused by low temperatures and snowfall, the tyre manufacturers involved advised the series not to run NLS 1. Race Control followed that recommendation — and the race was ultimately cancelled.
“I would have liked to race, but safety comes first. Of course it’s bitter when you work towards it all weekend — but under these conditions, the decision is understandable. We did a clean job on Friday, the team was ready — now we look ahead,” said Finn Zulauf.
Lion Düker summed it up as well: “The season opener was cancelled for safety reasons. Low temperatures and snowfall initially delayed the schedule. Even though conditions improved a bit, in the end it was simply too cold for a safe race.”
And because motorsport is also about team spirit, W&S Motorsport allowed themselves a small bit of fun in the end: if it’s winter at the Ring, then the skis came out for a moment of good cheer.
Outlook:
After the cancelled opener, the focus now shifts fully to NLS 2. W&S Motorsport is ready — and wants to get the season’s first racing kilometres on track as soon as possible.
