Inside Nurburgring turf war: The conflict from different perspectives
Following our initial two parts, the obvious question remains: Who is in the right, and who is in the wrong? Who is good, and who is bad? As is so often the case, there is no black-and-white answer, as the situation looks entirely different depending on the perspective you take. Read Also: EnduranceInside the Nurburgring turf war: Introducing the players and what's at ... Keep reading
Perspective A: The fear of ADAC Nordrhein
The 24-Hour race, held annually at the Nurburgring, is considered the crown jewel of all Nurburgring events by ADAC Nordrhein. With Max Verstappen's participation in 2026 sparking enthusiasm, the organization worries that it may no longer be guaranteed the 24-Hour race date. Instead, it could be forced to compete against rival bidders in a public tender, potentially leading to the date being distributed on a rotational basis.
This scenario could result in the 24-Hour race only occurring at the Nurburgring every two or three years. Although SRO and Creventic have no plans to host a race on the Nordschleife, the ADAC Nordrhein remains concerned about its future. Founding its own series is seen as a way to safeguard the 24-Hour race and prevent other potential interested parties from taking it.
While securing a four-year TV deal with RTL is a small victory, ADAC Nordrhein believes a 10-year agreement with the circuit would be more ideal. The organization feels that the VLN's administrative structure is outdated and resistant to reform, given the high budgets of top-class teams. ADAC Nordrhein also took offense at the VLN reportedly supplying grid entries into the 24h Qualifiers for an underperforming event, as they enabled an eight-race NLS calendar in 2024.
ADAC Nordrhein made one final offer to VLN, which included an NLS race slot between the 24h Qualifiers and the 24-Hour race, but no agreement was reached.
Perspective B: VLN/NLS’s point of view
The VLN and NLS maintain that their approach to motorsport at the Nurburgring is to promote grassroots activities with a professional pinnacle. Their goal is to generate modest returns to keep club activities like karting running. Despite economic difficulties in Germany, NLS has managed to stabilize entry numbers, with 2026 shaping up to be the strongest season since the pandemic.
The VLN feels justified in its approach, as NLS managed to stop the decline in entries last year, and the 2026 season is expected to be the most successful in terms of entries since the pandemic. The VLN has taken steps to eliminate operational bottlenecks, centralizing core administrative tasks into a permanent head office operating standard business hours.
They claim that ADAC Nordrhein's inconsistency in race control is an issue, but they would not criticize them during their broadcast of the six-hour race. Instead, they are open to a fair settlement. However, NLS is ready to fight and plans an eight-race calendar for 2027, as they have previously ended the Nurburgring Endurance Series using soft power, removing marshals and competitors from events.
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