MUENSTER
Four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen enjoyed a stellar start to his highly anticipated endurance racing debut. His Verstappen Racing team secured fourth place on the starting grid for the iconic 24 Hours of Nuerburgring.
Spanish co-driver Dani Juncadella produced a blazing final lap of eight minutes 12.005 seconds over the fearsome 25-kilometer German track. Famously nicknamed “The Green Hell,” the challenging circuit tested drivers with complex corners and rapidly shifting grip levels. Top honors went to the Red Bull-backed Team ABT Lamborghini, with German driver Luca Engstler taking pole position with a time of 8:11.123.
Verstappen expressed great satisfaction with his car’s performance after clocking the sixth-fastest time during the second knockout stage. He noted that advancing through the intense qualifying sessions against a field of fast cars was a massive achievement. The Dutch superstar takes advantage of an F1 weekend break to fulfill this “bucket-list” ambition, sharing his Mercedes-AMG GT3 with teammates Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and Lucas Auer.
The global racing icon’s presence has sparked unprecedented excitement, triggering the first complete ticket sell-out in the history of the event. A massive grid of 161 cars across 23 different classes is set to compete. The ultimate test of stamina begins on Saturday afternoon at 15:00 local time, as Verstappen’s squad sets its sights on victory.
