Ricciardo Praises 2016 F1 Cars as Fox Hits 890,000 Peak Viewers

Context The 54th ADAC 24h Nürburgring opened on Thursday under typical Eifel weather, with rain, spins and a late‑stage hailstorm. The event draws a mixed audience of endurance‑racing fans and Formula 1 followers, many of whom tune in for high‑profile drivers making crossover appearances.

Key Facts Ricciardo, a four‑time Grand Prix winner, singled out the 2016 Formula 1 model as his favorite. He explained that by the third year of that generation, development had refined the car’s narrow chassis and lightweight feel, allowing drivers to “move around, get clean air and launch overtakes” without braking at the apex of each corner. He described the experience as “the most comfortable racing” he had ever had.

During the Nürburgring weekend, the number 80 Mercedes‑AMG set the fastest lap at 8 minutes 14.957 seconds, establishing the benchmark for the session. The defending champion BMW Rowe followed 3.112 seconds slower, with a Verstappen‑run Mercedes‑AMG in third.

Fox’s television coverage peaked between 6:45 pm and 6:57 pm, drawing 890,000 viewers. Despite a slight dip in year‑over‑year broadcast consumption, the network maintained an average audience of 1,141,000 across the first six races of the season.

What It Means Ricciardo’s endorsement highlights a growing nostalgia for the narrower, more agile cars of the mid‑2010s, a design direction that the current generation has moved away from in favor of broader aerodynamics. The viewership spike suggests that endurance events can still capture large audiences when they feature recognizable F1 talent and compelling on‑track action. Broadcasters will likely monitor whether integrating former F1 stars into endurance line‑ups can sustain or grow viewership in future races.

*Watch for the next endurance round to see if the blend of F1 star power and classic car dynamics continues to drive audience growth.*