Driving for Porsche customer team Manthey EMA in its iconic “Grello” 911 GT3 R, Estre triggered a harrowing crash in the final stanza of the race.
With five hours and 40 minutes to go in the race, Estre came upon a slower Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and tried to pass at Wehrseifen.
Estre showed his nose before the door closed on him, and the pair made contact.
The Aston Martin was sent sideways and clattered into the Armco barrier, which tipped it onto its side before landing upside down.
The trailing #98 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 took evasive action over the high kerb to avoid hitting the out-of-control car.
Three hours after the incident, Estre was given a 100-second penalty that was applied post-race. The team appealed the sanction with no luck.
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Ultimately, the #911 Porsche of Estre, Ayhancan Guven, and Thomas Preining crossed the line first but was relegated to second after the penalty was applied.
Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, Raffaele Marciello, and Kelvin van der Linde were the winners after 141 laps.
It was the second runner-up result for Estre in a week after finishing second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche in its 963 Hypercar with Australia’s Matt Campbell and Belgium’s Laurens Vanthoor.
‟100 seconds – that’s a harsh penalty,” said Estre.
“I saw the gap on the inside and went for it. The other car had already been shown three blue flags but still turned into the corner.
“I had nowhere to go, despite swerving over the kerbs and onto the grass.
“That led to the contact, which sadly had serious consequences and caused the other car to roll.
“I’m very relieved the other driver is okay.
“Unlike my penultimate stint, the final one went well – the tyres held up better, and the Porsche was performing brilliantly again.
“We raced the entire 24 hours with relentless determination and gave it everything. I think we did a fantastic job.”
The Nurburgring 24 is the second leg of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, which began earlier this year at the Bathurst 12 Hour.
It continues this weekend with the 24 Hours of Spa on June 25-29. The IGTC concludes in Japan with the return of the Suzuka 1000km.
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