Lukas Stiefelhagen clinches double pole at Nürburgring race weekend
Unlike the last time NXT Gen Cup visited the classic Nürburgring circuit in 2024 – when the weather served up foggy and damp conditions – today the track was bathed in sunshine, with clear skies and temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius.
Qualifying in the afternoon would decide the grid for both Race 1 on Saturday – based on each driver’s fastest lap – and Race 3 on Sunday, determined by the second-fastest lap times.
When the 20-minute qualifying session came to an end, Dutchman Lukas Stiefelhagen emerged fastest of all, narrowly beating Alex Gustafsson in P2, with Lennart Wolf taking P3. On the second-fastest lap charts, Stiefelhagen again topped the timesheets ahead of Gustafsson.
– Qualifying was quite hectic, said Lukas Stiefelhagen after securing pole position. Drivers were going slow to find a place on the track to get a slipstream. I did some laps on my own and was basically doing the same lap times as in a group. I think it worked out quite well. P1 is a great starting position, but the slipstream is quite effective here – we’ll see what we can do tomorrow.
Alex Gustafsson, however, received a penalty in Free Practice 2 that dropped him three grid positions for Race 1, meaning he will start from P5. He will still line up on the front row for Race 3.
The grid for the second race of the weekend will be based on the results of Race 1, with a reversed grid for the top eight finishers.
Qualifying was also marked by several incidents. After review by the stewards, it was decided that Linda Frey and guest driver Misha Charoudin would have their best lap times deleted. This resulted in a minor position swap for Race 1, with YouTube star Charoudin starting from P14 and Frey from P15.
Lights out for Race 1 is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 08:30. All races will be broadcast LIVE on the NXT Gen Cup’s YouTube channel.
Qualifying – fastest lap
Top 5:
1. Lukas Stiefelhagen (NED), 1:50.179
2. Alex Gustafsson (SWE), +0.059
3. Lennart Wolf (DEU), +0.088
4. Maxim Dacher (DEU), +0.204
5. Philipp Dietrich (AUT), +0.376
Qualifying – 2nd best lap
Top 5:
1. Lukas Stiefelhagen (NED), 1:50.256
2. Alex Gustafsson (SWE), +0.236
3. Maxim Dacher (DEU), +0.264
4. Philipp Dietrich (AUT), +0.372
5. Lennart Wolf (DEU), +0.445
Schedule - NXT Gen Cup, Nürburgring
Times in CEST
Saturday 9th August
08:30 – Race 1 (20 min)
10:50 – Autograph Session
15:30 – Race 2 (20 min)
16:30 – Meet the Drivers
Sunday 10th August
10:10 – Race 3 (20 min)
About NXT Gen Cup
The NXT Gen Cup is the world’s first 100% electric junior touring car cup where young female and male drivers race the LRT NXT1, a fully electric race car based on the MINI Cooper SE road car - engineered and built by Lestrup Racing Team. The series races together with DTM and is organised through an “arrive and drive” concept, enabling the junior drivers to focus on driving and creating the foundation for a professional racing career.
About DTM
DTM is Europe’s premier and best-known racing series and celebrated its 40th birthday in 2024. As one of the most competitive racing series, DTM features seven prestigious brands in its anniversary season. The DTM has a German core, but a strong international fan base. Races are broadcasted live in 150 territories. The series is also a leader in sustainable motorsport. For the second season, all cars are powered by a sustainable fuel made of 50% renewable components. Not only the cars racing in DTM are in the centre of sustainable projects. For the events itself the ADAC as promoter of the DTM offers innovations like an initiative to reduce plastic waste and a digital carpool solution, which has been recognised and awarded by the FIA.