Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen is using the race break between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix for a special guest appearance: The Red Bull driver will compete in this year's Nürburgring 24 Hours race, once again fulfilling his passion for endurance racing.
The Dutchman had already familiarized himself with the Nordschleife during several appearances in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), showing strong performances. Before his start in the Eifel classic, Verstappen was optimistic but emphasized the importance of the Balance of Performance for the car's competitiveness. At the same time, the four-time Formula 1 world champion explained that reliability plays a crucial role in a 24-hour race.
Verstappen also made it clear that he would like to participate in endurance races more often. However, whether further appearances would be possible would depend significantly on the tightly scheduled Formula 1 calendar. A possible start at the 24 Hours of Spa would also have appealed to him, the 71-time Grand Prix winner hinted.
Meanwhile, the organizers of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring can look forward to enormous attention. With Verstappen as a prominent participant, fan interest was greater than ever before: for the first time in the history of the race, all weekend tickets are sold out, with only a few day tickets still available.