All eyes are on the "Green Hell" this Saturday as four-time F1 world champion Max Verstappen kicks off his preparations for next May’s Nürburgring 24 Hours with a participation in a round of the German Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS).
Competing at the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered under the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing banner, Verstappen will share driving duties with Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon.
Friday’s practice session proved to be a trial by fire for the crew. The afternoon was marred by technical setbacks, specifically suspected suspension issues that limited the #3 car's track time.
Following an intensive debrief with Bilstein engineers, the team was forced to retire the primary car and pivot to a plain, unliveried backup chassis mid-session.
The disruption left the trio with minimal data. Juncadella managed only three laps before a red flag ended the session prematurely at 16:00.
This lack of running puts big pressure on the team’s mechanics and engineers, who face an overnight race against time to refine the setup and clear scrutineering.
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For Verstappen, the stakes are particularly high; this weekend represents his only chance to share the track with Gounon and Juncadella before the 24-hour main event in May, due to his teammates' conflicting schedules.
Whether the team can overcome these reliability hurdles to find the "best possible window" for the car remains the biggest question heading into Saturday’s start.
How to Watch the Action
Fans eager to see Verstappen navigate the legendary Nordschleife can tune into the official NLS live stream on YouTube.
Qualifying is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 8:30 CET (7:30am GMT), followed by the start of the four-hour endurance race at 12:00 CET (11:00am GMT).
Verstappen’s entry is part of a massive 136-car field, all serving as vital preparation for the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May.
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