Source:REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
[Saba Sports News] As Max Verstappen struggled on the F1 scene, he embarked on a new challenge — driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 — and made his first official GT race appearance of 2026 at the Nürburgring, using it as a warm-up for the upcoming Nürburgring 24 Hours. The car he raced was a Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished in Red Bull livery, built through a collaboration between his personal team and Mercedes. Notably, the NLS event had originally been scheduled for March 28, but because it conflicted with the Japanese Grand Prix qualifying session the organizers moved the race forward by a week to ensure Verstappen could take part. In the end Verstappen and his teammates Juncadella and Gounon won the race with a one-minute lead. However, the next day their result was annulled because they had used seven sets of tires, exceeding the event’s six-set limit, and they were therefore stripped of the victory. Team principal Christian Hohenadel admitted the breach was caused by an internal procedural error and apologized to the fans.
The writer believes that Verstappen’s start in F1 has been rocky, and that switching to endurance racing is not only a cross-discipline experiment but also an important opportunity to reset his form.