Max Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 world champion, will fulfil a long-held ambition by participating in the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race.
The 28-year-old Red Bull F1 driver will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT car in the event in May, in which showroom-style cars race on the famous 15.8-mile circuit in Germany’s Eifel mountains.
The Dutchman, who finished sixth in Sunday’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, said, “The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a special place. There’s no other track like it. The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled that we can do it now.”
It is very rare for an F1 driver to compete in a lower-level motorsport event, especially one of Verstappen’s level, but he has long enjoyed driving on motorsport simulator games and has a particular fascination with sportscar racing.
It is widely believed that Verstappen can do it. The Le Mans 24 Hours, an external phenomenon that has exploded in popularity in recent years due to the introduction of new ‘hypercar’ regulations, has seen sports cars from the likes of Ferrari, Peugeot, Aston Martin, and Ford return to the top tier.
The revered 24 Hours of Nürburgring is one level below races like Le Mans.
which is part of the World Endurance Championship. The World Endurance Championship announced last week that it would postpone the season-opening 1812 km race in Qatar due to the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran.
Verstappen is contracted with Red Bull until 2028 but was previously linked to the Mercedes F1 program.
The Nurburgring 24 Hours of Miami and the Canadian Grand Prix will take place on May 16-17.
