Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has confirmed he will compete in the legendary Nurburgring 24-hour race in 2026, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Verstappen took part in a variety of GT3 races at the Nurburgring last year with a view to taking part in the iconic endurance race.
The four-time F1 world champion finished sixth in Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix as the F1 2026 season got underway in Melbourne.
A little more than 24 hours after the F1 2026 curtain raiser, Verstappen has announced that he will participate in the Nurburgring 24 hours, which is being held across May 14-17.
The event will fall between the Miami and Canadian grands prix.
Verstappen will compete behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car under the banner of the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing outfit.
He will share driving duties with Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, with the car appearing in a Red Bull-branded livery (below).
Verstappen said: “The Nurburgring is a special place. There is no other race track like it.
“The 24h Nurburgring has been on my wish list for a long time, so I’m very excited that we can now make it happen.
“Last year, I obtained my DMSB licence for the Nordschleife and was able to participate in NLS9, where we won.
“This preparation is very valuable, as we learned a lot that we can incorporate into this year’s programme.
“With Dani, Jules and Lucas, we have a strong line-up and are receiving great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport.
“Now it’s a matter of making the right preparations before the events so that we can get the most out of ourselves in the races.”
Walter Hornung, the race director of the Nurburgring 24 hours, added: “We are delighted that Max Verstappen is competing in the 24h Nurburgring.
“Like all the other starters across the various vehicle classes, he has fallen under the spell of this special race track.
“The fact that he is taking his start seriously and approaching it in an incredibly professional manner is already evident from his intensive preparation.
“He went through the normal qualification process without any special treatment, prepared himself with drives on the Nordschleife, completed the mandatory e-learning and familiarised himself intensively with the track with countless SimRacing laps.
“As organisers, we are just as excited as countless fans around the globe to see how well he will manage the transition from Formula 1 racing cars to this year’s particularly competitive GT3 class on the world’s toughest race track.
“The Nordschleife is the ultimate challenge in motorsport – and Max is taking it on!”
Verstappen, 28, has been a vocal critic of the new rules for the F1 2026 season, hinting at last month’s pre-season test in Bahrain that he could walk away if the new cars are no fun to drive.
He told PlanetF1.com and other media outlets: “A winning car, for me, that doesn’t matter.
“It needs to be fun to drive as well, I think, at this stage of my career.
“I am, of course, also exploring other things outside of Formula 1 to have fun at.
“I know that we’re stuck with this regulation for quite a while, so let’s see.”
