The 2025 season will always remain a memorable year for REALIZE KONDO RACING with Rinaldi. In close collaboration with our Japanese partner Kondo Racing, we built an entirely new team that competed with the Ferrari 296 GT3 in the ADAC Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) as well as in the Qualifier and the 24H Nürburgring. This year was all about establishing and developing a strong international partnership – both on the sporting and technical side – supported by Yokohama as our tyre partner.
Development and First Experiences in NLS 2025
Our entry into the 2025 NLS season marked the beginning of an exciting learning process. Together with Kondo Racing and our international drivers – including Axcil Jefferies, David Perel, Felipe Fernandez Laser, and Thomas Neubauer– we assembled a completely new team. The Nürburgring Endurance Series, as our first competitive platform, quickly showed us where our priorities lay: reliability, speed, and a shared understanding of car setup and tyre management.
The first NLS race was characterised by team spirit and the important realisation of getting “into the rhythm of the Nordschleife.” In the second race, we achieved a strong top position in the highly competitive SP9 class, demonstrating how quickly the team was progressing. In every event, we gained experience, fine-tuned our car, and strengthened our teamwork.
ADAC 24H Nürburgring Qualifier
In addition to the NLS races, the two ADAC 24H Qualifiers in May were an invaluable opportunity to further test our racing concept and collect essential racing kilometres with the Ferrari 296 GT3. These races not only prepared us for the season’s highlight but also helped us refine team procedures, pit stops, and strategic decisions under competitive conditions.
ADAC RAVENOL 24H Nürburgring 2025 – A Tough Classic
The highlight of the season was, of course, the legendary ADAC RAVENOL 24H Nürburgring, held from June 19th to 22nd, 2025 – a race that captivates motorsport fans worldwide. Our Ferrari 296 GT3 had a strong start to the weekend and qualified in the upper positions of the SP9 class, demonstrating the car and team’s strong performance. In the Top Qualifying session, Thomas Neubauer secured an incredible second starting position for the 24H Nürburgring race.
During the race, we were able to keep pace with the strong GT3 field over long stretches and gained valuable experience. Around the middle of the race, the team managed to maintain a strong position within the class and even improved it until the morning. While running towards a potential top-3 finish, we unfortunately had to retire the Ferrari in Kondo Racing’s blue-and-white colours after a contact, so shortly before the race’s conclusion.
Even though we could not finish the full 24 hours, the race was an immensely important step for the entire team on the path to the world’s top endurance racing and provided invaluable insights for future challenges.
A Year of Growth, Teamwork, and Vision
The 2025 season was defined by intensive development, new partnerships, and sporting growth on one of the world’s toughest racetracks. From building a new team and competing in our first NLS race together to participating in the legendary 24H Nürburgring event, every moment contributed to our progress. The collaboration with Kondo Racingand Yokohama not only advanced us technically but also strengthened us as a team. These experiences give us great motivation to come back even stronger in the 2026 season and pursue new goals together.
