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One day after his sixth-place finish in the 2026 Formula 1 season opener, Max Verstappen has confirmed that he will make his debut at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May from behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG. The four-time Formula 1 World Champion is more than comfortable behind the wheel of a GT3 car, and has previously told Road & Track about his long-standing interest in endurance racing. So, the news of him competing in the Nürburgring 24 Hours this year should not come as a surprise.
However, the way the car was revealed certainly was.
For the car's debut, German athlete Max Manow completed a 430-foot BASE jump into a power plant cooling tower in Meppen, Germany. Inside the decommissioned natural gas steam power plant cooling tower sat the Mercedes-AMG GT3, looking resplendent in Red Bull livery. The car will wear race number 3—the same number Verstappen is using for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
MIHAI STETCU
Verstappen will share the car with drivers Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon, and Daniel Juncadella. Auer and Gounon are factory drivers for the Mercedes GT3 program, while Juncadella recently jumped from Corvette Racing to a new role driving Le Mans Hypercars for Genesis Magma Racing. It is a strong entry, one that should make the Verstappen car a contender to win overall in the GT3-led race. The team will participate in several events leading up to the 24-hour race in May. Verstappen will make his first appearance of the season at the NLS2 on March 21.
“The Nürburgring is a special place. There’s no other track like it. The 24h Nürburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now," said Verstappen. "Last year, I was able to get my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and participate in NLS9, that we won. That preparation is very valuable, as we have learned a lot that we can take into our program this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race. We’ve got a strong line-up with Dani, Jules and Lucas and great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it’s about putting in the right preparations before the events, so we can maximize everything in the races.”
The 2026 Formula One season may be only one race old, but the Mercedes-AMG team has already made a statement with a commanding 1–2 finish in Australia. The Silver Arrows clearly have the pace to challenge Verstappen as he chases a fifth world title this year. But while the championship battle unfolds on the F1 calendar, the flying Dutchman will have to shift focus to the unforgiving “Green Hell.” If the GT3 car is as competitive as Mercedes's F1 machinery has looked so far, Verstappen could soon be holding the endurance race trophy he's long dreamed of.
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