Max Verstappen has seen his team’s dominant Nurburgring NLS2 win go up in smoke, after a post-race disqualification.
Verstappen, alongside Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon, had claimed a commanding victory around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. But, found to have exceeded the tyre allocation, Verstappen and Co. have been disqualified following the race.
Disqualified Max Verstappen loses Nurburgring win
Verstappen, Juncadella and Gounon manned the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing machines on Saturday, as the first race of the 2026 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie [NLS] season played out.
The trio secured what had looked like a statement win, with a margin of over one minute at the end of the four-hour race. Verstappen is preparing for his Nurburgring 24 Hours debut in May.
However, news broke post-race that Verstappen’s team had been disqualified. Six sets of tyres are permitted for race day, but Verstappen’s squad were found to have used seven.
Rowe Racing’s Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper inherit the victory, as a result.
Mercedes issued a statement on social media, confirming and responding to Verstappen Racing’s disqualification.
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The statement from Mercedes-AMG’s customer racing chief Stefan Wendl reads: “A mixed start to the 2026 Nurburgring season.
“We crossed the finish line first but were subsequently disqualified.
“During routine checks by the technical commission, it was found that the team used seven sets of tyres on race day, instead of the permitted six.
“The error occurred during qualifying, when multiple driver and tyre changes were practiced.
“An NLS weekend we won’t forget anytime soon: Great racing, incredible atmosphere, and initially, the joy of victory.
“The disappointment is all the greater as a behind-the-scenes mistake led to disqualification, which hurts.
“On the Nordschleife, everything must come together.
“Now, we focus on analysing, learning, and preparing for the upcoming races and the 24-hour highlight.
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