La Carrera Panamericana 2026: Team VÖLKEL reaches the finish in Zacatecas

The first stage is in the books! On Friday, Jörg Sand and Christian Huntgeburth set off from Tuxtla Gutiérrez towards Veracruz in their Mercedes-Benz 280E, carrying race number 312. After all those months of preparation, Team VÖLKEL is back in the thick of the Panamericana adventure.

The official results record a time of 40 minutes 48.6 seconds for the opening day. We don't yet have a confirmed class position for this stage, but the important thing is that the journey is under way. Time to recharge before the next stretch across Mexico.

Source: provisional overall classification after Day 3 (Day 1, car 312). View official results ↗

Rain puts the brakes on the rally. Saturday didn't go quite to plan. Heavy downpours on the road from Veracruz towards Mexico City left sections of the route dangerously slippery. With safety taking priority, almost all the day's special stages were cancelled.

According to reports from Mexico, the Teziutlán test was still able to go ahead before the remaining timed sections were called off. Instead of chasing seconds, the crews had to focus on getting to the next stop. For Jörg and Christian, it was another reminder that the Panamericana always has a few surprises in store.

There is no separate Day 2 time listed for car 312 in the provisional overall classification. That does not mean the team retired: Jörg and Christian remain in the standings.

Sources: NVI Noticias ↗ · Potosí Noticias ↗ · provisional overall classification after Day 3.

Back against the clock! After the rain-soaked interruption on Saturday, Sunday was all about racing again. Jörg Sand and Christian Huntgeburth tackled all eight recorded special stages on the way to Puebla in their number 312 Mercedes-Benz 280E.

They finished fifth in Histórica B for the day, with a special-stage time of 54 minutes 54.7 seconds, excluding penalties. And there was more encouraging news in the provisional overall standings after Day 3: fourth in their class and 24th overall, with a total time of 1 hour 37 minutes 53.3 seconds. The overall classification lists 2 minutes 25 seconds in penalties.

Another demanding day is behind the crew – but there is still plenty of road between Puebla and the finish in Zacatecas.

Sources: Day 3 classification without penalties (class HB, car 312) and provisional overall classification after Day 3. View official results ↗

Onwards and northwards! On the fourth stage from Puebla to Querétaro, Jörg Sand and Christian Huntgeburth once again brought their Mercedes-Benz 280E safely to the day's finish. After the changeable opening days, the priority is clear: keep covering the kilometres, stay focused and get the W123 reliably across Mexico.

The sporting result was shaped by a time penalty. In the daily classification across all classes, Team VÖLKEL is listed in 36th place with a time of 54 minutes 03.3 seconds, including a 6-minute penalty. Remove that penalty and the pure driving time is 48 minutes 03.3 seconds – which would place race number 312 sixth in Histórica B.

The Panamericana is once again proving exactly what it promises to be: not a sprint, but a marathon for crew and car. Four stages are complete – and the Mercedes is still going strong.

Source: official Stage 4 daily classification, race number 312. View official results ↗

Another box ticked in the roadbook! Tuesday's route took the team from Querétaro to Guanajuato – a city they already know from last year's rally. Jörg Sand and Christian Huntgeburth brought race number 312 through all five special stages, completing another important day of the Panamericana.

In the official daily classification without penalties, Team VÖLKEL finished sixth in Histórica B with a time of 51 minutes 44.7 seconds. In the classification across all classes, a 6-minute penalty is added, putting the Mercedes at 57 minutes 44.7 seconds and 36th place.

The key fact after five stages: the W123 is still in the rally. Driver, co-driver and the team behind them are working their way towards Zacatecas one day at a time – with San Luis Potosí and the grand finale still to come.

Source: official “Classification with no Penalties – Day 5”, Histórica B, and the daily classification across all classes, race number 312. View official results ↗

Just one day to Zacatecas! After five long rally days, Jörg Sand and Christian Huntgeburth continued to San Luis Potosí on Stage 6. By then, the W123 had already covered thousands of kilometres, changing altitudes and several demanding days of competition – yet race number 312 was still on course.

This is exactly the point at which the whole team behind the cockpit becomes crucial. Service, checks and repairs between stages make sure Jörg and Christian can line up again the next morning. After reaching San Luis Potosí, one thing was clear: only the final stage to Zacatecas remained.

Team VÖLKEL also completed Stage 6 and started the final stage. The publicly accessible results for this day cannot be matched to race number 312 with enough certainty, so we deliberately do not state a placing here.

Zacatecas. Finish line. Done! After seven intense rally days across Mexico, Jörg Sand and Christian Huntgeburth brought the Mercedes-Benz 280E W123 AMG, race number 312, all the way to the finish. That was the big goal before the start – and now the Mercedes is standing on the Plaza de Armas in Zacatecas.

The rally also ended with a solid sporting result on the final day: in the official daily classification, Team VÖLKEL is listed with 34 minutes 09.3 seconds in 28th place across all classes. Within Histórica B, that is 5th place on the final stage.

But this Panamericana cannot be told through times and positions alone. Behind the finish were demanding roads, mechanical wear, unexpected repairs and long nights for the service team. In Querétaro, for example, the crew worked deep into the night on the rear wheel bearing, the shock absorber mounting and the gear linkage so that the W123 could start again the following morning.

That makes the moment at the finish even more meaningful: relief, joy and a team that pulled together all the way. Driver, co-driver, mechanics, organisation and media crew mastered the Panamericana 2026 challenge together.

Result source: official classification for the final stage, race number 312. View official results ↗