It had been in the air for a while, but Max Verstappen’s team confirmed on Thursday that the Dutchman will return to the Nürburgring Nordschleife later this month. Verstappen will further prepare for the infamous 24-hour race by participating in the qualifying sessions on April 18 and 19. Due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, he has more time for GT3 outings.
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In March, Verstappen already participated in the opening race of the NLS season at the Nürburgring. In his new Mercedes GT3 car, he was initially successful on the German asphalt: his team crossed the finish line first. Afterwards, however, the victory was declared invalid. He and his teammates, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, were disqualified because they had used too many sets of tires.
In April, Verstappen will have the chance to redeem himself. Because the Saudi Arabian GP is not taking place – following the war in the Middle East – he is participating in the qualifying races at the Nürburgring. These serve as a kind of dress rehearsal for the 24-hour race in May. With two four-hour races, teams can test their cars’ performance, practice driver changes, and qualify for the top 30. This time, Verstappen forms a team with Lucas Auer, who was still missing during NLS2. In May, he will be at the start together with Gounon, Juncadella, and Auer.
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Max returns to the Nordschleife soon for the @24hNBR Qualifiers, together with Austrian driver Lucas Auer for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing. pic.twitter.com/2MDpA5oav3
— Max Verstappen (@VerstappenCOM) April 2, 2026
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