Max Verstappen at Nurburgring: Major rule changes announced for F1 champion's 24-hour bid

Verstappen in gt racing kit smiling in front of a Verstappen.com branded Mercedes-AMG GT3 — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen at Nurburgring: Major rule changes announced for F1 champion's 24-hour bid

The mighty Dutchman will take part in the 2026 race

Graham Shaw Consultant Editor

Digital sports specialist running global brands for 30 years

Tuesday 7 April 2026 09:15

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The 24 Hours of Nürburgring is set to feature a host of new regulations for its upcoming edition with four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen the star attraction.

This year’s event is capturing extra attention as the 28-year-old Dutchman makes his much-anticipated debut in the iconic endurance test. The changes are designed to streamline operations and enhance safety for the 54th running of this classic event.

Verstappen will take to the track in May with his very own Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, which is run by Winward Racing. The Dutch driver will pilot a Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO sporting a distinctive Red Bull livery, sharing the car with Lucas Auer, Dani Juncadella, and Jules Gounon. To prepare for this challenge, Max already participated in the second round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) in March and will race again in the upcoming qualifying sessions later this month.

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New qualifying format inspired by F1

The most noticeable change for this year is the introduction of a revamped qualifying format. Organiser ADAC Nordrhein has adopted a knockout system inspired by the structure used in F1. The revamped “Top Qualifying” session is divided into three parts: Top-Q1, Top-Q2, and Top-Q3, and is reserved for the highest-performing classes in the field, including the SP9 class for GT3 cars, in which Verstappen will compete.

In the first session, all eligible cars that have not pre-qualified take part. The 20 fastest cars then move on to the next round, with up to twelve eventually competing in individual timed laps during Top-Q3 to claim pole position. “We chose this new format to make the process clearer and more transparent for the fans,” explained race director Walter Hornung.

Additional light panels

Safety enhancements extend beyond the qualifying format this year. The 25km circuit will now feature 36 light panels designed to support the traditional flag signals from the marshals, even during daylight. Eight of these panels will be installed on the Grand Prix circuit, while the remaining 28 will be placed along the notorious Nordschleife. Hornung tested the system during the NLS race, in which Verstappen also participated, and reported that both the drivers and marshals responded very positively.

Maximum of 150 cars

The event’s immense popularity is evident, with the entry list already maxed out at 150 cars (no pun intended). Track activities kick off on Thursday, May 14, followed by the start of the 24-hour race on Saturday afternoon. Fans can catch all the live action from home on Red Bull TV and YouTube.

Schedule for ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring 2026
Day	Time (UK)	Session / Activity
Thursday May 14	07:30	Circuit activities commence & free practice
Friday May 15	11:40	Top Qualifying 1 (Top-Q1)
Friday May 15	15:00	Top Qualifying 2 & 3 (Top-Q2 & Top-Q3)
Saturday May 16	14:00	Start of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring
Sunday May 17	14:00	Finish of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring