Verstappen to race in Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers following "super enjoyable" NLS 2
- Benjamin Crundwell
- 4 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Max Verstappen will race in the Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers on 18th and 19th April, following his feature in NLS 2.
As Formula One faces increasingly drastic backlash by fans and drivers for their new regulations, Max Verstappen completing side quests in sportscars is promoting alternate forms of racing for fans who are yet to venture outside the world of single seaters.
Verstappen confirmed the rumours in March that he and the Verstappen.com team would be racing in the Nürburgring 24h this year with Winward Racing and Mercedes. To prepare for the event, he took part in NLS 2 with Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella.
Although he was not planning on it, the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix has allowed Verstappen to race in the two Nürburgring 24h Qualifier events on the 18th and 19th April with Lucas Auer.
The events are the main ones used during the NLS (Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie) season for teams to gain experience and licences for the 24 hour race. Both races will involve a 90 minute qualifying session and a four hour race. Predominantly for Verstappen.com, the qualifiers are a great chance to fast track their position in Top Qualifying for Nürburgring 24h (the equivalent of Q3 in F1).
Verstappen’s adventures at the Nürburgring started last May, when he took part in a Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) test session under the alias ‘Franz Hermann’ with fellow Team Redline sim racer Chris Lulham. The test took place in the Verstappen.com-sponsored Emil Frey Ferrari 296 GT3.
Due to the dangerous nature of the track (nicknamed ‘the Green Hell’ by Jackie Stewart in 1968), specific licenses are required to race on the Nordschleife. A few months after the initial test, Verstappen and Lulham competed in NLS 7 in a Porsche Cayman GT4 CS to obtain their licenses.
Two rounds later, the duo took on NLS 9 in the Ferrari 296 GT3, competing in the top class, SP9. Verstappen failed to go fastest in qualifying, but quickly took the lead when the lights went green.
Lucky not to have been hit by a late-braking Porsche GT3 Cup car in Turn 1, Verstappen drove away from the rest of the field, putting one minute on Nürburgring specialist Frank Stippler. Lulham took over driving duties for the second half of the Race and kept the lead, securing both drivers' first win on their debut.
Verstappen’s intent to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours was amplified over the winter when Verstappen.com announced they would race a Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the NLS in 2026 with factory drivers Gounon and Juncadella.
Verstappen.com recently competed in NLS 2, their first Race with the Mercedes. This time, Verstappen didn’t falter in qualifying, taking pole by nearly two seconds.
Although Verstappen lost the lead, the opening stint was spectacular nonetheless. Equally outstanding, Christopher Haase snatched first place on Lap 1, and the two drivers disappeared into the horizon.
Running nose-to-tail for one hour, the pair were setting lap times of 7:55.000, while most other cars were struggling to break below the eight-minute mark. Verstappen had a few unsuccessful attempts at overtaking Haase, but finally nabbed him on their final run down the Döttinger Höhe.
After Verstappen out-braked Haase into Tiergarten, both cars pulled into the pits. Haase’s No.16 Scherer Sport Audi actually regained the lead in the pits; however, Nico Hantke (who took the wheel) was unable to defend against Juncadella, who took over the No.3 Verstappen.com Mercedes.
Once Juncadella had fought off the alternate-strategy ROWE Racing BMW, he started to stretch the car’s lead. Gounon continued the effort when he was in the driving seat after the two-hour mark.
The lead gap was 40 seconds when Verstappen started the final stint and was over one minute at the end of the race. Unfortunately, the car was disqualified post-race for using an extra tyre during qualifying.
The mistake did not benefit the car, but the rules are followed strictly on the Nordschleife, so they had to pay the price. The predominant reason for competing in the NLS is to gain experience before the Nürburgring 24 Hours, and this was a harsh way of practising some of the more unusual regulations the team will face come May, when they compete in the big thing.
Despite the disqualification, Verstappen remained positive: “For me, this whole weekend has been about getting to grips with the car on the Nordschleife. Which, yes, it was super enjoyable. The team also prepared the car really well, so we could do some decent testing.
“They made me feel really comfortable with the car. So yeah, a really good experience for me. This whole venue is, of course, amazing. Also, to see all the fans, and just how passionate they are about racing and the cars here – it’s always fantastic to see, and I’m happy to be a part of that.
“For me, this is one of the craziest tracks in the world... in a good way! I’ve been watching this for a very long time, and it’s one of these races that you just want to compete in. And at least finally this year I have the chance to do it.”
The effort made by Verstappen to win (on track) his first two races in a GT3 car is nothing less than remarkable, especially on the Nordschleife. The achievement is a testament to his talent and versatility, but also the characters he has been surrounded by who have helped him gel on the ring.
Verstappen will return to the Nürburgring for the 24h Qualifiers on 18th and 19th April with Lucas Auer.
Verstappen, Auer, Gounon and Juncadella will compete together from 14th to 17th May 2026 in the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
