Formula 1 star Max Verstappen will participate 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, will thus take on one of the most demanding challenges in international motorsport: starting in the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Verstappen will compete with the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing. He will share a Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Lucas Auer (Austria), Jules Gounon (France), and Daniel Juncadella (Spain). The participation is the result of extensive preparation that began last year. This included deployments on the Nordschleife as well as extensive training in sim racing.
The race will also be particularly interesting for Verstappen's large fan base: for Dutch fans, the organizers are planning a special ticket offer with exclusive promotions. Further details will be released shortly.
Enthusiasm for the Nordschleife
Verstappen has long been considered a big fan of the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In addition to real starts in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), he has also engaged intensely with the track digitally, such as in virtual NLS races.
The Dutchman emphasizes that the Nürburgring is a unique racetrack for him and that competing in the 24-hour classic has long been one of his personal goals. Before the main race, he also plans another outing in the NLS to gain additional experience.
Last year, Verstappen already received the required Nordschleife license from the DMSB and was able to compete in the NLS finale, which he won with his team. The knowledge gained there is now intended to be incorporated into the preparation for this year's program. With his teammates and the support of Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, he feels well-prepared for the challenge.
Preparation without special status
From the organizers' perspective, Verstappen is treated like any other participant. Race director Walter Hornung emphasizes that even a prominent driver must fulfill all the usual requirements to be allowed to start on the Nordschleife.
This included, among other things, racing on the track, mandatory e-learning, and numerous training laps in the simulator. The intensive preparation shows how seriously Verstappen is taking his start in the endurance classic.
Many fans worldwide are eager to see how the switch from a Formula 1 car to a GT3 race car will affect the Dutchman on the challenging Nordschleife.
Deployment in the Mercedes-AMG GT3
For the 24-hour race, Verstappen will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3. The vehicle is one of 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 is also top-class: Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller, and Luca Stolz form the driver quartet there.
Verstappen will start with number 3 – his well-known starting number from Formula 1 with the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. Together, both GT3 vehicles form the spearhead of the Mercedes-AMG lineup, which is additionally supplemented by several customer teams.