How Verstappen almost conquered the world’s greatest circuit

The Max Verstappen effect was on full volume at this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours, which very clearly held a different vibe from previous editions. Up until 2026, the historic Nordschleiefe race had been a cult weekend for German fans, who would rock up in their droves to the picturesque Eifel campsites to grill bratwurst, drink beer and listen to heavy metal while watching GT3 cars hit the Green Hell.

The wider world had always known of the event for its huge eccentric charm – grid sizes well over 100 – but very rarely held a vested interest in the distinctively German weekend. Yet this year was different. A big international presence gathered, media coming from all corners of the globe, making the Nurburgring the centre of the motorsport world for that weekend in mid-May.

Verstappen was, of course, the sole reason behind this. Having already achieved everything he dreamed of in Formula 1 with four world titles, he has been racking up the GT mileage in recent times as preparation for his biggest sportscar test yet: the 24-hour enduro around the old-school 15.8-mile track. 

He did it with a factory-supported Winward Racing Mercedes, shared with GT veterans Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, who were all beaming at the opportunity to race alongside the Dutchman.

“We have a very good line-up,” said Gounon pre-race. “Max is an amazing team-mate to have. Since the first test we did in Estoril, I immediately understood that this person is coming from another planet because the guy is just amazing.”

For the Verstappen factor alone, there was much excitement surrounding the all-star line-up, and many had pinpointed it as the one to end the losing streak for Mercedes, last a winner 10 years ago, amid dominance from other German marques BMW, Audi and Porsche – and a solo success for Ferrari.

The opportunity to race at the Nordschleife has long been an ambition for the Dutchman

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

If Mercedes was to finally end its barren spell, it would be in front of a record crowd, with 352,000 tickets sold, many to first-time visitors, understood to have left organisers overwhelmed.

“The first few practices, I looked at Max going out of the pitlane and I looked at the grandstand on a Thursday afternoon,” added Gounon. “Normally, the first few practices, there are a lot of people because it’s a big race, but not full. It was full there. It’s just something special and I think this race has always been special. But with Max, it’s extra.”

The crowd loved him being there and Verstappen merchandise was on full display no matter where you went in the venue. To an extent it felt like the Dutch Grand Prix as chants of his name even broke out at various points, including on the track shuttle bus, and folk also continuously crowded outside the #3 Mercedes garage in hope of catching a glimpse of their star.

Verstappen was performing at his best, straight on the pace with third in practice before helping his team qualify fourth on the grid

It was the typical Nordschleife fever, but with added spice – and Verstappen loved it. He was just relishing the opportunity to race without the usual pressures of a grand prix weekend and even his competition revelled in the chance to race against a world champion, with Abt Lamborghini driver Marco Mapelli claiming everything about the event in 2026 was “just a plus”.

But what obviously helped was Verstappen performing at his best. He was straight on the pace with third in practice before helping his team qualify fourth on the grid behind a Lamborghini 1-2 and Audi in third. Yet given everything that can happen in a 24-hour contest, the emotions were rather muted because everybody knew the race would be a totally different story. 

“After 10 minutes it could be upside down,” said polesitter Luca Engstler. “Yes pole is great, but the big job is tomorrow. One wrong call, one mistake and you go home tomorrow night and cry.”

Verstappen was there to have fun – and despite the result he “really enjoyed the experience”

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

So much of that was true as well, with a very scrappy opening lap featuring contact between Juncadella and the polesitting Abt Huracan, which ultimately suffered a puncture. The Mercedes was fine though and Juncadella completed a solid stint to hand over to Verstappen after 60 minutes, the Dutchman joining 10th on track, but more crucially in a net third. 

And what came next was a vintage Verstappen performance. While he wasn’t afraid to get scrappy, almost hitting the barrier at one point, the 28-year-old was also the dominant driver when rain began falling. Following moves on the experienced Christian Engelhart (Konrad Lamborghini) and 2023 DTM champion Thomas Preining (Manthey Racing Porsche), Verstappen gave Gounon a lead of over 20 seconds after two hours.

