Max Verstappen watched his Nurburgring 24 Hours victory hopes evaporate when a broken driveshaft forced his Mercedes AMG GT3 off the track while leading the endurance classic. The four-time F1 champion had built a 30-second advantage with teammates Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella before the mechanical failure ended their challenge with just over three hours remaining.
Verstappen, racing between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, described his experience as "good" despite the disappointment. The 28-year-old had long dreamed of competing in the famous 15.8-mile German circuit event, which drew a record 352,000 spectators and sold out tickets for the first time in history. His participation created unprecedented interest in the endurance race.
The Mercedes crew eventually fixed the car but couldn't recover the lost time. Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Maxime Martin claimed overall victory in another Mercedes. Verstappen confirmed he would attempt to return to the Nurburgring 24 Hours next season, though his participation will depend on his Formula 1 calendar commitments with Red Bull until 2028.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing