Max Verstappen already has a date to return to the iconic Nordschleife-Nurburgring circuit, after a frustrating weekend on the German track, which is over 20 km long. The four-time Formula 1 champion confirmed he will return next month to compete in the traditional Nurburgring 24 Hours race.
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The Dutchman’s most recent participation in the NLS round did not end as expected. Even after good battles and taking the lead, car #3, a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, suffered technical problems that compromised any chance of victory.
The team had to remain in the pits for 28 minutes to resolve the failure, which ended the fight for victory. Verstappen explained that the problem arose during his second sequence of laps, when he noticed unexpected changes in the car’s behavior.
“I think it was on the second lap of the second stint. At one point I had a lot of front grip in the fast corners. Then strong vibrations started. At some point, the splitter started to wobble a lot. So I immediately realized it had broken,” Verstappen stated in an interview with Viaplay.
The Dutchman also stated that there was no contact with other cars that would justify the damage: “It’s strange. Normally you quickly notice if you’ve touched someone or not. But I didn’t touch anyone, so I don’t know how that happened,” he added.
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Despite the frustrating result, Verstappen showed optimism for his next participation at the German circuit. On his social media, the Red Bull Racing F1 driver commented on the weekend’s performance and projected his return: “A weekend with a lot to absorb. Lucas Auer (who shared the car with Verstappen) and I prepared as best as possible for the big challenge. Looking forward to coming back next month,” he added.
After competing in different rounds of the 2026 NLS season, the Dutch driver’s next commitment at the iconic circuit will be the traditional Nurburgring 24 Hours. For this race, Verstappen will share car #3 with Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and again with Auer.
The long race weekend will begin on May 14, with the start of the 24-hour race scheduled for the 16th. Thus, even with the recent setback, Verstappen is already turning his attention to one of the most demanding challenges in world motorsport.
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