Max Verstappen dominates the headlines this Sunday, and we\u2019ll take you through all the N\u00fcrburgring action and much more.<\/p>\n
Pre-race respects were paid to Juha Miettinen, after his death at the circuit on Saturday, before the racing action took place in the final Qualifier for the N\u00fcrburgring 24 Hours next month.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen win chances curtailed after 28-minute pit delay<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n Verstappen had moved his #3 GT3 team from fifth to first after qualifying earlier on Sunday, making some strong moves in the first hour of the final event before his N\u00fcrburgring 24 Hour attempt next month.<\/p>\n However, when handing the car over to teammate Lucas Auer, a 28-minute repair job in the garage put the pair down to 87th on the road, though Auer did recover to 39th at the chequered flag.<\/p>\n Read more: Verstappen dealt another N\u00fcrburgring blow in 24 Hour preparations<\/a><\/p>\n Broken front splitter ends Verstappen and Auer\u2019s chances on Sunday<\/p>\n Verstappen and his team had looked in a strong position at the driver handover, the Red Bull F1 driver even completing a pit-lane overtake on lapped traffic before heading to the garage.<\/p>\n Upon inspection, however, he confirmed it was a broken front splitter that cost Auer plenty of track time, though Verstappen still said he enjoyed his time in the car on Sunday.<\/p>\n Read more: Max Verstappen confirms damage cause as N\u00fcrburgring win curtailed<\/a><\/p>\n Lambiase signing \u2018icing on the cake\u2019 for McLaren<\/p>\n Away from the N\u00fcrburgring, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella believes the signing of GianPiero Lambiase for the team is a sign of how \u201cattractive\u201d the team has become in recent years.<\/p>\n Lambiase will be moving no later than 2027 after a lengthy stint as Verstappen\u2019s race engineer and Red Bull\u2019s head of racing, so Stella has opened up on what a signing of his calibre will be able to do behind the scenes further down the road.<\/p>\n Read more: \u2018Icing on the cake\u2019 \u2013 McLaren lifts lid on surprise GianPiero Lambiase signing<\/a><\/p>\n O\u2019Ward moves on from \u2018Mario Kart\u2019 F1 hopes<\/p>\n Pato O\u2019Ward, McLaren IndyCar driver and one of the team\u2019s Formula 1 reserves, has not made it his goal to reach Formula 1 in future.<\/p>\n He has tested several times for McLaren in the past, and explained how he wanted to join Formula 1 because of the quality of machinery.<\/p>\n Now, in 2026-spec, however, he explained why he is not so sure.<\/p>\n Read more: Why IndyCar star has rejected Formula 1 dream in \u2018Mario Kart\u2019 2026 rules criticism<\/a><\/p>\n Brundle: No significant improvement before 2027 for Aston<\/p>\n Aston Martin\u2019s struggles at the start of 2026 have been well-documented, but former F1 driver Martin Brundle cannot see that ending any time soon.<\/p>\n Saying \u201cthey\u2019ve got neither speed nor reliability,\u201d Brundle explained that the packed calendar and cost cap will go against the Silverstone team when it comes to bringing fast improvements to the AMR26.<\/p>\n Read more: Martin Brundle warns Aston Martin \u2018horror show\u2019 won\u2019t improve before 2027<\/a><\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n