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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMax Verstappen will make his long awaited Nurburgring 24 hour debut this weekend. Image: Red Bull<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMax Verstappen will make his long awaited Nurburgring 24 hour debut this weekend. Image: Red Bull<\/p>\n
The four-time Formula 1 world champion will take on the legendary Nordschleife across May 14\u201317, racing a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo under the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing banner alongside Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella.<\/p>\n
The entry marks Verstappen\u2019s first attempt at a 24-hour race, having already built strong credentials at the Nurburgring in recent years.<\/p>\n
He secured a Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) victory in a Ferrari 296 GT3 in 2025<\/a> and has continued to sharpen his GT racing experience through further testing<\/a> and race outings<\/a>.<\/p>\n In April\u2019s qualifying weekend, Verstappen\u2019s car was the first to break the nine-minute barrier in qualifying, while he also led the opening stint of the four-hour race before a splitter issue dropped the team down the order<\/a>.<\/p>\n The early signs, however, have only heightened anticipation around his endurance debut.<\/p>\n Verstappen has been open about the challenge ahead, but clear on what he expects from the weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cSuccess is winning. That\u2019s why we\u2019re here. I know it\u2019s not going to be easy, but that\u2019s the target for everyone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also admitted the appeal of the race lies in its unique conditions, particularly the night running.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably going to be the best feeling,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re by yourself, pushing in the night. The car is normally fastest in the night, so I\u2019m looking forward to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Across the week, qualifying begins on Thursday May 14, followed by a packed Friday schedule featuring multiple qualifying sessions including top qualifying, before Saturday\u2019s warm-up and grid procedures lead into the race start.<\/p>\n The full field for the event is expected to feature more than 150 cars across GT3 and lower classes, with the combined Nordschleife and GP-Strecke layout stretching 25 kilometres and widely regarded as one of the most demanding circuits in global motorsport.<\/p>\n The event has already seen unprecedented interest, with weekend tickets selling out for the first time in history<\/a> following Verstappen\u2019s entry, underlining the scale of attention surrounding his endurance racing debut.<\/p>\n Where to watch Nurburgring 24 Hours<\/p>\n Coverage of the event will be streamed live for free on the official Nurburgring YouTube channel and Red Bull TV<\/a>, with onboard footage also available via Red Bull Motorsports\u2019 YouTube platform<\/a>. Speedcafe will also host the live stream of qualifying and the race.<\/p>\n When is the Nurburgring 24 Hours?<\/p>\n The Nurburgring 24 takes place across May 14-17.<\/p>\n What time does the Nurburgring 24 Hours start?<\/p>\n The 24 Hours begins on Saturday, May 16 at 3:00pm local time (11:00pm AEST), with the race running through to Sunday, May 17 at 3:00pm local time (11:00pm AEST).<\/p>\n Nurburgring 24 schedule (AEST)<\/p>\n Thursday, May 14 Friday, May 15 Saturday, May 16 Sunday, May 17 Who is Max Verstappen racing with in the Nurburgring 24?<\/p>\n Max Verstappen will join experienced GT trio Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella \u2013 who are all factory Mercedes-AMG drivers.<\/p>\n Auer is a former Red Bull junior, who has raced in almost every major GT championship globally.<\/p>\n Gounon is a GT World Challenge Europe winner and three-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner with starts in all the major 24-hour endurance races at Le Mans, Daytona, and the Nurburgring.<\/p>\n Juncadella is the oldest of the quartet at 35 and has won GT World Challenge Europe.<\/p>\n
Qualifying 1 \u2013 9:00pm\u201311:00pm (120 minutes)<\/p>\n
Qualifying 2 \u2013 6:00am\u20137:30am (90 minutes)
Top Qualifying 1 \u2013 6:15pm\u20136:45pm (30 minutes)
Top Qualifying 2 \u2013 7:05pm\u20137:35 (30 minutes)
Qualifying 3 \u2013 8:00pm\u20139:05 (65 minutes)
Top Qualifying 3 \u2013 9:35pm\u201310:35pm (60 minutes)<\/p>\n
Warm-up \u2013 6:00 pm
Starting grid \u2013 8:45pm
Open grid \u2013 9:10pm
Formation lap \u2013 10:40pm
Race start \u2013 11:00pm<\/p>\n
Race finish \u2013 11:00pm<\/p>\n
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