Max Verstappen is doing 'bizarre' 24-hour race outside F1

Verstappen pole in NLS2 — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is doing 'bizarre' 24-hour race outside F1

Max Verstappen is racing in another series

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Saturday 4 April 2026 18:55

Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen is set to race in a 24-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife next month, a race that has been described as 'bizarre'.

Verstappen gained his permit to be able to race around the so-called 'Green Hell' last year, and went on to win on his GT3 debut.

Last month, the Dutchman took to the track once again for an NLS2 race - in preparation for his attempt at Nurburgring 24 Hour glory in May - and he and his team claimed a pole position-race victory double on track, before being disqualified for exceeding the maximum tyre allowance.

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Verstappen will have another chance to impress at the circuit before the main event, with qualifying races on the weekend of April 18-19, before taking on the mammoth challenge of competing in one of the most iconic endurance races in Europe.

Dutch racing driver Renger van der Zande has told GPFans in an exclusive interview what Verstappen might have let himself in for, having previously raced in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, as well as other endurance races including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"It’s a bizarre race," Van der Zande said. "It’s one of the craziest races you can take part in.

"You’re driving there alongside accountants and dentists, who simply buy a seat in a relatively slow car. And then you arrive there in your GT3 and have to overtake them and try to predict what they’re going to do. You never quite know what they’re going to do.

"So Max is bound to encounter some bizarre moments. There are also separate rules there with yellow flags and Code 60s and that sort of thing."

When is Verstappen's Nurburgring 24 Hours race?

The Nurburgring 24 Hours takes place on the weekend of Thursday May 14 - Saturday May 16, with the race getting underway on the Saturday.

Thursday and Friday will see a number of lengthy qualifying sessions, details of which can be found here.

The 150-car grid at the Nurburgring Nordschleife will set off on their formation lap at 2:40pm local time (1:40pm BST) on Saturday, May 16, before the race officially gets underway at 3pm local time (CET).

That's 2pm in the UK, 4am ET, 3am CT, or 1am Pacific. It will then last 24 hours, so will conclude on Sunday, May 17.

How does the Nurburgring 24 Hours race work?

The maximum number of cars allowed on the Nurburgring Nordschleife at the same time is 150, and although the event doesn't normally reach that limit, this year it has, with an increased interest in the iconic endurance race.

The winning team is determined by whichever team of drivers are able to complete the most laps of the 25.378km circuit in 24 hours.

Two-four drivers are allowed to compete as part of a single team, with each driver completing a maximum of three hours in the car at a time.

For the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing outfit, four-time F1 world champion Verstappen will be joined by Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, as they go for glory.

While the Nurburgring Nordschleife is a terrifying prospect even during the day, success in this event will require a plethora of laps to be completed after dark, and illuminated panels all around the track are used to clearly display when there is a yellow flag or, in extreme circumstances, a red flag.

The GT3 cars will all be squabbling for position to begin with, but the 150 cars will likely become spread out all around the circuit as the 24 hours progresses, with the record for the most amount of distance covered coming back in 2023, when the Frikadelli Racing Team in a Ferrari 296 GT3 covered 4,111.24km (162 laps).

How do you qualify for the Nurburgring 24 Hours race?

There are two qualifier events at the Nurburgring Nordschleife on April 18-19, where drivers use the NLS event to gain experience and licences for the 24 hour race.

The two qualifier races consist of a 90-minute qualifying session and four-hour race, and teams who are already all set for the race - like Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing - instead use the qualifiers as preparation for the 24 hour event.

Verstappen was not planning to be present at these qualifiers, but has now confirmed that he will be there following the announcement of the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix.

The qualifier races are also a good opportunity to fast track your way into Top Qualifying for the Nurburgring 24 Hour race (the equivalent of Q3 in F1), with Top Qualifying set to take place on the Friday of the Nurburgring 24 Hour weekend, determining the order in which each team will be able to start their running on the day.

F1 HEADLINES: F1 teams head to Nurburgring as FIA approve new race

Written by

Sam Cook - Digital Journalist

Sam Cook is a talented young sports journalist and social media professional who now specialises in Formula 1, having previously worked as a football journalist and a local news reporter for a variety of different brands.

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F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Nurburgring Nordschleife 24 Hours of Nurburgring