Verstappen’s teammate reflects on crucial Nürburgring morning stint

The Austrian driver, who took over from Jules Gounon shortly after sunrise, delivered two clean stints to keep the team firmly in control at the front. Auer maintained a lead of around five seconds before handing the car over to Verstappen. The 31-year-old reflected positively on his time behind the wheel at the demanding Nordschleife.

Speaking to the media after stepping out of the car, Auer praised the consistency of his run, while stressing his focus on staying out of trouble in tricky conditions, with the weather still a key factor.

“So the second double stint for me was actually quite clean, quite good. I tried to keep it safe, but overall it was all good, and the track is also in good condition. So let's see what the weather does now,” he said.

While Auer kept the advantage steady between five and seven seconds over the #80 Mercedes during his stint, Verstappen has since pushed the pace further after taking over.

The four-time F1 champion immediately stretched the gap to over nine seconds in the opening phase of his stint, before briefly seeing it reduced as Lucas Stolz in the #80 Mercedes mounted a push. However, Verstappen responded strongly, gradually rebuilding his advantage to more than 13 seconds by the end of his opening run.

After both cars made their pit stops, Verstappen further extended the lead on the subsequent phase, opening up a gap of over 25 seconds to the sister Mercedes entry. With less than five hours remaining in the 24-hour race, the Red Bull driver remains firmly in control at the front.