Verstappen’s Nürburgring pole and battle overshadowed by tyre rule exclusion in NLS2
Max Verstappen thrilled Nürburgring fans with pole and a fierce GT3 battle, but his Red Bull-backed Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo was excluded for tyre rule infringement. Victory instead went to Rowe Racing’s BMW M4 GT3 Evo of Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper
Mercedes-Benz AZ
March 21, 2026
Nürburgring, Germany
A hero’s welcome for Max Verstappen in the Nürburgring pitlane after what appeared to have been victory in NLS2 as the four-time Formula 1 champion prepares for May’s famous 24 Hours at the circuit. Verstappen took advantage of a weekend off from F1 to qualify the Red Bull backed Winward Racing-run Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo on pole by just under two seconds, and had a cracking battle in the first hour with GT3 veteran Christopher Haase’s Scherer Sport PHX Audi. After stints for Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, Verstappen returned to the cockpit for the run to the finish of the four-hour race. But the car was later excluded for using one too many sets of tyres. This handed victory to the Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo of Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper.