Max Verstappen secured overall victory at NLS2 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, backing up a dominant qualifying performance with a controlled race alongside teammates Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella.
After technical issues in free practice forced the team to briefly switch chassis, the original #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 returned for qualifying. Verstappen delivered a strong lap, taking pole position by 1.9 seconds over Christopher Haase in the #16 Audi. Navigating heavy traffic from a 129-car field, Verstappen highlighted both car performance and track conditions as key factors: “You always need a bit of luck out on the track here. The car feels good, and we’re here to gain more experience.
Verstappen started from pole but lost the lead to Haase on lap two. His pace quickly brought the #3 Mercedes back into contention, with Verstappen reclaiming P1 just before the first pit cycle. At the end of the first hour, Verstappen handed over to Juncadella for the middle stint. However, the #16 Audi, now with Nico Hantke driving, executed a quicker stop and emerged ahead.
The opening phase also saw disruptions across the field. The sister Mercedes-AMG GT3 #80 from Team Winward, driven by Maxime Martin and Fabian Schiller, started from the pit lane following qualifying contact and later lost significant time in the garage. Meanwhile, the ROWE Racing BMW entries appeared off the pace, trailing by several seconds per lap; the #98 car, winner of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring last year, went out of contention after being pushed into the garage.
The race remained competitive at the front, particularly with the Audi #16 and the remaining BMW challengers. Gounon took over for the third hour, engaging in on-track battles with the #99 BMW. The #99 was later penalized for contact with a Porsche from a lower class, which affected their fight for the overall win.
For the final 45 minutes, Verstappen returned to the wheel with the car leading comfortably. He maintained control to the finish, securing victory for the #3 Mercedes. The ROWE Racing BMW #99 finished second, followed by the Porsche #44 of Falken Motorsports.
Max Verstappen’s path to victory – a performance in context
Direct comparison with the broader GT3 field is limited. Many leading drivers were absent due to scheduling conflicts with the 12 Hours of Sebring and other GT events.
The Winward #80 Mercedes was compromised by damage, while the ROWE BMWs consistently lapped 3-4 seconds slower than the leading #3 car, suggesting they were not showing full pace, as the BMWs tend to suit the Nürburgring track best.
Verstappen set the fastest lap for his car early in the race, recording a 7:53.552 on lap two. The overall fastest race lap, however, went to Haase in the #16 Audi, also set on the second lap.
The victory marks a significant step in Verstappen’s GT3 development ahead of his planned entry into the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Emphasising his growing commitment to endurance racing, he noted: “I love driving GT3 cars. Driving on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife is always something special.”
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