Max Verstappen, the Red Bull Formula 1 driver, will compete in the qualifying sessions for the 24 hours of Nürburgring, which will take place on April 18 and 19, 2026. His participation aims to gain more experience in diverse conditions at the legendary Nordschleife track.
On this occasion, Verstappen will race alongside Lucas Auer in two four-hour races, with a schedule that includes one race on Saturday afternoon and another on Sunday morning. This excursion is made possible due to the cancellation of F1 races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia for political reasons.
Format of the 24h Qualifiers
The qualifiers will consist of two races of 240 minutes on the full layout of 25.378 km, unlike the shorter circuit of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). Verstappen has expressed his wish to compete in dark conditions, taking advantage of the moment when the sun sets at approximately 20:30, starting the first race at 17:30 and finishing at 21:30.
Preparations and expectations
Recently, Verstappen visited the track for a filming and testing day, accumulating kilometers behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3. In his statements on social media, he expressed satisfaction with his performance: “Fast at Nürburgring. I really had a great time”.
The Dutch driver will have the opportunity to race with Auer for the first time, while his other teammates, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, will be competing in the World Endurance Championship in Imola during the same weekend.
2026 24h Qualifiers Schedule
Friday, April 17: 12:15 – 14:45: Testing and setup sessions.
Saturday, April 18: 08:30 – 10:00: Qualifying Race 1; 17:30 – 21:30: Race 1 (240 minutes).
Sunday, April 19: 08:15 – 09:45: Qualifying Race 2; 10:40 – 11:40: Top Qualifying; 13:00 – 17:00: Race 2 (240 minutes).
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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