Max Verstappen saw his team lose the lead at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring after a problem with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #3 during the final stretch of the race. The car driven by the four-time Formula 1 champion had to return to the pits shortly after Dani Juncadella took the wheel.
Read more F1: Chief explains failure that took Verstappen out of the lead at Nurburgring
The situation completely changed the scenario of the German race. After dominating much of the night and opening a comfortable lead, the Mercedes of the Verstappen Racing team dropped in the standings while the mechanics investigated the failure.
Juncadella had taken over the car after Verstappen completed a double stint and handed the Mercedes with more than 30 seconds advantage in the lead. However, just two laps after the driver change, the Spaniard slowly returned to the pits with a problem not yet confirmed by the team.
The car was placed on stands in the garage while the mechanics focused their work on the right rear of the Mercedes. The initial suspicion involved a possible problem with the suspension or the drive shaft. Still inside the cockpit, Juncadella was seen with his hands on his head while the team tried to understand the failure.
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With the temporary abandonment of the lead by car #3, Maro Engel took the lead of the race with the Mercedes #80 from the same team. The new leader’s advantage became more than five minutes over the Lamborghini #84, which was in second place after 134 laps completed.
Before the problem, Verstappen had been one of the highlights of the endurance race. The Dutchman led for much of the night and managed to open a significant lead at the top of the standings, consolidating a strong performance in his first participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
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