F1 2026: Max Verstappen is the real winner over race cancellations

Max Verstappen in Melbourne — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Max Verstappen is the real winner over F1 race cancellations

The Bahrain and Saudi Grands Prix have officially been cancelled

Chris Deeley

Sunday 15 March 2026 21:42

There aren't many people who could consider themselves winners from F1's cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, but Max Verstappen might just be one of the few.

The races were officially cancelled without replacement this weekend due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, leaving April without a single F1 race on the calendar.

There is, however, a track weekend in the forests of Germany which is of particular interest to a certain Dutch four-time world champion.

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It had been expected (for obvious reasons) that Verstappen would miss the 24hr Nurburgring Qualifiers, as they take place on the weekend of Saturday April 18 and April 19 – the same weekend the Saudi Grand Prix was scheduled for.

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Verstappen gearing up for 24hr race

With that obligation out of the way, there now appears to be a good chance that Verstappen can head to the legendary circuit for qualifying, before the race in mid-May, the weekend before the Canadian Grand Prix.

The Dutchman confirmed that he will compete for his Verstappen Racing outfit in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, alongside Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, to take on one of endurance racing's greatest challenges. The car will start under the No.3, also Verstappen's F1 driver number.

On his debut, Verstappen himself said: "The Nurburgring Nordschleife is a special place. There’s no other track like it. The 24hr 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, that 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 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix