Verstappen’s Nürburgring push ends with a crash and mechanical trouble.

PARIS, May 18 — Max Verstappen’s pursuit of an endurance racing victory ended in disappointment once again yesterday after his Mercedes suffered a breakdown while he was leading the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.

The 28-year-old Dutch driver, who is enduring another challenging Formula One season with Red Bull Racing and has previously hinted at a possible departure from the sport, has been increasingly competing in GT3 endurance events, a category based on production cars.

He was met by tens of thousands of fans at the iconic German circuit. His car, shared with Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, was in the lead with three hours remaining when it was forced into the pits after unusual noises and vibrations were detected.

After an extended inspection, mechanics replaced part of the driveshaft, but the car rejoined the race in 38th place, effectively handing victory to a rival Mercedes driven by Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz.

The win marked the first time in a decade that Mercedes had claimed victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Earlier in March, Verstappen had briefly crossed the finish line first in a four-hour Nürburgring race, but was later disqualified for exceeding the allowed number of tyre sets.

Verstappen said on his website that he enjoyed the experience, describing endurance racing with teammates in a 24-hour format at Nürburgring as “incredibly challenging.”

However, he added that he could not guarantee a return next year, saying: “I will for sure try, but it also depends on my calendar.”

Currently seventh in the F1 drivers’ standings after four rounds, he has been openly critical of recent technical regulations and has occasionally suggested he may step away from Formula One before his Red Bull contract expires at the end of 2028 to focus more on family life and endurance racing. — AFP