Max Verstappen describes extreme Nordschleife challenge: 'I could barely see'

Max Verstappen has described the dramatic conditions he faced at the Nordschleife in preparation for the upcoming race.

Verstappen will start the Nürburgring 24 Hours from fourth place after a successful day of qualifying on Friday.

In the build-up to the competitive sessions, Verstappen took part in a late-evening practice run to gain experience of driving the circuit in the dark.

Having navigated the challenging session, Verstappen said it provided an extreme test behind the wheel

"The conditions were quite tricky," Verstappen told Viaplay. 

"Especially when I did try to drive in the dark, of course. A lot of rain, so I could barely see with a little bit of fog and vapour coming off the track.

"Then you just can't see where there is a lot of water. So you just have to drive slowly. 

“But for me it was important to ride in the dark for a while anyway and get used to it a little bit, with your eyes as well."

Verstappen added that the trackside spectators can also have a significant influence, as they can easily be mistaken for a marshal's instruction.

"It's more about seeing a lot of green and yellow lights,” he said. “You have to pay attention. It just looks like there's a yellow or green flag."

"It's a bit weird sometimes and you have to get used to that. And you have to know where of course all those track posts are too. 

“It's even harder to see in the dark, so that's why it was good to do a lap."