NÜRBURG, Germany (AP) — Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen led in a “frustrating” 24-hour racing debut at the famed Nürburgring track before his hopes were ended by a mechanical issue with his car Sunday.Verstappen had been leading in the morning by over half a minute, sharing a Mercedes AMG GT3 car with experienced sportscar racers Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella. With three and a half hours left, Juncadella had just taken over from Verstappen when he had to slow down with a damaged driveshaft and lost the lead before entering the pits, where the car was pulled into the garage. Victory went to the team’s sister Mercedes car driven by Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Maxime Martin.About three hours after his incident, Juncadella was able to get back on track and ensure the team was counted as a finisher in 38th.
“Very unfortunate and frustrating ending, but these things can happen,” Verstappen posted on Instagram, adding he “still really enjoyed the experience.”Coming a week before F1 returns at the Canadian Grand Prix, the Nürburgring race was a “bucket list” project for Verstappen. He’s a keen racing fan and has questioned his future in F1 this year because he’s unhappy with the 2026 cars’ reliance on electrical power.
