Max Verstappen narrowly backed to win Nürburgring 24h debut

Max Verstappen returns to the Nordschleife this weekend for his first-ever 24-hour race, the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The four-time F1 world champion is racing with Verstappen Racing teammates Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer. His goal is simple: win. GPblog readers narrowly agree, but the margin is slim.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's growing involvement in endurance racing comes amid his open discontent with the 2026 F1 regulations. A win at the 'Green Hell' would not only demonstrate his versatility but also add another legendary achievement to his résumé, potentially drawing even more attention away from F1's current direction.

By the numbers:

In a poll of 200 readers asking where Verstappen Racing will finish:

• 41% predict an outright win.
• 37.5% expect a podium finish.
• 18% think a top-10 result.
• 6% believe they'll finish outside the top 10.

The details:

• Verstappen has already impressed at the Nürburgring in recent months. He won his GT3 debut in a Ferrari 296 GT3 back in September, and crossed the line first in his Red Bull-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in March – only to be disqualified for using too many tyres.
• The 24-hour race presents a new challenge: night driving. Verstappen has not yet experienced the Nordschleife after dark.
• His teammate lineup includes experienced GT racers Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, giving the team strong depth.

What's next:

• Qualifying begins Thursday with two sessions (13:15 and 20:00 local time), followed by a full day of qualifying on Friday.
• The race starts Saturday at 15:00 local time.
• Ticket demand has been enormous – organizers had to limit attendance due to overwhelming interest, driven largely by Verstappen's presence.