In Nürburg, Germany, Max Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 champion, made his debut in 24-hour racing at the famous Nürburgring track. Despite a strong start, his race ended early due to a mechanical failure on Sunday.
Verstappen led the race in the morning by over 30 seconds, driving a Mercedes AMG GT3 car with sportscar veterans Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon, and Dani Juncadella. However, with three and a half hours remaining, Juncadella took the wheel from Verstappen and soon had a damaged driveshaft. This issue forced them to lose the lead and retreat to the pits, taking the car into the garage.
The victory eventually went to another team driving a sister Mercedes car. The team included Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maxime Martin. Meanwhile, Juncadella managed to return to the track three hours later, ensuring the team finished in 38th place.
Verstappen expressed his frustration and disappointment on Instagram, noting, “Very unfortunate and frustrating ending, but these things can happen.” Despite this outcome, he mentioned he “still really enjoyed the experience.”
The race at Nürburgring came just a week before the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. For Verstappen, this race was part of a “bucket list” project. He has shown interest in endurance racing and has been vocal about his concerns with Formula 1’s 2026 cars focusing more on electric power.
Verstappen started strong on Saturday evening, showcasing his aggressive driving style typical of F1. He moved from 10th place to the lead through multiple overtakes. During the race, he experienced a minor mishap, losing grip over a bump and running onto the grass without hitting the barrier. Overnight, he was involved in a close battle for the lead.
Before the mechanical issue that ended his race, Verstappen expressed his desire to return possibly in 2027. He stated, “I think in general it’s just the competition, the endurance style racing where you share with teammates. The 24-hour race here, the track is super challenging, so it’s a whole combo.” Looking ahead to next year, he added, “I will for sure try. It always depends a bit on my schedule, but let’s first enjoy now.”
Verstappen had prior experience on the Nürburgring from a series of shorter races and extensive online simulator practice. Still, the conditions posed new challenges. The event featured 161 competing cars and took place on a 15.8-mile (25.3-kilometer) circuit. Verstappen navigated much slower vehicles and narrowly avoided a crash when two Porsches collided ahead of him. He also faced difficult weather conditions, with parts of the track being dry and others being soaked.
This race was also Verstappen’s first test of night-time endurance racing without Formula 1’s extensive floodlighting.
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