BREAKING: Max Verstappen confirmed for 24-hour debut

It has been confirmed that Max Verstappen will enter this year's 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, marking his official debut in an endurance race that runs twice around the clock.

The four-time F1 world champion will race for his Verstappen Racing outfit in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, alongside a talented line-up of Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer.

Verstappen has spoken openly about his intention to race at the notorious endurance event on the full Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, something he began working towards last year.

In 2025, Verstappen completed 14 laps of the iconic venue in a Porsche Cayman GT4, with a judging panel seeing enough to issue him with the necessary licence to compete at the track in GT3 machinery.

After receiving his DMSB Permit Nordschleife, the 28-year-old went on to compete in — and win — the ninth round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) in a Ferrari 296 GT3.

Now, Verstappen is taking it to another level, as he prepares to enter the second round of the 2026 NLS in preparation for his 24-hour debut.

The second NLS race takes place next weekend on March 21, a week after the Chinese Grand Prix. As for the 24-hour event, it is scheduled for May 14–17.

Interestingly, should the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix be cancelled due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, Verstappen would also be able to take part in qualifying for the 24-hour race on April 18–19.

Verstappen's team will run the #3 he is using in F1 this season and is receiving support from Red Bull, with the brand having a heavy presence on the Mercedes GT3's livery.

The official team name for the events is Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, and it will be run by Team Winward Racing.

"The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a special place," said Verstappen. "There's no other circuit like it. The 24 Hours of the Nürburgring has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I'm thrilled we can now make it a reality. 

"Last year, I got my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and competed in NLS9, which we won. That preparation is invaluable, because we learned a lot that we can apply to our program this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race. 

"We have a strong lineup with Dani, Jules, and Lucas, and fantastic support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it's all about the right preparations before the events so we can maximise our performance in the races."