Max Verstappen’s team came very close to a feat during the qualifying for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Dani Juncadella ultimately secured fourth place on the grid after an extremely tight session.
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The goal was clear for Team Verstappen: to reach the final qualifying phase of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Mission accomplished for the crew of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #3, even if the pole position ultimately slipped away by less than a second.
After the stints of Lucas Auer and then Max Verstappen during the first Top Qualifying sessions, it was Dani Juncadella who had the heavy responsibility of going for the best time in the ultimate shootout.
On a track as formidable as the Nordschleife, the slightest mistake is very costly. On his first attempt, the Spaniard posted a lap time of 8’18, a time insufficient to compete with the leading Lamborghinis. At that moment, Marco Mapelli and the Lamborghini #130 seemed untouchable with nearly seven seconds ahead. But everything was decided on the last flying lap.
An impressive last attempt by Juncadella
Under pressure, Dani Juncadella made a huge improvement on his second attempt. The Mercedes driver shaved several seconds to put Team Verstappen back in the fight for the top positions.
Despite this excellent final lap, the pole remained out of reach. The Lamborghinis dominated this spectacular qualifying session, with the #84 taking first place ahead of the #7. The Audi #16 completes the top 3.
Verstappen’s crew must therefore settle for fourth position on the grid, just eight tenths off the best time. A very solid result nonetheless given the extremely high level in the GT3 category.
For a first participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, Verstappen and his team have already made an impression.
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Verstappen satisfied after intense preparation
After the session, Max Verstappen expressed satisfaction with the work accomplished throughout the weekend. The four-time F1 world champion recalled that the main goal was above all to reach Top Qualifying 3 against fierce competition.
“I felt good in the car. Our goal was to reach Top Qualifying 3, the Dutchman explained to Motorsport.com. It really wasn’t easy with so many fast cars. The level is extremely high here.”
Verstappen also emphasized the importance of the night sessions held on Thursday evening. The Red Bull driver was able to discover the Nordschleife in particularly difficult conditions, between rain, fog, and total darkness.
“It was my first night experience here, and probably in the worst possible conditions with rain and fog, he confided. But it gave me a good idea of what we might face during the race.”
A real ambition for the race
Even without pole position, Team Verstappen now appears as one of the serious contenders for victory in this 2026 edition of the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
The pace shown since the start of the weekend, the solidity of the crew composed of Verstappen, Lucas Auer, Dani Juncadella, and Jules Gounon, as well as the quality of preparation by the Mercedes-AMG team, clearly place car #3 among the favorites.
“We have prepared as best as possible these past weeks, Verstappen added. We have a very professional team, made up of people who give their all. Now, we just hope to get a good result.”
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