Max Verstappen will compete in the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring for the first time in 2026. The Dutchman, who has long since secured his place in motorsport history with four Formula 1 world championship titles between 2021 and 2024, is thus taking on what is probably the greatest challenge in international endurance racing: the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The prominent newcomer to the starting grid will compete in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing alongside Lucas Auer (AUT), Jules Gounon (FRA) and Daniel Juncadella (ESP). Verstappen has been preparing specifically for this since last year and has been systematically working on the necessary requirements for a start – including appearances on the Nordschleife and intensive preparation in SimRacing. The 24h Nürburgring is also rolling out the red carpet for fans of the champion, who is a national hero in his home country: a special ticket offer is being planned for them, with exclusive offers to be announced shortly.
The Dutchman has been a proven Nordschleife enthusiast for years. In addition to his real-life driving experience in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), he has also gained extensive knowledge of the track and multi-class racing through SimRacing as part of the digital NLS. ‘“The Nürburgring is a special place. There is no other race track like it,“ says Verstappen, who also wants to compete in NLS2 before the 24-hour race. “The 24h Nürburgring has been on my wish list for a long time, so I’m very excited that we can now make it happen. Last year, I obtained my DMSB licence for the Nordschleife and was able to participate in NLS9, where we won. This preparation is very valuable, as we learned a lot that we can incorporate into this year’s programme. With Dani, Jules and Lucas, we have a strong line-up and are receiving great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it’s a matter of making the right preparations before the events so that we can get the most out of ourselves in the races.”
Consistent preparation for the 24-hour race
For the organisers, Verstappen is first and foremost one thing: a participant like any other who, regardless of his name and reputation, had to prove his suitability for the most challenging race track in the world. Walter Hornung, race director of the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, emphasises: “We are delighted that Max Verstappen is competing in the 24h Nürburgring. Like all the other starters across the various vehicle classes, he has fallen under the spell of this special race track. The fact that he is taking his start seriously and approaching it in an incredibly professional manner is already evident from his intensive preparation. He went through the normal qualification process without any special treatment, prepared himself with drives on the Nordschleife, completed the mandatory e-learning and familiarised himself intensively with the track with countless SimRacing laps. As organisers, we are just as excited as countless fans around the globe to see how well he will manage the transition from Formula 1 racing cars to this year’s particularly competitive GT3 class on the world’s toughest race track. The Nordschleife is the ultimate challenge in motorsport – and Max is taking it on!”
Starting in a Mercedes-AMG GT3
Verstappen will compete in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in his first ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring race. The vehicle is one of two cars in the Mercedes-AMG performance line-up. The two GT3s fielded by Winward Racing will compete as Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL and under the Verstappen banner. The sister car with start number #80 also has an extremely strong line-up with Maro Engel (GER), Maxime Martin (BEL), Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz (both GER). Four-time Formula 1 champion Verstappen has excellent teammates at his side in Auer, Gounon and Juncadella, who also come from the Mercedes-AMG performance squad. The #3 on the start number holder corresponds to his current Formula 1 start number in the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. The two GT3s thus form the spearhead of the Mercedes-AMG line-up, which will be complemented by AMG customer sports teams.
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