Girls Only Team’s successful start into the 2025 NLS season is halted by technical issues

The Girls Only team showed strong pace and led their class in the NLS season opener, but despite a promising performance from Carrie Schreiner, Fabienne Wohlwend, and Janina Schall, a drivetrain issue forced their BMW M4 GT4 to retire, leaving them without a deserved result.

Photo credits: Jan Brucke/VLN

Starting from fourth place in class, the Girls Only team fought for victory until halfway through the NLS season opener, when mechanical issues forced the BMW M4 GT4 to retire, leaving drivers Carrie Schreiner, Fabienne Wohlwend, and Janina Schall without a deserved result despite their strong pace.

The all-female trio returned to the Nürburgring Endurance Series with a highly competitive lineup. GT3 veteran and F1 Academy race winner Schreiner was joined by former W Series and Ferrari Challenge champion Fabienne Wohlwend, along with young racer Janina Schall, who had already been part of the team’s successful final round in 2024, securing a class win in the season finale alongside Schreiner and Patricija Stalidzane.

Ahead of the 2025 curtain-raiser, expectations were high, as the team—composed entirely of female drivers, mechanics, engineers, and management—prepared to take on the new challenge in the SP8T class.

Friday’s practice session took place under bright sunshine, but Saturday’s conditions were considerably wetter. As a result, both practice and qualifying were held on a slippery track, preventing teams from reaching their usual pace. The session was interrupted early by a red flag due to track conditions, particularly in the short connection section.

Once the red flag was lifted, qualifying resumed, but without additional practice time; this compressed schedule led to heavy traffic on track and frequent congestion, which continued to impact lap times. Additionally, the track remained damp, and several Code 60 phases were triggered due to stranded and crashed cars. Only in the latter stages did lap times improve, with the Girls Only team securing fourth place in the SP8T class and 48th overall with a time of 8:44.777.

However, the team began encountering issues during qualifying. Carrie Schreiner was forced to park the BMW at the exit of the AMG Arena due to a fuel-related problem, requiring the car to be towed back to the pits.

The start of the race was slightly delayed, and further rain before the green flag left the track damp once again. With some sections drying quickly while others—particularly in the forest areas—remained wet, teams faced a difficult tyre choice. The grid saw a mix of slicks, wets, and even cut slicks.

After the formation lap, several teams pitted to adjust their tyre choice. The race start itself was slippery and chaotic, but fortunately, no major collisions occurred. Within the first two laps, it became clear that slicks were the optimal choice, leading to additional pit stops across the field.

The Girls Only team, with Fabienne Wohlwend at the wheel, had the right strategy and took the class lead within 40 minutes, gaining over 20 positions in the overall standings. Fabienne's lap times were highly competitive, with an 8:44.036—the second-fastest time in class throughout the race, only bettered by the No. 150 Team Bilstein by Black Falcon entry.

After the first pit stop and driver change to Janina Schall, the team dropped a few positions but remained in second place in class and 36th overall. Schall ran a clean, consistent stint, avoiding on-track incidents and maintaining strong lap times, keeping the team on course for a podium finish.

A top-three result would have been a remarkable achievement in the SP8T class, which featured a particularly strong field. On their 14th lap, the team made their next pit stop, handing the car over to Carrie Schreiner. However, the BMW’s pace started to noticeably drop, preventing her from gaining further positions.

With just under an hour remaining, the cause of the issue became clear, bringing disappointment to the entire team: a drivetrain problem had significantly reduced the car’s power. To prevent further damage, the team ultimately retired the car in the pits.

After more than three hours of racing, the disappointment was immense.

"It’s heartbreaking. We were as good as we’ve ever been,“ Carrie Schreiner and the team shared on Instagram. "It’s hard to take, but I’m so proud of everyone in the team and so motivated for the next races! Thank you, girls! And thanks to everyone who was there for the incredible support!“

Despite the setback, the team still remains in contention for the class championship, as the NLS series allows dropped scores and three other teams were also eliminated or disqualified.

While the retirement is a bitter blow, there are plenty of positives to take from the season opener—the team fought for the lead until mechanical issues struck, set personal best times, and proved to be one of the fastest teams in class.