Heroic Max Verstappen to Take On the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring

One month before the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans, this year a special anticipation surrounds the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, which will take the green flag at 3 p.m. on Saturday, 16 May. The circuit is the legendary Nordschleife joined to the GP Strecke layout: more than 25 kilometres per lap, weaving up and down through the hills of the Eifel.
The first-ever 24 Hours Nürburgring was held on 27–28 June 1970 and marked the transformation of the event from a regularity rally into a true endurance race on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The eligible cars are Gran Turismos (GT3 and GT4) along with GT and Touring cars derived from production models. A total of 161 machines will line up at the start — an impressive figure that, even spread across more than twenty-five kilometres and something in the order of 170 corners, will demand great dexterity when it comes to lapping the slower cars. A true inferno, all the more so when one considers the long hours of darkness and the headlights blazing without rest.
The Nürburgring Nordschleife remains one of motorsport's purest and most demanding circuits, a 25-kilometre "green hell" of over 170 corners where modern GT3 and GT4 cars still battle on the same unforgiving layout used decades ago.
Last year, 280,000 spectators were camped all around the circuit. It is easy to imagine that this year they will be even more, since multiple F1 World Champion Max Verstappen will be racing a Mercedes-AMG GT3, instantly recognisable for its classic Red Bull livery.
By taking part in this race, Max wishes to crown a dream he has always carried within him: that of living a unique and brutal experience, one that has nothing to do with the organisational perfection of a Grand Prix. It is precisely this sensation that draws him — to taste the motor racing of another era, exhilarating and merciless. The Dutchman has prepared by entering three rounds of the NLS series, run on the same track over distances of four or six hours, and has once again confirmed his immense talent.
Max Verstappen's presence at the Nürburgring is expected to draw an exceptional crowd. Racing a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in Red Bull livery, his entry is a major boost for motorsport visibility and fan engagement.
At the wheel of the Verstappen Racing team's Mercedes-AMG GT3 — carrying the number 3, the very same Max uses in Formula 1 — three stars of GT racing will share the driving with him: Auer, Gounon and Juncadella.
The race can be followed on Red Bull TV and on the official YouTube channel of the 24H Nürburgring (https://www.youtube.com/@24hnbr).
The race will start on Saturday 16 May 2026 at 15:00. It is racing in its most authentic form, echoing the spirit of motorsport as it was in the past, a truly pure expression of driving passion.