Photo: Red Bull Content Pool
Verstappen adds Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers to his plans
Max Verstappen will return to the Nürburgring-Nordschleife later this month, entering the 24h Qualifiers as he continues to build experience ahead of a potential start in the 24-hour race.
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Max Verstappen has confirmed he will compete in the Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers on 18-19 April, continuing his growing involvement in GT racing.
The Red Bull driver will share the car with Lucas Auer across two four-hour races, held on Saturday evening and Sunday. The event forms part of Verstappen’s preparation for a future Nürburgring 24 Hours entry, with a focus on gaining experience in different conditions.
The appearance has been made possible by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, which has created a gap in the Formula 1 calendar.
The 24h Qualifiers use the full 25.378 km Nordschleife layout, offering a more complete challenge than the configuration used in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie. One of Verstappen’s key targets is to gain experience in low-light conditions, with Saturday’s race running into the evening and potentially providing time in the dark.
Earlier this week, Verstappen returned to the Nordschleife shortly after the Japanese Grand Prix, completing additional mileage in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 during a combined test and filming day. The running also included wet conditions, another important step in his preparation.
Images from the test quickly spread on social media, including a stop at the Döttinger Höhe fuel station, a well-known meeting point for fans around the circuit.
Verstappen will race alongside Auer for the first time, as "regular" team-mates Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon are unavailable due to World Endurance Championship commitments in Imola.
