Max Verstappen has confirmed his participation in the ADAC 24h Nurburgring Qualifiers on April 18–19, adding another Nordschleife appearance to a programme that has been building steadily since his debut at the circuit in September 2025. The announcement was made via the Verstappen.com social media accounts and was made possible by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, which freed up the exact weekend that would otherwise have been occupied by the Jeddah race.

Two Four-Hour Races, Including Night Running

The 24h Nurburgring Qualifiers consist of two four-hour races run over the full 25.378 km Nordschleife loop — slightly longer than the 24.358 km configuration used by the regular Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) rounds. The two races count as Rounds 4 and 5 of the NLS season. Verstappen will share the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with Austrian driver Lucas Auer, an official factory driver for Mercedes-AMG, whose regular team-mates Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon are unavailable due to World Endurance Championship commitments at Imola that same weekend.

A key motivation for the Qualifiers entry is the opportunity to race in the dark. With sunset scheduled at approximately 8:30pm, the first four-hour race will run until 9:30pm — offering Verstappen his first experience of night conditions on the Nordschleife before tackling the full 24 Hours in May. Gaining mileage in darkness was one of the explicit objectives Verstappen identified after the F1 races were cancelled.

🌙 Why the Night Running Matters
  • The Nurburgring 24 Hours runs through the night — night laps are essential preparation
  • Sunset at ~8:30pm means the first qualifier delivers up to one hour of darkness
  • The full Nordschleife layout (25.378 km) provides a more complete race simulation
  • Verstappen also completed a private wet-weather test at the circuit this week

A Programme Built Race by Race

Verstappen’s path to the Nurburgring 24 Hours has been methodical. He obtained his DMSB Permit Nordschleife in 2025 and won on his NLS debut at the NLS9 round in September. This year, he returned for NLS2 on March 21, where he took pole with a lap of 7:51.751 and led his team to victory — before the No. 3 Mercedes was disqualified hours later for using seven tyre sets across qualifying and the race, one more than the permitted maximum of six. That result was erased, but the experience remained valuable.

He also chose Nordschleife testing over a Red Bull F1 Pirelli tyre test in the days following the Japanese Grand Prix, completing additional mileage in both dry and wet conditions. Images of the test spread on social media, including a stop at the iconic Döttinger Höhe fuel station — a well-known fan gathering point along the circuit.

« The Nurburgring is a special place. There is no other race track quite like it. The 24-hour race has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m very excited that we can now make it happen. Last year, I got my DMSB licence for the Nordschleife and was able to take part in the NLS9, which we won. »

— Max Verstappen, on his Nurburgring programme

The Qualifiers also have a sporting function beyond mere preparation: grid positions for the Nurburgring 24 Hours itself are partly determined by performance in the qualifying races and NLS rounds, making competitive results at the April event directly relevant to where Verstappen and his team will start in May.

The Full April Programme

📅 Verstappen’s Nurburgring Road to the 24h
Sept 2025 NLS9 debut — victory (with Chris Lulham)
21 Mar 2026 NLS2 — pole + win, then disqualified (tyre infringement)
Late Mar 2026 Private test at Nordschleife (dry + wet conditions)
18–19 Apr 2026 24h Nurburgring Qualifiers (NLS Rounds 4–5) — with Lucas Auer
14–17 May 2026 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring — with Juncadella, Gounon & Auer

The Broader Context: F1 Frustration, Outside Focus

Verstappen’s intensified Nordschleife programme unfolds against a difficult backdrop in Formula 1. Red Bull has struggled significantly with the new 2026 regulations, leaving the four-time champion marooned in the midfield. He finished eighth at the Japanese Grand Prix, 32 seconds behind winner Antonelli, and has 12 points after three rounds. At Suzuka, he described himself as being « beyond frustrated » — not angry, not disappointed, but detached in a way that carries its own weight.

His father Jos Verstappen has publicly stated that he is worried his son’s motivation could suffer as the season continues, and Verstappen himself has repeatedly raised the possibility of leaving Formula 1. None of that has been resolved during the April break. But the Nordschleife programme — demanding, physical, technically complex, and entirely on his own terms — appears to be where he has found genuine enthusiasm. The 24 Hours of Nurburgring, scheduled for May 14–17, falls between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.