Max Verstappen has revealed his intention to make a return to the Nurburgring 24 Hours race next year, provided his schedule allows. The four-time Formula 1 world champion made his debut at the German circuit over the weekend, driving a Mercedes car with Red Bull branding.
Dramatic Debut at Nurburgring
The race delivered numerous dramatic moments for Verstappen and his team. He propelled the car into the lead on Saturday evening, and they held that advantage into the morning. After completing a two-stint period, he handed over to teammate Daniel Juncandella. However, shortly into Juncandella's stint, a driveshaft failure struck the car.
Verstappen managed to nurse the car for several laps before being forced to pit. The issue could not be resolved quickly, causing the team to plummet down the order and eliminate them from contention. After a couple of hours, the car returned to the track for the final few minutes of the race.
Verstappen's Conditions for Return
Shortly before the technical problem emerged, Verstappen shared his thoughts on the race. When asked if he would return next year, he said: "I will of course try, it always depends a bit on my schedule, but let's first enjoy now." On his enjoyment of the event, he added: "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 just the whole combo."
Criticism of F1 Regulations
His participation in the Nurburgring race follows candid remarks about the new F1 regulations introduced this season. "I love racing, but we can only take so much, right?" he said. "I think they are willing to listen, FIA and F1, I just hope of course that there is some action. I mean it's not that I'm the only one saying it, I think a lot are saying it, if it's drivers, fans, we just want the best for the sport. It's not like we are critical just to be critical, we are critical for a reason, we want it to be F1, proper F1 on steroids. Today that of course was again not the case. I would say the same if I would be winning races, because I care about the racing product. It's not about being upset of where I am, because I'm actually fighting even more now, of course."
