Round 5 of the 2025 RCCO World eX Championship delivered one of the most challenging events of the season as the unique sim racing community faced the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife. On one of the hottest days of the year, the combination of a demanding track and sweltering conditions made this round a true test of endurance and skill.
Qualifying was a high-pressure affair, with drivers given just one lap to set their time due to the length of the Nordschleife. Defending World Champion Devin Braune proved once again why he’s in a league of his own, securing pole position with an impressive margin of nearly five seconds. Steffen Walter followed in second, and newly engaged Nicolas Hillebrand rounded out the top three. The gaps between drivers were unusually large, as some played it safe while others struggled to complete clean laps.
The reverse-grid Sprint race saw former champion Julius Martin start from pole, with Björn Skottke and Thomas Voigt close behind and Braune starting from eighth. Early drama unfolded when Steffen Walter and Robin Hay made contact, sending Hay to the back. Voigt, after taking evasive action in the chicane, dropped behind Hillebrand and Chris Overend. Martin led the field into the Nordschleife, but Voigt’s mistake at Adenauer Forst cost him several positions.
Braune began his charge with a bold overtake on Walter at Kesselchen, then gained another spot when Skottke went off at Klostertal. After Chris Overend’s mistake at the Karussell, Braune found himself in third, just behind Martin and Hillebrand. A brief off at Pflanzgarten didn’t slow Braune’s momentum, and Hillebrand soon took the lead from Martin on the Döttinger Höhe.
Martin, opting for strategy, let Braune through to focus on securing third place. This set up a thrilling final-lap duel between Hillebrand and Braune. Under intense pressure, Hillebrand was forced to relinquish the lead on the Döttinger Höhe, narrowly missing the chance to end Braune’s winning streak.
Martin completed the podium, with T19 E-SPEED teammates Walter and Overend finishing fourth and fifth, separated by just a car length. Skottke took sixth, and Bodo Kräling managed to pass Voigt just before the finish after a fierce battle.
The Feature Race started with Steffen Walter in control. Braune wasted no time applying pressure to Walter, while both tv racing cars went off at Adenauer Forst, resulting in yellow cards for Hay and Voigt after spinning Chris Overend and Bodo Kräling upon rejoining the track unsafely.
Braune repeated his Sprint move on Walter at Kesselchen to take the lead, and from there, it was a straightforward race for the champion – though technical issues due to the gruelling heat meant his camera was not working for the entire evening.
Walter eventually lost second to Hillebrand, who completed the podium. Chris Overend finished fourth while an unforced error dropped Thomas Voigt behind Julius Martin and others at the start of Lap 2.
A last-minute attempt by Patrick Winzenick to pass teammate Björn Skottke in the final corner did not go as planned while “Skottie” was more than happy to finish both the Sprint and the Feature Race ahead of his good old slot car rival Thomas Voigt.
Devin Braune secured his tenth victory of the season with a commanding margin after four laps on the Nordschleife, strengthening his position at the top of the standings after five of nine events.
This round’s World eX Bizz Talk featured young German racing driver Theo Wieder, who shared insights into how sim racing helped launch his real-world racing career and why he has prioritized sustainability from the very beginning.
Results 2025 Nürburgring eX Prix
Qualifying
1 #42 Devin BRAUNE (Rocket Simsport) 6:32.229
2 #17 Steffen WALTER (T17 E-Speed) 6:36.923
3 #71 Nicolas HILLEBRAND (Hans-Günther Springob Rennsport) 6:38.556
4 #97 Robin HAY (tv racing) 6:40.299
5 #46 Chris OVEREND (T17 E-Speed) 6:41.172
6 #7 Thomas VOIGT (tv racing) 6:44.219
7 #4 Björn SKOTTKE (bspowersports) 6:44.861
8 #94 Julius MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) 6:47.108
9 #25 Patrick WINZENICK (bspowersports) 6:49.251
10 #106 Rui CABEDA (Wild Card) 6:56.227
11 #8 Johannes MEINCK (Martin Racing Team) 6:57.207
12 #3 Bodo KRÄLING (bspowersports) 7:02.840
13 #43 Markus MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) 0:00.000
Sprint
1 #42 Devin BRAUNE (Rocket Simsport) 2 laps in 13:21.595
2 #71 Nicolas HILLEBRAND (Hans-Günther Springob Rennsport) + 0.252
3 #94 Julius MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) + 3.458
4 #17 Steffen WALTER (T17 E-Speed) + 5.710
5 #46 Chris OVEREND (T17 E-Speed) + 5.936
6 #4 Björn SKOTTKE (bspowersports) + 13.385
7 #3 Bodo KRÄLING (bspowersports) + 15.043
8 #7 Thomas VOIGT (tv racing) + 15.284
9 #97 Robin HAY (tv racing) + 17.072
10 #25 Patrick WINZENICK (bspowersports) + 24.344
11 #8 Johannes MEINCK (Martin Racing Team) + 42.067
12 #106 Rui CABEDA (Wild Card) + 1:01.804
13 #43 Markus MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) + 1:19.525
Fastest lap: #42 Devin BRAUNE (Rocket Simsport) 6:39.494
Race
1 #42 Devin BRAUNE (Rocket Simsport) 4 laps in 26:27.788
2 #71 Nicolas HILLEBRAND (Hans-Günther Springob Rennsport) + 18.904
3 #17 Steffen WALTER (T17 E-Speed) + 24.695
4 #46 Chris OVEREND (T17 E-Speed) + 27.692
5 #94 Julius MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) + 41.826
6 #4 Björn SKOTTKE (bspowersports) + 52.088
7 #7 Thomas VOIGT (tv racing) + 58.447
8 #97 Robin HAY (tv racing) + 58.854
9 #3 Bodo KRÄLING (bspowersports) + 1:01.829
10 #25 Patrick WINZENICK (bspowersports) + 1:10.895
11 #8 Johannes MEINCK (Martin Racing Team) + 1:36.744
12 #106 Rui CABEDA (Wild Card) 2 laps, DNF
13 #43 Markus MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) 0 laps, DNF
Fastest lap: #42 Devin BRAUNE (Rocket Simsport) 6:35.746
Standings after 5 of 9 Rounds
1 #42 Devin BRAUNE (Rocket Simsport) 188
2 #71 Nicolas HILLEBRAND (Hans-Günther Springob Rennsport) 96
3 #18 Jarno WIESE (WIWI Racing Team) 86
4 #94 Julius MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) 68
5 #17 Steffen WALTER (T17 E-Speed) 63
6 #46 Chris OVEREND (T17 E-Speed) 61
7 #3 Bodo KRÄLING (bspowersports) 38
8 #90 Callum CRIPPS (Rocket Simsport) 37
9 #97 Robin HAY (tv racing) 24
10 #4 Björn SKOTTKE (bspowersports) 20
11 #7 Thomas VOIGT (tv racing) 17
12 #43 Markus MARTIN (Martin Racing Team) 9
13 #25 Patrick WINZENICK (bspowersports) 8
14 #85 Bert KNOPS (Brabham Motorsport) 6
15 #2 Rune BOBBAERS (Brabham Motorsport) 4
16 #65 Frank ENGER (bspowersports) 4
