The 40-car field standing between Max Verstappen and Nürburgring 24h victory

Max Verstappen is set to tackle one of motorsport's toughest challenges—the Nürburgring 24 Hours—for the first time, and he's not there just to participate. The four-time Formula 1 champion will share the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and Lucas Auer, facing a deep 40-car SP9 class field.

Why it matters:

A reigning F1 champion entering a 24-hour endurance race is rare. Verstappen's ambition to win immediately underscores his relentless competitive nature. The Nordschleife is famously unforgiving, and success here would cement his versatility across disciplines.

The details:

• Verstappen's car (#3) is among the favorites, but the SP9 class is stacked with factory-backed entries and proven endurance winners.
• Key rivals: Christopher Haase (Scherer Sport PHX Audi) has battled Verstappen before; Kevin Estre leads Manthey's #911 Porsche with Ayhancan Güven and Thomas Preining; ROWE Racing fields two BMW M4 GT3s with drivers like Augusto Farfus and Sheldon van der Linde.
• Other threats include the #80 Mercedes-AMG of Maro Engel and Luca Stolz, the #77 Schubert BMW, and the #44 Falken Porsche with Klaus Bachler.
• Verstappen's preparation: He credits sim racing for learning the 25.3 km circuit, saying the layout felt familiar immediately. The biggest adaptation was the physical feel—grip, kerbs, and compressions unique to the Nordschleife.
• His goal is clear: "Success means winning." He hopes to make this a regular event, potentially expanding his Verstappen Racing program.

What's next:

The Nürburgring 24 Hours runs from Saturday to Sunday, with the chequered flag dropping at 15:00 local time. Verstappen will complete multiple stints, and while reliability and traffic will play huge roles, the Dutchman is determined to fight at the front from the start.