Max Verstappen added another curious chapter to his motorsport career after competing in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring last weekend. With his participation in the traditional endurance event, the four-time Formula 1 world champion joined a group of world champions who have faced 24-hour races.
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The Red Bull Racing driver’s participation drew attention not only for the challenge on one of the most difficult tracks in the world but also for its historical significance. Verstappen became only the second Formula 1 champion to compete in the long-duration race at Nurburgring after Niki Lauda, who took part in the race in 1973.
The Dutchman was leading the race with car number 3 until suffering a transmission axle failure, a problem that ended his chances of victory. Even without the win, his endurance debut brought the number of F1 champions with experience in 24-hour races to 28.
Thus, only seven of the 35 world champions in Formula 1 history have never participated in a race of this type. Among the names on this list are Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Mika Hakkinen, Kimi Raikkonen, Sebastian Vettel, and Nico Rosberg.
The survey also shows the strong connection between F1 drivers and traditional long-duration races. Of the 28 champions who have competed in at least one 24-hour race, 22 participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Another seven raced at Spa and Daytona, while only Lauda and Verstappen competed at Nurburgring.
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No Formula 1 champion has competed in all four major 24-hour endurance races. Still, 12 of the 28 names on the list have participated in at least two of these races throughout their careers.
Among the highlights of the survey is Fernando Alonso, winner at Le Mans in 2018 and 2019, as well as triumphing at Daytona in 2018. Phil Hill also achieved important victories both at Le Mans and Daytona, while Graham Hill won at Le Mans in 1972.
The list also includes historic Formula 1 champions such as Juan Manuel Fangio, Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, Michael Schumacher, and Jenson Button. Verstappen now joins this select group, expanding his career beyond traditional category races and reinforcing the connection between Formula 1 and endurance racing.
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