Verstappen 'backed for Nurburgring 24h success' amid ambitious debut target

Speaking to Verstappen.com ahead of his 24-hour debut, the four-time F1 world champion was asked what success would look like at the Nurburgring. Verstappen responded: "Success would mean winning. That’s very simple, that’s why we are here.

The Red Bull driver has impressed at the Nurburgring in recent months, featuring more heavily at NLS races amid a growing discontent with the 2026 F1 regulations. Back in September, Verstappen won his debut GT3 race at the iconic track in a Ferrari 296 GT3 for Emil Frey Racing, and in March, the Dutchman crossed the line first in his Red Bull-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, but was later disqualified for using too many tyres.

The 24 Hours at the Nurburgring is a different challenge altogether, though, with Verstappen not yet having experienced the 'Green Hell' at night time. We asked GPblog readers for their predictions on how well Verstappen's team will do at one of the world's most chaotic races.

After 200 votes on where Verstappen Racing will end up, fans believe the Dutchman will be on the podium, but the results are slim between just that, or the overall victory.

41% of readers believe Verstappen will win the Nurburgring 24 Hours, while 37.5% believe the Red Bull driver's team will on the podium. Hopes are clearly high for the four-time world champion, as only 18% say Verstappen will make it inside the top 10, while even less (6%) claim the 28-year-old will fail to do so.

Regardless of where the Dutchman finishes, he is set to attract a huge number of spectators to the Nordschleife, with tickets already having to be limited due to overwhelming demand. The action gets underway on Thursday - with two opening qualifying sessions underway at 13:15 and 20:00 local time - before Friday's day of qualifying sets the stage for the race start on Saturday at 15:00.