Max Verstappen suffered a hard blow at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring after the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #3 experienced a mechanical failure while fighting for the victory. The team confirmed that the problem occurred at the rear right of the car and was not related to any contact or accident.
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The problem interrupted Verstappen’s team’s strong race precisely in the final hours of the traditional German event. Dani Juncadella had to bring the car into the pits unexpectedly, causing the team to lose important positions after leading for much of the night.
Steve Buschmann, head of Winward Racing, explained that the failure was entirely technical and ruled out damage caused by contact on the track. “Unfortunately, we have a technical problem. It is at the rear right, there was no crash or contact, it is really something mechanical. Frustrating,” he told the race organizers.
The manager highlighted that the Mercedes was immediately taken to the garage, where the mechanics began repairs to try to get the car back on track as soon as possible. Despite the significant loss of time, the team was still working to keep the car in the race until the end of the 24 Hours.
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Buschmann also sought to reassure the team about the second Mercedes of the team, car #80, which was still firmly in the fight for the race lead. According to him, there is no indication that the problem is something widespread between the two cars of the structure.
“We do not believe at this moment that it is something involving both cars, it seems to be specific to this car. That is, we do not think the same damage will necessarily happen to the other Mercedes,” explained the team boss.
Before the failure, Verstappen had been one of the big highlights of the endurance race, leading the race for long periods and showing strong pace in his debut at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
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