Nurburgring 24 Hours Latest: Mercedes-AMG fastest as Verstappen Racing delivers show of confidence

As four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen prepares to make his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours later today (Saturday, May 16) his team-mate Jules Gounon has completed the final pre-race session for Verstappen Racing.

The iconic German endurance event will officially get underway at 2pm (BST) on Saturday, but prior to the race start, the last practice session took place on the Nordschleife.

The final warm-up for the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring is now behind us, with Maxime Martin, driving the #80 Mercedes-AMG for Team Ravenol, posting the fastest time.

Meanwhile, Verstappen’s team-mate, Gounon, ended up in ninth. The team from Winward Racing enjoyed a smooth session, a contrast to the difficulties faced by Lionspeed GP.

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Nurburgring one-two for Mercedes-AMG, Gounon in ninth after warm-up

There’s a saying in motorsport: nothing good ever happens during warm-up. This couldn’t be more accurate for four participants.

The #577 asBest Cupra from the TCR class came to a halt due to a mechanical fault, while the #519 Ravenol Japan-Supra from the VT2 RWD category had to be retired after a flat tyre.

Mid-session, a bizarre collision occurred when Lionspeed GP’s #24 GT3-Porsche, driven by Laurin Heinrich, collided with Leo Geisler’s BMW 318ti.

Geisler was preparing to leave the GP track for a timed lap, while Heinrich was venturing onto the Nordschleife.

Fortunately, the damage to Lionspeed GP’s car was minimal, and the team confirmed to GPFans that they’re all set to compete in the race.

Max Hofer in the #18 Porsche for Lionspeed GP led the early phase with an 8:53.797 lap, only to be overtaken by Gounon in the Verstappen Racing car, who shaved off three seconds.

Augusto Farfus in the #1 ROWE BMW and Kevin Estre in the #911 Manthey Porsche soon fell behind. Ultimately, Martin claimed the top spot with an impressive 8:32.206, a full 4.576 seconds quicker than Marek Bockmann in the #26 PROsport Mercedes-AMG. Nicki Thiim rounded out the podium in the Walkenhorst-Aston Martin ahead of Red Bull ABT Lamborghini’s Mirko Bortolotti.

Gounon’s time slipped to ninth, but warm-up results aren’t what really matter. The key is ensuring every system in the car is operating perfectly. The Andorran driver completed the entire first half of the session before heading into the pits, with Verstappen Racing following suit. It’s a positive sign—everything is running as it should, and the teams are feeling confident heading into race day.

Ahead of Saturday afternoon's race start, Mercedes-AMG confirmed that it will be Spanish driver Dani Juncadella who will take the start in the #3 car he is set to share with Gounon, Verstappen, and Austrian racer Lucas Auer.

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