Official: Max Verstappen will participate in the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours

With the Australian Grand Prix barely over, Max Verstappen is officially taking on a new challenge. Confirmed by Mercedes-AMG for the NLS2 earlier this year, the four-time world champion will participate in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for the first time in 2026.

Published 09/03/2026 à 09:15

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Official: Max Verstappen will participate in the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours

After the very first round of the world championship F1 of the season, this is certainly one of the key pieces of news for this new year of motorsport. Having already taken part in his very first official race on the Nordschleife in the GT3 category, Max Verstappen is about to take things to the next level with confirmed participation in the upcoming 24 Hours of Nürburgring. An official round of the GT World Challenge season, this legendary race is among the most coveted by drivers worldwide.

“The Nürburgring is a circuit like no other. There’s nothing else like it. The Nürburgring 24 Hours has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really excited that we can finally participate,” rejoices the Dutchman, always keen to discover new categories. Last year, I obtained my DMSB authorization for the Nordschleife and was able to participate in NLS9, which we won. This preparation was invaluable, as we learned a great deal and will be able to apply it to our program this year with NLS2 and the 24 Hours. We have a strong team with Dani, Jules, and Lucas, and fantastic support from Red Bull et Mercedes Benz-AMG Motorsport. Now it's about preparing well for the races so we can give our best.

Joining the team comprised of Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon, and Daniel Juncadella, Max Verstappen will be part of one of the two teams fielded by Mercedes-AMG. The Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL will consist of Maxime Martin, Marco Engel, Fabian Schiller, and Luca Stolz. Meanwhile, the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing will also be recognized as a fully-fledged Performance Team. The program for both Performance Teams includes the NLS1 and NLS2 races of the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, qualifying for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and the 24 Hours of Nürburgring itself.

“The 24 Hours of Nürburgring represents the ultimate test for Mercedes-AMG, both in sporting and technological terms,” develops Christoph Sagemüller, head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. The Nordschleife is considered the most demanding test in GT racing and is an integral part of our development DNA. Max Verstappen's participation in the Nürburgring program at the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 will generate considerable interest. I would like to thank everyone involved, whose constructive collaboration has made this commitment possible. Together with our long-standing partner RAVENOL and Verstappen Racing, we are already sending a clear message: we are approaching this race with the ambition of winning the overall championship.

This highly anticipated race weekend will take place from May 14th to 17th. Before that, his participation in the NLS2 round will be featured on March 21st.

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