Sunday’s four-hour qualifier was held one day after the tragic accident that claimed the life of Finnish driver Juha Miettinen, with the grid paying tribute before the start.
The race marked only the third completed round of the 2026 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie season after earlier disruptions to the calendar. Once underway, Verstappen quickly became one of the main contenders.
Driving the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo run by Winward Racing, the Dutchman started from fifth place and made rapid progress through the field. Within the opening stages, he had already moved into first position.
He then found himself in another close battle with Christopher Haase, continuing an emerging rivalry between the pair on the Nordschleife after their exciting fight earlier this season. Verstappen held on to the lead and began creating a gap at the front.