Verstappen teammate issues cautious verdict ahead of Nurburgring 24 Hours

With eight appearances under his belt, the Spanish driver - who races for Verstappen.com Racing and will share the car with the four-time world champion this weekend - can certainly be considered a true Nürburgring 24 Hours veteran. Experience that could prove extremely valuable for the Dutchman as well, who despite his dominant success in Formula 1 will be taking part in his first endurance race of this length.

Although his best result at the Nürburgring remains a third-place finish in 2021, Juncadella certainly knows what it takes to win a 24-hour race, as shown by his victory at the Spa 24 Hours in 2022 and his triumph at Daytona the following year. And perhaps this season could finally offer him the perfect opportunity to complete the hat-trick at the Green Hell.

Speaking to Sportscar365, the Spanish driver explained that while everyone in the team is aiming for victory and Verstappen is naturally an extremely competitive character, the Nürburgring often ends up deciding its own winner due to the countless unpredictable factors involved throughout the race, making the event feel like a lottery at times.

Ahead of this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours, veteran Markus Winkelhock believes Verstappen could realistically emerge as one of the leading contenders for victory if the Balance of Performance works in favour of Mercedes. According to the four-time Nürburgring 24 Hours winner, Mercedes - alongside Audi and Porsche - has traditionally been regarded as one of the strongest and most dependable manufacturers around the Nordschleife in endurance racing.

Winkelhock also highlighted the strength of Verstappen’s line-up, with the Dutchman set to share the Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside factory drivers Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer. In his view, the combination of a competitive car and an experienced driver crew gives Verstappen all the tools needed to fight for overall victory across the full 24-hour race distance.