Max Verstappen makes new Nurburgring announcement after F1 frustrations

Max Verstappen is set to return to the iconic Nordschleife later in April.

The Red Bull driver confirmed his participation in the ADAC 24h Nurburgring qualifiers on April 18 and 19, 2026, where he will share the car with Austrian Lucas Auer, currently an official factory driver for Mercedes-AMG.

The German race weekend runs between April 17 and April 19 featuring two distinct four‑hour races on Saturday evening and Sunday.

The announcement comes following a frustrating start to the season so far for Verstappen who has just 12 points after three races, with his Red Bull team well off the pace of front runners Mercedes.

These events count as the fourth and fifth rounds of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS).

Verstappen and Auer will take on the challenge in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO bearing the No 3, with Verstappen Racing’s entry receiving operational support from Winward Racing.

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Dress rehearsal

The qualifying races serve as a crucial dress rehearsal for the main event – the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring, scheduled for May 14 - 17. On March 9, it was officially announced that Verstappen would make his debut in this legendary endurance race.

The Dutch star will combine this intensive GT3 program with his regular F1 duties for Red Bull.

Joining him and Auer are Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, who complete an impressive lineup for the endurance classic in May.

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Written by

Brian Van Hinthum - Formule 1-redacteur & verslaggever

Brian van Hinthum is Formule 1-redacteur en verslaggever bij GPFans. Sinds 2021 volgt hij de sport dagelijks en schrijft hij over nieuws, analyses en ontwikkelingen binnen de paddock. Als geaccrediteerd journalist is hij regelmatig aanwezig op het circuit tijdens Grand Prix-weekenden.

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