Max Verstappen's debut in a 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring ended prematurely on Sunday morning due to an apparent mechanical fault with his Mercedes AMG GT3 car. The four-time Formula One world champion had been leading by more than half a minute when his teammate Dani Juncadella, who had just taken over driving duties, was forced to slow down with a problem affecting the rear-right of the car. Juncadella lost the lead before pulling into the pit lane, and the car had not returned from the garage after an hour.
Verstappen shared the car with experienced sportscar racers Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Juncadella. The race at the famed Nürburgring track was a bucket list project for Verstappen, coming a week before F1 returns at the Canadian Grand Prix. He is a keen racing fan and has questioned his future in F1 this year due to unhappiness with the 2026 cars' reliance on electrical power. F1 has agreed to make engine changes for the 2027 season after widespread criticism from drivers.
Verstappen made an immediate impact in his first stint on Saturday evening with a fast, aggressive style typical of his F1 driving, going from 10th to the lead with a series of overtakes. At one point, he lost grip over a bump and ran wide onto the grass, narrowly missing the barrier. He was later in a close battle for the overnight lead.
Verstappen was familiar with the Nürburgring after taking part in a series of shorter races in recent months, adding to his years of virtual experience from online simulator races. However, the 24-hour race presented challenges unlike anything in F1, with 161 cars spread along a 15.8-mile circuit. He had to weave past much slower cars and deal with constantly changing weather conditions on a hilly track where it could be raining hard at one point and dry at another. It was also his first real test of night-time endurance racing without the huge floodlights used in F1.
