Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Hours Debut: Mercedes-AMG Boss Hails Dutchman as “One of the Best GT3 Drivers”

A late driveshaft failure denied Max Verstappen victory on his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut, but Mercedes-AMG Motorsport boss Christoph Sagemuller said the four-time F1 champion proved he belongs among the world’s elite GT3 drivers.

Max Verstappen’s first attempt at the Nürburgring 24 Hours ended in heartbreak, but it left a lasting impression on the man who runs Mercedes-AMG’s motorsport programme. Christoph Sagemuller, head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, said the four-time Formula 1 world champion delivered a performance that confirmed his status among the very best GT3 drivers on the planet — even as a late mechanical failure stripped the #3 Verstappen Racing entry of an almost certain victory.

A Debut That Promised Glory

Verstappen arrived at the Nordschleife with limited preparation, sharing the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer. Despite qualifying fourth, the team’s race plan unravelled into something far more ambitious almost immediately. Juncadella ran the opening stint and handed over to Verstappen after the first hour with the car already in podium contention.

What followed was, in the words of multiple paddock observers, a masterclass. Verstappen sat patiently behind traffic before launching attacks on Christian Engelhart’s Konrad Lamborghini for net second, then on Ayhancan Güven’s Manthey Porsche for the overall lead — all while picking off backmarkers as rain began to fall on the Eifel circuit.

By the time he handed the car back, the Dutchman had built a 23-second cushion over the field. That advantage only grew as conditions worsened and rivals fell into trouble.

Heartbreak With Three and a Half Hours Left

The #3 Mercedes-AMG was leading comfortably late into Sunday morning when Juncadella reported an issue and pitted after just two laps of his stint. Mercedes diagnosed a driveshaft failure on the rear right. The car was wheeled into the garage with the team visibly devastated, and although mechanics eventually got it back out, the gap was unrecoverable. Verstappen Racing finished 38th, 21 laps down.

Victory instead went to the sister #80 Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol entry, with Maro Engel bringing the car home on intermediate tyres in a tense rain-affected finale shared with Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Maxime Martin. It was Mercedes-AMG’s first overall Nürburgring 24 Hours victory in a decade — the brand’s last triumph in the Eifel classic having come in 2016.

“When Max and Maro were in the car, I saw some really nice racing action. Sometimes a bit too much for my liking, but it was good. We wanted to put on a show and also give something back to the fans.” — Christoph Sagemuller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

“Mixed Feelings” on the Pit Wall

Sagemuller admitted he watched the on-track battle between Verstappen and Engel — including a side-by-side moment on the Döttinger Höhe with light contact that briefly sent the #80 onto the grass — with mixed feelings. The racing was thrilling, the spectacle exactly what Mercedes-AMG had hoped to deliver, but the risk of losing both cars in a single moment was very real.

That tension between competitive instinct and corporate prudence ran through the entire weekend. The two Mercedes were the class of the field once the sun came up on Sunday, trading the lead repeatedly before mechanical fate intervened.

“The Best Thing That Could Have Happened to the Sport”

Beyond the result, Sagemuller framed Verstappen’s involvement in much broader terms. For a reigning Formula 1 figurehead to commit to a 24-hour endurance race on the most demanding circuit in the world — and to do it under the Mercedes-AMG banner — represents a significant moment for GT racing’s profile.

“Having such a leading figure in the racing world, a four-time Formula 1 world champion, show so much interest in what we are doing here in GT racing is a very positive thing. I think we can all be really happy that he is so dedicated and passionate about what we do. But personally, of course, I am more than happy that he has chosen us as a brand and is racing the Mercedes-AMG GT3.” — Christoph Sagemuller

Asked whether discussions had begun about further endurance outings together, Sagemuller smiled and offered only: “One step at a time. But I think this was a good starting point. It was a big project for all of us, with not too much preparation time.”

Verstappen’s Own Verdict

For his part, Verstappen seemed genuinely energised by the experience. Speaking on Sunday morning while his team was still leading, he described the appeal of the discipline in simple terms — the competition, the teamwork, the sheer scale of the challenge. Asked if he would return, the Dutchman replied: “I will for sure try, but it also depends on my calendar.”

For Mercedes-AMG, the takeaway is twofold. The 10-year wait for victory is over, and the brand has just acquired the most high-profile ambassador in modern motorsport. For Verstappen, the only question that remains is when — not if — he comes back.