Opinion: Did Max Verstappen give us peak GT3 racing at the N24?

Max Verstappen did not manage to win the Nurburgring 24 Hours at his first attempt, but it was certainly not down to lack of effort or ability. 

The no.3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-Benz suffered an ABS sensor issue, which resulted in damage to the driveshaft with teammate Dani Juncadella behind the wheel. 

It came while the Verstappen team was leading the race, having seen an epic stint from the four-time Formula 1 world champion during the night, battling the sister no.80 Mercedes-AMG of Winward Racing. 

The Winward Racing car went on to win the Nurburgring 24 Hours, with Verstappen, Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer eventually classified in 37th position overall, some 21 laps down.

Even before the race ended, Max had already vowed to return to the Nurburgring. He can also take credit for making the 2026 edition of the 24-hour race a sell-out event, with more than 350,000 motorsport fans in attendance.

Bringing new fans to the ‘Ring

Verstappen’s impact on the Nurburgring 24 Hours is hard to ignore. In the UK, Sky Sports F1 aired the race throughout the evening and into the morning. 

The channel also showed the NLS2 qualifying race earlier this year, helpfully coinciding with the unexpected break in the Formula 1 calendar due to the war in Iran.

With Max attracting a host of new fans to the Nurburgring 24 Hours, whether in person or watching on TV, we have perhaps reached a golden age for GT3-specification sports car racing.

Now into its 20th season, the FIA’s Group GT3 regulations have placed a focus on (relative) accessibility and affordability, along with using Balance of Performance (BoP) to ensure competitiveness. 

This is what helped attract Verstappen to the Nurburgring 24 Hours, following his disillusionment with the latest Formula 1 regulations.

A unique motorsport challenge

It’s important to note that the Nurburgring 24 Hours is about far more than attention-grabbing GT3 racers in the top SP9 class, though. This year, the multi-category field featured a total of 160 cars on-track. 

In part, this is what makes the Nurburgring 24 Hours an even greater challenge for the front runners, as they fight for outright victory and work their way through other cars involved in their own battles.

Such is the diversity of the 24 Hours, the fan-favourite Dacia Logan can compete in the same event as a flame-spitting Mercedes-AMG GT, and see the chairman of Toyota racing in a GR Yaris. 

Meanwhile, BMW created a bespoke M3 Touring racer to compete in the SPX class, which also included the wonderful HWA Evo.R restomod.

It makes the Nurburgring a unique endurance race in itself, while forming part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge for the world’s top GT3 racers.

Strength in numbers

Such has been the success of Group GT3 regulations, it’s possible to watch some form of sports car racing almost every weekend. 

Rule changes have meant GT3 cars can compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours. The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) has also ditched touring cars for GT3-specification sports cars. 

This is in addition to multiple GT World Challenge events in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, along with an endless list of domestic competitions that allow GT3-spec cars to race. 

Manufacturers including Ford, Ferrari, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and more all currently offer GT3-specification sports cars. It demonstrates how significant the formula has become, especially when the race cars can closely resemble road-going models. 

So, returning to our headline question: no, Max Verstappen alone did not deliver us peak GT3 racing at the Nurburgring. The event itself is already one of the most exciting and diverse motorsport competitions in the world, well beyond the top SP9 class.

However, Verstappen’s participation has undoubtedly brought the Nurburgring 24 Hours to a wider audience, and also highlighted why so many fans, teams and championship organisers are drawn to Group GT3 racing.

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