Max Verstappen’s participation in the qualifying for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring took on dramatic contours this Friday (15). The four-time Formula 1 world champion managed to advance to the final phase of the grid definition after describing the session as ‘incredibly difficult’.
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The Dutchman was tasked with driving during Top Qualifying 2 and needed to place car #3 among the seven fastest to secure a spot in the final battle for pole position. The mission was accomplished at the limit, ensuring the team’s continuation in the fight for first place in the traditional German race.
After the session, Verstappen highlighted the high level of competition and admitted that the qualifying demanded a lot from the team: “I felt comfortable in the car. Our goal was to reach Top Qualifying 3,” he said in a statement reproduced by Motorsport.com.
The Red Bull Racing F1 driver emphasized that the balance among competitors made the activity even more complicated: “This obviously isn’t easy with the competition that’s there. It’s incredibly difficult, there are many fast cars, but we managed to get in among them by very little. So that last lap was just enough.”
With the goal achieved, Verstappen will hand over the car to Dani Juncadella, responsible for the final attempt to secure pole position later this Friday. The Dutchman also celebrated the fact that the weather conditions cooperated during his participation: “It was good. Fortunately, it was dry, the car behaved well, and we managed to advance. That was the goal,” he said.
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Besides the challenge in qualifying, Verstappen also faced a night practice session on Thursday. The driver explained that he had his first contact with the circuit in the dark, precisely under extremely challenging conditions, with rain and fog appearing throughout the activity.
“Yesterday we had many changes in conditions and, for me, it was the first time in the dark. Probably right in the worst possible conditions, with rain and fog arriving,” he added. Despite this, he considered the experience important for the team’s preparation for the main race on Saturday.
Verstappen concluded by highlighting confidence in the work done by the group in recent days: “At least I had a good first impression of what we can expect in the race. To be honest, I think we prepared as best as possible as a team. It’s really a very professional group, who put heart and soul into everything. We expect a good result,” he finished.
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