Max Verstappen reflected on the cruel end of his first 24 Hours of Nürburgring, concluded by a mechanical failure while victory seemed within reach.
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For more than twenty hours, Max Verstappen and the crew of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #3 were long considered strong favorites for the final victory on the Nordschleife.
The four-time F1 world champion had impressed throughout the weekend with several spectacular stints, notably during the night, where he had built significant gaps over the competition.
Paired with Jules Gounon, Lucas Auer, and Dani Juncadella, the Dutchman seemed perfectly on track for a historic feat in his very first participation in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. But less than four hours from the finish, everything suddenly collapsed.
The beginning of the nightmare after Verstappen’s stint
Just two laps after taking over the Mercedes from Verstappen, Dani Juncadella had to return to the pits due to a flat tire. Very quickly, the mechanics also detected a problem with the car’s ABS system, which immediately worried the team.
Once the Mercedes was pushed into the garage, the diagnosis became even more severe: the crew was actually suffering from a driveshaft failure. This mechanical breakdown caused an extremely long immobilization of the car, completely ruining the team’s chances of victory.
The Mercedes #3 remained off track for nearly four hours before finally coming out only to complete the last lap of the event.
Verstappen still keeps the positives
Despite the immense frustration of such an outcome, Max Verstappen wanted to focus on the many positive aspects of this weekend on the Nordschleife.
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The Red Bull driver did not hide his disappointment after the finish, while reminding that this kind of scenario unfortunately is part of endurance racing.
“A very unfortunate and frustrating end, but these are things that can happen,” Verstappen explained.
The Dutchman also wanted to thank his teammates as well as the entire team for the work accomplished during this particularly intense race.
“I still really enjoyed this experience with Jules, Luggi, and Dani.”
An extremely promising first experience
Even without a victory, Verstappen’s endurance debut impressed the entire GT paddock. His pace, traffic management, and ability to attack during very long stints confirmed that he already has all the qualities to become a formidable driver in this type of event.
The massive support from the German public throughout the weekend also marked the Dutch driver: “Thanks to the team and all the supporters present around the circuit for their support.”
Despite this particularly cruel conclusion, Verstappen leaves the Nürburgring with huge credibility in the endurance world… and probably an even stronger desire to come back and seek this victory in the future.
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