Winners' Press Conference Quotes

Maro Engel #80 - Winner

“Absolutely incredible… this weekend, the Nürburgring was at the center of the motorsport world. Thank you to all the fans for the party and their tireless energy. Thanks also to my team, who repaired the car after my accident in qualifying.”

Maxime Martin #80 – Winner

“It was a hard but fair battle with our sister car from the moment the rain came. Our team did a great job choosing the right tyres for us. It’s a shame and I’m truly very sorry for the other car; I know all too well what it feels like to be set back by a technical issue. But this time luck was on our side, and once we were in the lead, we simply brought it home safely. I’m super happy with the result.”

Fabian Schiller #80 - Winner

“This victory is very special. Ever since I entered GT racing ten years ago, I’ve repeatedly come close to a comparable success, but it never quite happened. To now have the 24h Nürburgring as the first major endurance triumph on my record is very special. Since I joined this project six years ago, we’ve worked hard for it. Mercedes gave us a fantastic car and my teammates were outstanding as well.”

Luca Stolz #80 – Winner

“In the end, tyre strategy is always a path you take together with the drivers, the engineers and the team, and for us the tyre choice was definitely the right decision. It was a question of wet tyres or intermediates - and we made the right call. It was really tough to bring this race home, but Maro and the team delivered and we made it.”

Mirko Bortolotti #84 – 2nd place

“My feelings in the opening phase are really hard to describe, and to be honest, I don’t even want to think about it. At the start, almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Because of the jump start by our sister car, I had poor track position in turns one and two, which then led to the contact and the tyre damage. Considering how the race started for us yesterday, I’m super proud of our podium finish. Especially because this is one of the most important races of the year. What I’m most proud of is that we never gave up. We kept pushing the whole time as if we were fighting for the win, made no mistakes and kept our car intact. This is now the second time I’ve finished second here – now it’s time to go and get the win.”

Luca Engstler #84 – 2nd place

“After taking pole, we dropped back to 49th place on the opening lap. But after that, nobody needed motivation; we were all optimistic, did everything possible, gave it everything we had and took the maximum risk. I had great support from my teammates and the team, and Mirko had a phenomenal final stint. That showed that we all have a fantastic team spirit and that in the end it was even enough for this podium. I’m very happy!”

Patric Niederhauser #84 – 2nd place

“This second place is one of my greatest achievements in motorsport; it’s fantastic to finish second in the biggest motor race in the world - even if, after finishing second twice at Spa-Francorchamps and now taking second here, I’d quite like to win for once. But today I’m happy and proud of second place after we had already dropped far back in the early phase of the 24h and had to fight our way back. I’m also happy to be part of this special race with these fantastic fans and on this crazy track.”

Christian Krognes #34 – 3rd place

“Yesterday evening I started to believe in a podium. We weren’t as fast as the two teams ahead of us, but we kept the car on track, kept pushing, got through it well and as a team earned this success. That makes me proud and happy.”

Mattia Drudi #34 – 3rd place

“The final stint was really very tough. It was a brave call by the team to go onto intermediates. On the first lap we actually lost a bit of time. Then it became wet enough, the tyres worked really well, and we were able to make up a huge amount of time on the Lamborghini. Unfortunately, I was a bit unlucky with traffic, and then there was the final Code 60 phase, which ultimately held us back. We started this race as underdogs, and the fact that we are now standing on the podium is sensational. Aston Martin Racing did a super job. I’m proud of the team, and I’m simply happy with the result.”

Nicki Thiim #34 – 3rd place

“The first podium for Aston Martin at the 24h Nürburgring. Absolutely unexpected and a big surprise. We actually came to the start just to be part of it, so the fact that we’re standing here now is very surprising. But of course it is a great joy after many difficult months. It means a lot to me and to the team. We had a phenomenal weekend and we’re positively shocked.”

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