F1 Today | As Verstappen gears up for debut, Hamilton fights to keep tragedy at bay

Max Verstappen is set to make his official debut in endurance racing at the 57th ADAC Barbarossa Prize, taking place at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The Red Bull Formula 1 champion will compete in the GT3 category with Emil Frey Racing, sharing a Ferrari 296 GT3 with Chris Lulham in a four-hour race featuring more than 100 cars. His entry has drawn major attention after earlier this year he broke the Nürburgring lap record during a high-profile test.

The Dutchman only recently secured his Grade A DMSB permit, having impressed during earlier outings in a detuned GT4 car. With that requirement now fulfilled, Verstappen makes the step into official endurance competition at the “Green Hell,” one of the most demanding circuits in motorsport.

Fans worldwide can follow Verstappen’s debut live on Motorsport TV and the Nürburgring’s official channel. Qualifying begins at 7:30 a.m. BST, with the grid walk and race formation set later in the morning. The event promises to be a significant new challenge for the three-time F1 world champion, who is beginning to broaden his career into high-level sports car racing.

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that his dog Roscoe is in critical condition after suffering another bout of pneumonia. The Ferrari driver explained on Instagram that Roscoe was admitted to hospital struggling to breathe, before his heart stopped during checks. Doctors managed to revive him, but the bulldog was placed in a coma, leaving Hamilton by his side as he asked fans to keep Roscoe in their thoughts.

Roscoe, 12, has become a familiar face in the Formula 1 paddock and has previously battled health issues, with dietary changes made in recent years to aid his condition. Despite the setbacks, he has remained a much-loved companion and source of comfort for Hamilton both on and off the track.

Due to the emergency, Hamilton will not take part in Ferrari’s 2026 tyre test at Mugello. Reserve driver Zhou Guanyu will instead join Charles Leclerc for the session in the SF-25 mule car, part of Pirelli’s preparations for the upcoming regulation changes. The tests mark an important step in F1’s transition to new tyre specifications for the 2026 season.

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