“Initially I was a bit stuck in traffic,” said Verstappen, “so it was a bit difficult to clear the cars. But once I cleared a few of them and then the weather kicked in with a few laps of slippery conditions, that’s I think where we made a difference.

“And then the car was good. Trying to stay out of trouble, but at the same time you have to push and you have to try and be on the limit, which is always, I think, a difficult compromise to find, but it worked out fine.”

The #3 Mercedes lost its lead over the following hours and, by the time Verstappen started his second stint on the 11th hour, at 2am, he trailed the now race-leading sister car (Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Luca Stolz and Fabian Schiller) by 6s. But Verstappen once again showed his pace when he quickly closed the gap on Engel and overtook him at Dottinger Hohe.

But Engel fought back and what came next largely decided the theme for the remaining hours, when both drivers banged wheels at Tiergarten while squabbling. If that occurred in F1, you get the feeling it would have sparked a spiky reaction, but in Germany the pressure was largely off and both drivers were beaming from the fight.

Verstappen was in his best form, relishing the mixed conditions and not afraid to get stuck in

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

“It was great fun,” said Engel. “I had a smile under the helmet, it was really fun racing with him, we were pushing flat out, and nighttime at the Nordschleife is always special.” Mercedes perhaps had a different reaction, as it very nearly saw its dominant lead come to a sudden end, so it instructed both cars to hold position.

Verstappen consequently built a 20s lead and the #3 Mercedes would keep a similar gap as Juncadella, Gounon and Auer all took to the track once again. “So far we couldn’t wish for it to go any better, but still a few hours to go so we just need to really stay focused and then we’ll see where we end up,” said Verstappen. 

Yet there was a quote from Gounon that lingered throughout the weekend: “All the 24-hour races, it’s something that’s meant to be. The place needs to choose you.” Unfortunately for him, the Nordschleife didn’t choose the Verstappen car, which suffered a driveshaft failure with three hours remaining.

There was a quote from Gounon that lingered throughout the weekend: “All the 24-hour races, it’s something that’s meant to be. The place needs to choose you” 

The hearts of the team sank, matched by the crowd as the atmosphere fell incredibly flat while the #3 pulled into its garage. 

“That’s it,” said Verstappen. “A really tough one to take. From the lead, our car suffered a broken driveshaft, ending our fight for the win. Thank you all for your support throughout the weekend.” 

Luckily for Mercedes, it still ended its winless streak via the sister car, but it was a bittersweet ending and not the one a record crowd had come to see. “Heartbreaking,” said Juncadella. “We had an amazing race. We were actually driving a perfect race. I’ve been dreaming of winning this race for a long time.

Victory opportunity was denied by a broken driveshaft with three hours still on the clock

Photo by: Jack Brekelmans / EYE4IMAGES / NurPhoto via Getty Images

“But in the end, we are just racing drivers. This is our sport and we love our sport. Racing is like that – there are many things you cannot control and sometimes it hurts.”

But in hindsight, did it really matter if Verstappen won? He was only ever there for the fun of it and fans had already witnessed what they wanted to see, which was a top performance from a #3 Mercedes that was continuously in contention. 

It has even encouraged first-timers to already plan their trip back to the Nordschleife, showcasing that this year’s 24-hour race could now open up GT racing to a new audience in the long term. 

The mechanical failure also didn’t change the overarching feelings that Verstappen held upon leaving Germany, saying “I still really enjoyed the experience”, with questions about his return naturally following. 

“He’s a competitive character like myself, like all of us, and we want to win,” said Juncadella. “Maybe that’s a reason for him to come back again next year.”

That is something Verstappen has made no efforts in denying so, should the F1 schedule allow, expect to see the Dutchman back for round two in 2027…

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the July 2026 issue and subscribe today. 

#3 Mercedes rejoined the circuit for the final laps behind the victorious Engel/Martin/Schiller/Stolz Mercedes

Photo by: Gruppe C Photography