Verstappen Leads Nurburgring 24 Hours by 14 Seconds as Mercedes Eyes First Win in 10 Years
Updated
Updated · Motorsport.com · May 17
Verstappen Leads Nurburgring 24 Hours by 14 Seconds as Mercedes Eyes First Win in 10 Years
4 articles · Updated · Motorsport.com · May 17
Just over seven hours from the finish, Max Verstappen’s #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO led the Nurburgring 24 Hours by 14 seconds over the sister Winward AMG in a Mercedes 1-2.
Verstappen took over around the 11th hour six seconds behind Maro Engel, reeled him in quickly and passed on the final straight before holding position through wheel-banging traffic at Tiergarten.
That fight effectively settled the lead battle, with Engel dropping back before Lucas Auer and Fabian Schiller climbed into the two front-running Mercedes on identical strategies.
The rest of the field was far adrift: the third-placed Walkenhorst Aston Martin was about five minutes behind, with Rowe Racing BMW and Schubert BMW completing the top five.
If the order holds, Verstappen Racing will deliver Verstappen’s debut Nurburgring 24 Hours win and Mercedes’ first victory in the race since 2016.
From a dominant lead to sudden retirement, what failure shattered Max Verstappen's Nürburgring dream?
Was the F1 champion's aggressive overtake on a rival a stroke of genius or a reckless move?