Max Verstappen back as early as the third round of the NLS?

The victory taken from Max Verstappen His triumph on the Nordschleife two hours after his victory should only strengthen his ambition to quickly get back behind the wheel of a GT3. And perhaps sooner than expected.

On the Green Hell, the four-time world champion of F1 displayed masterful skill behind the wheel of his Mercedes Benz-AMG GT3. After securing pole position with a 1,9-second lead over his rivals, Max Verstappen snatched victory with a comfortable advantage of nearly a minute over his teammates Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella. But the celebrations were quickly cut short by a blunder from the Winward team.

While only six sets of tires were allowed per car for Saturday, the team used seven, one too many, resulting in the disqualification of the No. 3 crew. A disappointing result for Max Verstappen, Jules Gounon, and Daniel Juncadella, while the BMW M4 GT3 of Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper inherited first place.

 

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Verstappen, who was seeking respite from his frustrations with Formula 1, particularly regarding the new car designs and regulations in place since the start of the 2026 season, found none in Germany during NLS2. But perhaps he will at the next round?

Following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds due to the tense geopolitical situation in the region, Max Verstappen finds himself with some free time. This comes at the perfect time for the third round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS3), scheduled for April 11, 2026. The opportunity seems ideal for Verstappen, who can thus refine his technique on the Nordschleife and prepare as best as possible for his already confirmed participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, scheduled for May 14-17. It should be noted, however, that nothing has yet been announced by the Dutchman's team.

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