Formula 1 star Max Verstappen will take part in the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring for the first time in 2026. The Dutchman, who won four Formula 1 world championship titles between 2021 and 2024, is taking on one of the most challenging tasks in international motorsport: a start on the legendary Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
Verstappen will compete in the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing. Together with Lucas Auer (Austria), Jules Gounon (France) and Daniel Juncadella (Spain), he will share a Mercedes-AMG GT3. The race is the result of lengthy preparations that began last year. This included stints on the Nordschleife as well as extensive training in sim racing.
The race will also be particularly interesting for Verstappen’s large fan base: the organizers are planning a special ticket offer with exclusive promotions for Dutch fans. Further details will be published shortly.
Enthusiasm for the Nordschleife
Verstappen has been a big fan of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife for a long time. In addition to real-life starts in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), he has also been intensively involved with the track digitally – for example in virtual NLS races.
The Dutchman emphasizes that the Nürburgring is a unique race track for him and that a start in the 24-hour classic has long been one of his personal goals. He is also planning another outing in the NLS before the main race to gain additional experience.
Last year, Verstappen received the necessary Nordschleife license from the DMSB and was able to compete in the NLS finale, which he won with his team. The knowledge gained there will now be incorporated into the preparations for this year’s program. With his team-mates and the support of Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, he believes he is well prepared for the challenge.
Preparation without special status
From the organizers’ point of view, Verstappen will be treated like any other participant. Race director Walter Hornung emphasizes that even a celebrity driver must meet all the usual requirements to be allowed to compete on the Nordschleife.
This included race outings on the track, mandatory e-learning and numerous training laps in the simulator. The intensive preparation shows how seriously Verstappen takes the start at the endurance classic.
Many fans around the world are eager to see how the switch from a Formula 1 car to a GT3 racing car on the demanding Nordschleife will affect the Dutchman.
Driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3
Verstappen will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the 24-hour race. The vehicle is one of the two performance cars entered by Winward Racing. The cars will compete under the names Mercedes-AMG Team RAVENOL and Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing.
The sister car with starting number 80 also has a top-class line-up: Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz make up the driver quartet.
Verstappen will start with the number 3 – his familiar starting number from Formula 1 in the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. Together, the two GT3 cars form the spearhead of the Mercedes-AMG line-up, which is supplemented by several customer teams.