Max Verstappen Leads Nürburgring 24 Hours After Sensational Charge

Max Verstappen produced a sensational double stint to vault his #3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG into the lead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, passing multiple rivals with aggressive moves and building a 20-second advantage before handing over to Jules Gounon. At the six-hour mark, Lucas Auer now leads from the #80 Winward Racing Mercedes, with a 1.1-second gap.

Why it matters:

Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 World Champion, is proving his adaptability in endurance racing. His team's strong performance at the Nürburgring Nordschleife—one of the most demanding circuits—highlights the crossover potential between F1 and GT racing, and sets up a compelling fight for the remaining 18 hours.

The Details:

• Verstappen took over from Daniel Juncadella just one hour into the race and executed a double stint full of daring passes.
• He overtook the #47 Mercedes-AMG with two wheels on the grass, then sliced inside the #911 Porsche into turn one.
• On the Döttinger Straight, he pulled a double overtake on the leading #67 Ford Mustang and #34 Aston Martin to take the lead.
• After extending his advantage to 20 seconds, he handed over to Gounon, who kept the car near the front before Auer took over and reclaimed the lead.
• Retirements: The #16 Audi R8 (a pre-race favorite) retired after Alexander Sims crashed in traffic. The #911 Porsche also dropped out after Kevin Estre crashed.
• The pole-sitting #84 Lamborghini suffered a puncture on lap one and is now 14th, four minutes off the lead.

What's next:

With 18 hours remaining, darkness has fallen over the Nordschleife, and rain is possible. Verstappen may return for another stint later in the race. The #3 team will need to maintain consistency while fending off challenges from the #80 Mercedes and the #34 Aston Martin, which sits two minutes behind in third.