Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has announced he will compete in the 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours race, driving a Red Bull-sponsored Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
The four-time world drivers’ champion has made no secret of his desire to race outside of his single-seater career. Verstappen has also expressed his unhappiness with the new F1 regulations.
Having founded the eponymous Verstappen Racing team in 2022, Max Verstappen has since supported drivers in the ADAC GT Masters and GT World Challenge Europe competitions.
In May 2025, Verstappen had his first test session at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, driving an Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 – and using the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’ to avoid attention.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the F1 ace broke the Nordschleife circuit’s GT3 car lap record during this first test.
Ready to set more records on the ‘Ring
In September 2025, Verstappen returned to the Nordschleife for his first race there. Starting from third place, Verstappen and teammate Chris Lulham claimed victory in the Nurburgring Endurance Series event.
The 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours race will present Verstappen with an even greater challenge, however: the Nordschleife’s demanding 15.79-mile loop, plus multiple classes of competitors also on-track.
The Red Bull-sponsored Verstappen Racing team will include Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer alongside Max Verstappen himself.
To prepare for the 24-hour race, the team will enter the NLS1 and NLS2 four-hour events, plus the 24 Hour Nurburgring Qualifiers.
Verstappen will get behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to compete in the NLS2 race, which takes place on 21 March 2026.
Completing a bucket list event
The 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours race is scheduled for the weekend of 16-17 May, a week before the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix.
Revealing the AMG GT3’s Red Bull livery, Max Verstappen said: “The Nurburgring is a special place. There’s no other track like it. The 24h Nurburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now.
“Last year, I was able to get my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and participate in NLS9, which we won. That preparation is very valuable, as we have learned a lot that we can take into our programme this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race.
“We’ve got a strong line-up with Dani, Jules and Lucas, and great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it’s about putting in the right preparations before the events, so we can maximise everything in the races.”
Max Verstappen will be driving for a significantly shorter time during this weekend’s 2026 Chinese Grand Prix.
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