Nürburg, GERMANY, Friday 15 May 2026
In brief
- Who: Max Verstappen, four-time Formula 1 World Champion, with co-drivers Dani Juncadella, Lucas Auer and Jules Gounon
- What: Qualifying for the 54th ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring – Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing starts the race from P4
- Qualifying lap: 8:12.005, set by Dani Juncadella in Top Qualifying 3 on Friday afternoon
- Pole: Luca Engstler, #84 Lamborghini Red Bull Team ABT – Lamborghini front-row lockout with Marco Mapelli in the #130
- Row two: Christopher Haase’s Audi (P3) lines up alongside Verstappen Racing (P4)
- Verstappen’s qualifying: 6th in Top Qualifying 2 on Friday morning; 3rd in Thursday’s timed session
- When: Race starts 15:00 CEST, Saturday 16 May 2026
- Where: Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany
- Car: Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, distinctive blue-and-red livery
- Conditions: Heavy rain and first night running on Thursday; overnight temperatures forecast as low as three degrees across the weekend
- Attendance: Weekend passes sold out for the first time in the event’s history
- Watch live: Red Bull TV and Red Bull Motorsports YouTube (Verstappen onboard view)
- Editorial assets: Stills from qualifying available now on Red Bull Content Pool
Stills for editorial use are available now on Red Bull Content Pool following Max Verstappen’s qualifying stage ahead of his 24h Nürburgring debut.
Max Verstappen’s team will start Saturday’s 54th ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring from P4, after co-driver Dani Juncadella set a lap of 8:12.005 in Top Qualifying 3 on Friday afternoon for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing. Pole went to Luca Engstler in the #84 Lamborghini Red Bull Team ABT.
Verstappen Racing on his 24h Nürburgring debut
The four-time F1 world champion – joined by Juncadella, Lucas Auer and Jules Gounon – takes on a deep field of GT veterans on his hH Nürburgring debut in the team’s distinctive blue-and-red Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. Verstappen himself was sixth fastest in Top Qualifying 2 on Friday morning, having confirmed his place the day before with a third-fastest run in Thursday’s timed session. His arrival has drawn unprecedented attention to the race, with weekend passes selling out for the first time in the event’s history.
Red Bull Team ABT on pole
Pole position went to Luca Engstler with Red Bull Team ABT in the #84 car, heading a Lamborghini front-row lockout alongside teammate Marco Mapelli in the #130. Christopher Haase’s Audi will line up third ahead of Verstappen Racing on the second row. “I think the key was to leave the brain in the garage, and go full send,” said Engstler. “I was just trying to squeeze every bit out, and in the end, it worked out.”
Treacherous conditions
Conditions brought another layer to Thursday’s running. Verstappen took to the Nordschleife in the dark for the first time, with heavy rain making for treacherous conditions on a circuit already known as the ‘Green Hell’. More changeable weather is forecast across the weekend, with overnight temperatures expected to drop as low as three degrees.
Verstappen on driving the Nordschleife at night
“It was my first time driving in the night. It was probably the worst conditions that you could hope for,” Verstappen said. “But it was good for me, for my eyes, to get used to the darkness. And it felt right. The car has felt good the whole time we’ve been driving here. We have a lot of competition, which in general is great for everyone. But it’s been fun.”
Juncadella on the P4 start
Co-driver Dani Juncadella, whose lap put the team on the second row, was pleased with where the day ended up: “It was a very good day. Ideally, you want to start in the first five positions for the race, and we are P4. You always want to be on pole, but P4 is a great starting position for what is a very long race.”
Auer on the team’s setup
When asked which of the four drivers the car had been set up around, co-driver Lucas Auer replied: “To be honest, all four, which is difficult but important, as everybody needs to perform. We have no safety cars here, so whatever you lose, you really lose. You cannot gain back just by pure speed. So, I believe we found a very solid base, and everybody is happy with that.”
Verstappen on the race ahead
Heading into his first 24-hour race, Verstappen is clear on what matters: “Staying out of trouble. You don’t want to pick up any kind of damage early on. You want to keep the car in one piece, and also make the difference in the traffic. And then it’s between the drivers, keeping good information in case there is the changing weather. Keeping the car on track, and then trying to maximise the pace from the car.”
How to watch
The 54th edition of the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring starts at 15:00 CEST on Saturday 16 May. Watch live on Red Bull TV and Verstappen’s onboard view on the Red Bull Motorsports YouTube channel.
Editorial assets
Stills from qualifying, the Verstappen Racing garage and the build-up around the circuit are available now on Red Bull Content Pool.
Fact sheet
Event
- Event name: ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring 2026
- Edition: 54th
- Race start: 15:00 CEST, Saturday 16 May 2026
- Location: Nürburgring Nordschleife, Germany
- Format: 24-hour endurance race
- Sanctioning body: ADAC
Entry
- Team entry: Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing
- Car number: #3
- Car: Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
- Starting position: P4
- Qualifying lap: 8:12.005 (Dani Juncadella, Top Qualifying 3)
Driver fact files
Max Verstappen (NED)
- Date of birth: 30 September 1997, 28 years
- 24h Nürburgring debut: 2026
- His appearance at the 2026 24h Nürburgring will be the first 24-hour race for the four-time F1 world champion, making him the eighth driver to take part in the endurance classic whilst still competing in F1
- He gained his Nordschleife permit in 2025 and won his first race in a GT3 car at the NLS9 event in the Green Hell
- 2026 preparation: NLS2 in March and the 24h Qualifiers in April
Lucas Auer (AUT)
- Date of birth: 11 September 1994, 31 years
- Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver
- 24h Nürburgring debut: 2025
- 2025 result: P70
- Winner of the 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona with Winward Racing (GTD)
- DTM 2025: Runner-up (just four points behind)
- GT World Challenge Europe 2025: Runner-up (three victories, five podiums)
- In 2026, he is once again competing for Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf in the DTM and for Winward Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe (Endurance and Sprint)
Jules Gounon (AND)
- Date of birth: 31 December 1994, 31 years
- Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver
- 24h Nürburgring debut: 2020
- Scored one overall podium (2022)
- Last entry: 2024, DNF
- Three-time consecutive winner of the Bathurst 12 Hour 2020, 2022, and 2023 (no race in 2021)
- Set a new GT lap record at the Mount Panorama Circuit in 2024 (1:56.605 min) with a modified Mercedes-AMG GT3
- In 2026, he is competing for Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER in the DTM and for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe (Endurance Cup)
Daniel Juncadella (ESP)
- Date of birth: 07 May 1991, 35 years
- 24h Nürburgring debut: 2017
- Scored two overall podiums (2021, 2022)
- Last entry for Mercedes-AMG: 2024, P4
- Makes his ninth start at the 24h Nürburgring in 2026 (eight of them for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, 2025 with Lamborghini)
- Winner of the 2022 24 Hours of Spa with Mercedes-AMG, securing the Intercontinental GT Challenge title with another victory at the Indianapolis 8 Hour
- In 2026, he is competing for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe and in the FIA WEC Hypercar class as Genesis Magma Racing factory driver
Broadcast
Live coverage: Red Bull TV
Onboard coverage: Red Bull Motorsports YouTube channel (Verstappen onboard)