Max Verstappen's first-ever Nurburgring 24h race weekend has got off to a good start with the completion of the first Qualifying session at the Nordschleife. The Dutchman completed just over an hour of running, topping the timing charts just before being swapped with Verstappen teammate Daniel Juncadella.

While Thursday is officially a qualifying day, it is mostly just preparation for the leading categories, with Verstappen racing alongside Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer in a Red Bull-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in the top-bracket SP9 class.

Nonetheless, in a rather chaotic qualifying session, Verstappen's, and the team's, fastest lap of 8:18.539 was a good way to start the Dutchman's 24h race debut - ultimately finishing the first session in P3. The Dutchman's team are currently back on track for Qualifying 2, taking place between 20:00 and 23:30 local time, which will be his first-ever night-time experience at the 'Green Hell'.

Unsurprisingly, the four-time F1 world champion has been relishing that challenge, telling Verstappen.com: “It’s probably going to be the best feeling. You’re by yourself, pushing in the night. The car is normally fastest in the night, so I'm looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, former Haas boss Guenther Steiner has had his say on where Verstappen might end up should he leave Red Bull in 2027. The loss of trusted figures such as Gianpiero Lambiase and Helmut Marko, as well as his unhappiness with F1's 2026 regulations has led to widespread speculation regarding Verstappen's future both at Red Bull and in the sport altogether.

While Steiner pointed to three potential suitors for Verstappen, he questioned whether a move would actually be possible. Speaking to a betting site, he said: "In my opinion, Max can only go to three teams: Ferrari, McLaren, or Mercedes, But is there anything available at the moment?