Breaking News: Max Verstappen's Nürburgring 24 Hours Participation Hangs in the Balance! It all comes down to a date, and Mercedes is pulling out all the stops to make it happen. Can the Formula 1 superstar compete in the iconic endurance race? Let's dive in!
With Winward's announcement to enter the Nürburgring 24 Hours as the Mercedes-AMG Performance Team, the pieces are falling into place for Verstappen's ambitious plan. While the sister car was initially presented, the project is now in its crucial phase.
Sources from Motorsport.com's sister publication, Motorsport-Total.com, reveal that Verstappen has the green light from Mercedes, the Red Bull Formula 1 team, and even the parent company, Red Bull. But there's a final hurdle: Verstappen needs to participate in a preparatory race to qualify for the 24-hour event.
Here's where it gets controversial: Rumor has it that Mercedes is leveraging its influence at the highest level. Mercedes-Benz boss Ola Kallenius and motorsport chief Toto Wolff are reportedly lobbying for a postponement of the NLS season opener on March 14th, which currently clashes with the Chinese Grand Prix.
What's the official word? NLS officials have confirmed that Mercedes-AMG has officially requested a postponement of the NLS1 race. All three NLS races and the two qualifiers before the 24-hour race conflict with the F1 calendar. Series boss Mike Jager, however, has denied reports that the postponement is a done deal, stating, "The request for a possible postponement has now been submitted, but nothing more than that."
Why the hesitation? Multiple interests are at play, including other racing series with conflicting dates. If NLS1 is postponed, the new date would be March 21st. Weather permitting, the race would then take place between the F1 races in China and Japan. Jager adds, "We are currently looking into this, but nothing has been decided yet. It has to suit everyone."
But who will Verstappen choose for his AMG team? The Dutchman is personally selecting his Mercedes-AMG team partners. He's reportedly keen on having DTM runner-up Lucas Auer, the top-performing AMG driver in 2025, on his team. The two have a history, having competed against each other in the 2014 Formula 3 European Championship.
Sim racer Chris Lulham, with whom Verstappen won an NLS race in an Emil Frey Ferrari, is also a likely candidate. Mercedes works driver Jules Gounon and veteran Daniel Juncadella are also in the mix.
And this is the part most people miss... Verstappen's veto against Maro Engel? Juncadella, a former AMG driver and a close friend of Verstappen, is considered his confidant due to their shared sim racing passion and his AMG expertise. However, Verstappen reportedly doesn't want Maro Engel on the team. After Verstappen's initial Nürburgring test, a social media spat erupted between the two, with Engel claiming that the top times were achieved with a more favorable balance of performance from the DTM.
Engel is set to share his Winward Mercedes with factory drivers Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maxime Martin. If Verstappen's project goes ahead, his car will race in the Verstappen.com Racing colors, with Haribo potentially as a sponsor.
Despite the project's uncertain status, Verstappen is leaving nothing to chance. He's been putting in extra mileage in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 used by 2 Seas in Portimao to get accustomed to the car. Even his commitment to Ford's F1 launch in Detroit didn't deter him.
What do you think? Will Mercedes successfully reschedule the NLS race to allow Verstappen to compete? Do you think Verstappen's team selections are the right ones? Share your thoughts in the comments below! And don't forget to tell us what else you'd like to see on Motorsport.com!
