Lando Norris and George Russell took advantage of the Formula 1 break to follow in Max Verstappen’s footsteps and speed up on the legendary Nurburgring-Nordschleife. The two drivers participated in a Pirelli tire test, respectively with their McLaren and Mercedes F1 cars, and also had the opportunity to drive on the long historic German track.
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The activity marked the return of Formula 1 cars to the Nurburgring circuit after six years, since the 2020 Eifel GP. McLaren and Mercedes collaborated with the Italian supplier in a dry track tire test held on April 14 and 15.
The test took place during the five-week Formula 1 break, caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia GPs. The two rounds were removed from the calendar due to safety concerns related to the situation in the Middle East.
While at the circuit, Norris and Russell also took the opportunity to do laps on the Nordschleife, the iconic 20.8-kilometer layout known as the ‘Green Hell’. The historic circuit stopped hosting Formula 1 races after Niki Lauda’s serious accident in 1976, which led the category to permanently abandon the long track.
In recent months, Verstappen has been a frequent presence at the venue. The four-time F1 world champion has regularly participated in GT races at the Nurburgring circuit since his debut in the category in September 2025.
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More recently, the driver won the NLS2 race in March, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3, although he was later disqualified for a technical infringement on the car. Verstappen is also preparing to compete in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, which will be held in early May.
After the Formula 1 test on the smaller circuit, Russell revealed that he also took the opportunity to get to know the traditional Nordschleife: “I really enjoyed driving on the big circuit this morning. I really love Nurburgring,” said the Mercedes driver, who, like Norris, used a fast but ‘road’ car, not an F1.
The Briton highlighted the experience on the historic layout: “I also did some laps on the Nordschleife. I really liked it, it’s really a traditional, old-school circuit,” he added.
Russell also expressed interest in seeing Formula 1 return to Germany: “I would love to race here again one day. We don’t have an F1 race in Germany at the moment and, with Mercedes, it would probably be great to have one back on the calendar,” he concluded.
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