August 31, 2026
NÜRBURGRING, GERMANY
Rafael Duran's GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup campaign hit a frustrating setback this weekend at the Nürburgring, with the Rinaldi Racing #45 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo taken out of contention by an incident beyond the crew's control after showing genuine promise in the early stages of the three-hour race.
Duran arrived in the Eifel alongside teammates David Perel and Dylan Medler in strong championship shape. The trio's Silver Cup victory at the 24 Hours of Spa had lifted them into the top six of the drivers' standings, just five points adrift of the class-leading #66 Audi, making Rinaldi Racing's home event a golden opportunity to close the gap with the title race entering its decisive phase.
The weekend, however, did not begin the way the squad had hoped. Qualifying failed to deliver the lap time the #45 crew were capable of, leaving the Ferrari well down the order for the start of the race and setting up a long afternoon of recovery work through a densely packed field.
Once the race got underway, the picture began to improve. The #45 showed encouraging pace in the opening stint, making progress through the field and demonstrating that the underlying speed was there to fight back into contention. That momentum was brought to an abrupt halt when Medler was turned around in contact with a rival, an incident that was subsequently placed under investigation by the stewards and which effectively ended the crew's afternoon before it had truly begun.
"Tough weekend at the Nürburgring," said Duran. "Qualifying didn't go our way, which put us way back on the grid. Even after showing some good pace in the first stint, we were taken out by an incident we had no control over. A hard pill to swallow, but big thanks to my teammates David and Dylan, as well as Rinaldi Racing, for all the hard work despite the circumstances. Full focus onto the next one."
The result is a bitter one for a crew that had been building serious momentum in the second half of the season, but with the underlying pace clearly still present, Duran and the Rinaldi Racing squad will regroup and turn their full attention to the next round of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
Race Results - Rinaldi Racing #45:
About Rafael Duran
Born to a Spanish mother and an American father, Rafael Duran grew up surrounded by international motorsport culture. He is part of the Ferrari Corsa Clienti and progressed through the Ferrari Driver Academy, competing in the Ferrari Challenge before stepping up to endurance racing in 2024. Rafael is currently active across multiple international GT championships, marking a decisive step toward a professional career in top-tier GT racing.
About Rinaldi Racing
Rinaldi Racing is a long-standing Ferrari customer team with a strong heritage in international endurance and sprint GT racing. The German-based outfit campaigns Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo machinery in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and other premier series, combining technical know-how, race-winning experience and meticulous preparation to deliver results at the highest level of GT competition - as underlined by their Silver Cup triumph at the 2026 24 Hours of Spa.
