Max Verstappen faces Nurburgring headache over brutal pit stop rules

Verstappen during test day ahead of NLS2 — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen faces Nurburgring headache over brutal pit stop rules

GPFans explains exactly how the minimum pit stop times work in the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring

Originally written by Vincent Bruins. This version is a translation.

Saturday 25 April 2026 11:27

Four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen faces some very strict pit stop rules which will make his task even more complex at the upcoming Nurburgring 24h in May.

For the first time, Verstappen will tackle the iconic 24-hour race with in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for his Verstappen Racing team, with the endurance event taking place May 14 to May 17.

However, the 24h Nurburgring organisers are introducing strict minimum pit stop rules this May. The new measures are designed to maintain fairness, restrict the strategic advantage of lightning-fast refuelling, keep costs down, and ensure safety.

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Race officials now measure a pit stop from when a car crosses the pit entrance line until it passes the pit exit line. The required stop duration is based primarily on the number of laps completed in the preceding stint. If a team opts not to refuel during a stop, they are exempt from waiting the minimum required time.

How pit stops work at Nurburgring 24 Hours

The minimum pit stop time is determined by a fixed table in regulation appendix 6.1, with the number of completed laps setting the required duration.

In the SP 9-class for GT3 cars, which includes Verstappen’s entry, specific times are set for the first stop after the race begins and for subsequent stops.

For instance, after one lap the first pit stop must last 65 seconds, while later stops are set at 56 seconds. These durations increase step by step as more laps are completed.

Laps Completed	Minimum Time First Pit Stop	Minimum Time From Second Pit Stop
11	4m29s	4m20s
10	4m09s	4m00s
9	3m49s	3m40s
8	3m26s	3m17s
7	3m05s	2m56s
6	2m45s	2m36s
5	2m25s	2m16s
4	2m05s	1m56s
3	1m45s	1m36s
2	1m25s	1m16s
1	1m05s	56s

Special rules for the final stage

For the final phase of the race, a different rule comes into play for the last pit stop. When the race clock drops below 70 minutes, the minimum stop time is based on the remaining race time rather than the number of laps completed.

In the SP 9-class, the countdown begins at 69 minutes remaining, which requires a mandatory stop time of 212 seconds. As the race winds down, the required time decreases step by step. For example, at 60 minutes remaining the stop must last 188 seconds, at 50 minutes it is 161 seconds, and so forth.

Remaining Race Time (minutes)	Minimum Pit Stop Duration
69	3m32s
68	3m29s
67	3m27s
66	3m24s
65	3m21s
64	3m19s
63	3m16s
62	3m13s
61	3m11s
60	3m08s
59	3m05s
58	3m02s
57	3m00s
56	2m57s
55	2m54s
54	2m52s
53	2m49s
52	2m46s
51	2m43s
50	2m41s
49	2m38s
48	2m35s
47	2m33s
46	2m30s
45	2m27s
44	2m25s
43	2m22s
42	2m19s
41	2m16s
40	2m14s
39	2m11s
38	2m08s
37	2m06s
36	2m03s
35	2m00s
34	1m57s
33	1m55s
32	1m52s
31	1m49s
30	1m47s
29	1m44s
28	1m41s
27	1m39s
26	1m36s
25	1m33s
24	1m30s
23	1m28s
22	1m25s
21	1m22s
20	1m20s
19	1m17s
18	1m14s
17	1m11s
16	1m09s
15	1m06s
14	1m03s
13	1m01s
12	58s
11	55s
10	53s
9	50s
8	47s
7	44s
6	42s
5	39s
4	36s
3	34s
2	31s
1	28s

Teams that fail to adhere to the minimum pit stop duration will face heavy stop-and-go penalties or time penalties.

Written by

Vincent Bruins - Redacteur GPFans NL

Vincent Bruins (29) is een Nederlandse Formule 1-redacteur met vier jaar ervaring in de F1-journalistiek. Hij heeft meer dan tien jaar ervaring als redacteur en content creator in de GT-racerij. Hij duikt graag in de technische en sportieve reglementen. Zo weet Vincent alle ins en outs op het gebied van bijvoorbeeld de techniek van F1-bolides en straffen. Tevens schrijft hij bij GPFans columns.

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