Formula 1 continues to follow Max Verstappen’s strong debut at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. After eight hours of racing on the Nordschleife, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #3 from Verstappen Racing remains in direct contention for victory and led for several laps during the German night.
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The Dutchman took over the car after Daniel Juncadella’s initial stint and quickly began gaining positions amid the variable track conditions. Verstappen moved up from tenth place and advanced to the front of the race with several aggressive overtakes on the more than 25-kilometer circuit.
Even facing a big scare on a wet section, when he almost completely lost the rear of the car, the four-time world champion maintained a strong pace and stayed competitive. After completing a double stint, Verstappen handed the Mercedes over to Jules Gounon still in the lead.
The Frenchman encountered a more complicated situation with the return of rain to the circuit and ended up losing part of the advantage previously built. Still, he managed to keep car #3 among the leaders before handing the wheel to Lucas Auer.
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During the early hours, Auer put Verstappen Racing back in first position and held the lead for several laps. However, the Austrian began to feel pressure from Stolz, the driver of the other Mercedes-AMG GT3 who was gaining ground in the race. After closing the gap, Stolz took the lead and started to open a gap, although the battle remains tight.
At the eight-hour mark of the race, both Mercedes made new pit stops. Stolz stayed in the car for another double stint, while Juncadella returned to the wheel of the Verstappen Racing Mercedes for the continuation of the race, which still has 16 more hours until the final flag.
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