Max Verstappen at the Nurburgring: ADAC Qualifiers explained and how they impact 24 hour race

This weekend (Saturday, April 18-Sunday, April 19) Max Verstappen is back in action at the Nurburgring Nordschleife with Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing as he takes part in the ADAC 24h Nurburgring Qualifiers.

But what exactly are these qualifiers, and how will they impact the 24-hour Nurburgring event in May? GPFans breaks it down.

The ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring isn’t part of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) - the championship where Verstappen celebrated a win last year with Emil Frey’s Ferrari and raced his Mercedes-AMG in March.

While GT3 competitors in the Intercontinental GT Challenge do score points, that isn’t a concern for Verstappen. In contrast, the qualifiers are integrated into the NLS. This weekend features two four-hour races that count as rounds four and five of the series.

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How qualifiers layout differs

Although the qualifiers are part of the NLS, they adopt the layout used at the 24h Nurburgring, meaning the circuit configuration is slightly altered.

In regular NLS races, the opening turn is a hairpin that leads towards the Mercedes-Arena, and after turn four, drivers merge onto the Grand Prix circuit, similar to the DTM format.

For the qualifiers and the 24-hour event, however, the first turn is a tight right-left chicane that bypasses the Mercedes-Arena while still incorporating key parts of the Grand Prix layout, such as the Goodyear-Kehre and the Michael Schumacher S.

24h Nurburgring Qualifiers format

This weekend’s qualifier format is straightforward and is essentially two NLS events in one. Saturday morning kicks off with a 90-minute session to set the grid for the first qualifier race (NLS4), taking place from 17:30 CEST (16:30 BST) to 21:30 (20:30 BST), partly under the night sky.

Sunday follows the same pattern with another 90-minute session determining the grid for the second qualifier race (NLS5), scheduled from 13:00 CEST (12:00 BST) to 17:00 CEST (16:00 BST).

There is a slight twist when it comes to setting the starting order for NLS5. The fastest cars from the standard qualifying session - provided they come from the SP 9 (GT3), SP 11 (GT2), AT1, SP-Pro, or SP-X categories - will get an extra chance in a Top Qualifying shootout. In this one-at-a-time showdown, each driver is allowed two push laps to fight for their position.

Verstappen aiming for spot in TQ3

The two four-hour races are not only essential for Verstappen to gain valuable experience and test various setups, but also have a direct impact on the 24h Nurburgring in May, where Top Qualifying sessions will decide who claims pole position. A strong performance this weekend could already secure him a coveted spot in Top Qualifying 3.

The organisers have outlined a method to guarantee six teams a place in TQ3 based on the following criteria:

According to the organisers, these timings are theoretical, calculated by stitching together each driver’s best sectors to form an ideal lap.

If a team misses out on securing a spot in TQ3 in May, their challenge in battling for pole position will significantly intensify. While qualifying and starting order don’t guarantee a win - especially in a 24-hour race - starting from the front is crucial at the Nurburgring, where there is no safety car to help bunch up the field.

Verstappen will be determined to clinch one of these TQ3 spots by any means necessary.

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