24h Nürburgring: Max Verstappen delivers mega double-stint as #3 Mercedes takes control

Driving the Red Bull liveried Mercedes AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry alongside Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, Verstappen transformed the race during a relentless two and a half hour spell around the Nordschleife.

The Dutchman took over from Juncadella after the opening hour with the Mercedes buried deep in the order due to an alternative pit strategy, but the car held a significant virtual advantage over rivals who had stopped earlier.

Verstappen immediately went on the attack, piling pressure on Christian Engelhart before forcing his way past at the Sabine Schmitz corner, while Thomas Preining in the Manthey Porsche “Grello” briefly escaped up the road.

The complexion of the race changed dramatically soon after when both the fan favourite Manthey Porsche and the HRT Ford Mustang of Arjun Maini suffered race ending incidents after hitting fluid on the circuit. Two big rivals eliminated early.

In one of the defining moments of the race so far, Verstappen produced a breathtaking overtake between Bergwerk and Kesselchen, putting two wheels on the grass as he forced his way past the slower #47 KCMG Mercedes.

The move underlined both the risk and commitment of his drive as dark clouds gathered over the Eifel mountains. Although Verstappen has put in the miles during the Nurburgring Qualifiers earlier this month. And many virtual laps on iRacing. But his 'take no prisoners style' on track was a riveting watch.

By the 90 minute mark of his stint, Verstappen had reeled in and passed Ayhancan Güven in the Manthey Porsche to seize the effective lead of the race.

He then cleared the #67 HRT Ford and #34 Walkenhorst Aston Martin, both of which had cycled ahead through earlier pit stops, before stretching his advantage with relentless pace.

Within seven laps, Verstappen gained more than 23 seconds on Güven’s Porsche, establishing himself as the dominant driver on track.

After completing two stints, Verstappen handed the #3 Mercedes over to Jules Gounon with the car firmly in control of the race. The Dutchman joined the engineers on the pitwall, and is expected to be in the car again for a night stint.

The chequered flag will wave on Sunday, 15:00 CET, to bring an end to the 2026 ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring.