Akshay Gupta has secured a podium finish in the 10th and last round of the 2025 Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) with the Hyundai i30N in the VT2-F+4WD class. The final round of the 4-hour endurance race was held on October 11, 2025, and was Gupta’s fourth podium of the year.
- Gupta, Schneider and Donkel ended P3 after qualifying in the same spot
- This was Gupta’s fourth podium finish this year
Gupta finishes P3 in the 4-hour endurance race
Gupta, along with his teammates Alex Schneider and Darian Donkel from Germany, represented team Stenle Marketing Mertens Motorsport in the 4-hour race.
The team started strongly from the third position, witnessing tough competition from rivals amidst a drizzle. Schneider started his first stint on slicks, losing one position to a BMW M240i on the second lap. Moreover, the team lost three crucial minutes in the pit stop due to front suspension damage, putting them out of the race for the title. The challenge was amplified by a subsequent 30-second drive-through penalty for a previous collision in the race.
Donkel drove the i30N in the second stint, where he had to pit for rain tyres due to heavy showers on the track. This move helped the team undercut rivals as the weather deteriorated further, forcing other teams to pit as well. Meanwhile, Donkel helped the team regain its lost position on the grid, despite the penalty.
Gupta took over the wheel in the 12th lap of the race, where he closed the gap between the first two cars. However, the penalty and the time lost due to suspension repairs meant that he could just finish in the team’s qualifying position.
With the third spot on the podium in NLS 2025, Gupta marked his fourth appearance on the dais in 2025. “It’s been a very eventful year – honestly, not an ideal one,” said Gupta, adding, “We came into the season as front-runners to fight for the overall championship, and to end up where we are now hurts.”
Gupta’s future racing plans
Gupta has also tested the Aston Martin GT4 with ProSport Racing to secure his 2026 racing plans. “After two years, I’ve gained all I wanted from this class. It’s time to move to a faster car, and GT4 feels like the perfect next step,” he said.
Unnatee Gidithuri
Dipan Sur
