A victory was not in the cards for Max Verstappen on his debut in the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, but that doesn’t change the ambition behind it. The four-time world champion has never made a secret of wanting to race in the world’s biggest endurance classics. Le Mans, Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Spa are all still on his list, and with the confirmed talks between Verstappen and Ford about a future Le Mans entry, even the legendary Triple Crown of Motorsport comes into view.

Le Mans is the most prestigious endurance race in the world and the clearest next step for Verstappen. It is also one of the three races of the Triple Crown of Motorsport. The interest is mutual and concrete: Ford executive Mark Rushbrook confirmed that the brand has been in talks with Verstappen since early 2023 about a future Le Mans entry with its Hypercar program. Ford returns to the top class of the World Endurance Championship in 2027 and is a technical partner of Verstappen’s Red Bull team. An entry in 2026 is ruled out due to a calendar clash with the Spanish Grand Prix, and according to Rushbrook it also won’t be Ford’s debut year in 2027. But the direction is clear, and Verstappen himself has repeatedly said he wants to race Le Mans, provided he can fight for the win with the right team.

The 24 Hours of Spa is a GT3 race at the circuit Verstappen considers his home track. It is technically one of the toughest GT3 races on the calendar, with the notorious Ardennes weather and the challenging Eau Rouge–Raidillon combination. For Verstappen, Spa would be a natural addition: the same type of GT3 machinery as at the Nürburgring, a circuit he knows inside out, and an event with international stature. It fits the pattern of a driver building his endurance portfolio step by step.

The 24 Hours of Daytona traditionally opens the American endurance season in January and is one of the most prestigious races outside Europe. It would be a way for Verstappen to gain endurance experience in the United States as well, on a circuit with a completely different character from the Nordschleife. There are no concrete plans yet, but for a driver looking to explore the breadth of endurance racing, Daytona inevitably belongs on the wish list.

The Triple Crown of Motorsport consists of the Monaco Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In over a century of motorsport, only one driver has managed to win all three: Graham Hill, who completed his Triple Crown in 1972 with his Le Mans victory. Verstappen already has the Monaco Grand Prix to his name. If he were ever to win both Le Mans and the Indy 500 as well, he would become only the second driver in history to achieve this near-impossible feat. The talks with Ford make the Le Mans part of that equation feel truly tangible for the first time.

What stands out about Verstappen’s approach is that he isn’t saving endurance racing for after his Formula 1 career. He is under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but is already adding the Nürburgring now. Ford boss Rushbrook even explicitly kept the door open for a Le Mans entry during Verstappen’s active F1 career, provided the calendars allow it. This paints a picture of a driver who isn’t choosing between Formula 1 and endurance, but wants to combine both worlds. The Nürburgring was the first real test of that.

• The Nürburgring was Verstappen’s debut in a 24-hour race

• Le Mans is the clearest next step and part of the Triple Crown

• Ford confirmed talks with Verstappen about a future Le Mans entry

• Le Mans in 2026 is ruled out due to a clash with the Spanish GP

• The 24 Hours of Spa and the 24 Hours of Daytona are also on his radar

• Verstappen has already won Monaco; Le Mans + Indy 500 would complete the Triple Crown

• Graham Hill is the only driver ever to complete the Triple Crown (1972)