Verstappen reacts to first Nürburgring stint after storming through the field

Racing under the Winward Racing banner in a Mercedes-AMG GT3, Verstappen took over from teammate Dani Juncadella before charging from 10th place to the front of the field. He then produced consistently strong lap times to build a lead of more than 25 seconds over the chasing pack.

Speaking to the media after his opening stint, Verstappen said he was particularly pleased with his performance, noting how he had to work through traffic before the weather conditions became more challenging.

“It was good initially. Of course, I was a bit stuck in traffic, so it was a bit difficult to clear the cars, but once I cleared a few of them and then the weather kicked in with a few laps of slippery conditions, that’s I think where we made a difference. And then the car was good. I mean, yeah, trying to stay out of trouble, but at the same time you have to push and you have to try and be on the limit, which is always, I think, a difficult compromise to find, but it worked out fine,” he said.

Reflecting on a near-race-ending moment during his stint, Verstappen admitted he had to quickly reset his focus after briefly flirting with the barriers.

“Yeah, we had a little moment. I think I turned in a bit too early and then, yeah, we had a little moment there. But it was fine, you just have to keep yourself together and stay calm and just focus again,” he added.

The four-time world champion also discussed his preparation for night running, as well as the increasingly unpredictable weather conditions set to shape the hours ahead.

Verstappen later handed the car over to Jules Gounon, who is expected to complete a double stint before Juncadella returns later in the night.