‘I’m really thrilled we can make it happen’ – Verstappen to make Nurburgring 24 Hours debut

Max Verstappen has confirmed that he will make his debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May with Mercedes, ticking off an event that has “been on my bucket list for a long time”.

The Dutchman will still be supported by Red Bull in his new endeavour, with the Milton Keynes outfit providing a livery for the Mercedes AMG-GT3 car he will field with team Winward Racing.

Verstappen will prepare for the iconic race by entering NLS2 on March 21 under the number 3, mirroring his F1 entry this season, with his participation in the midst of a busy calendar reflecting “his love for racing and his continued push to test the limits of driving”, a team statement read.

“The Nurburgring Nordschleife is a special place,” Verstappen said. “There’s no other track like it. The 24h Nurburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now.

“Last year, I was able to get my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and participate in NLS9, that we won. That preparation is very valuable, as we have learned a lot that we can take into our programme this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race.”

Verstappen has not hidden his love of endurance racing, winning his first GT3 event on debut in the Nurburgring Endurance Series in September 2025. After qualifying third, he seized the lead and built a comprehensive advantage, which his team mate Chris Lulham increased in the second stint to secure victory.

The latest announcement was made in characteristic Red Bull style, with aerial athlete Max Manow performing a 131-metre BASE jump into a cooling tower to reveal the Red Bull livery that will adorn the Mercedes car, kickstarting Verstappen Racing’s “long-term vision to compete at top-level endurance events”.

The four-time World Champion added: “We’ve got a strong line-up with Dani [Juncadella], Jules [Gounon] and Lucas [Auer] and great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it’s about putting in the right preparations before the events, so we can maximise everything in the races.”