The 40 rivals Verstappen must beat to secure Nurburgring 24 Hours win

One of the most highly anticipated races of the year is now just around the corner - not only for endurance fans, but this year also for Formula 1 supporters and motorsport enthusiasts alike, given the eagerly awaited debut of the four-time world champion. As seen in his previous outings at the Nordschleife, the Dutchman will once again share driving duties with several teammates.

Verstappen will be joined by Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, with each driver set to complete multiple stints before the chequered flag falls at 15:00 on Sunday. The #3 Mercedes-AMG is naturally considered one of the favourites for overall victory, although reliability issues or unexpected incidents could still play a decisive role.

However, the Dutchman will have to contend with 40 other cars in his class, with several high-profile rivals ready to challenge him throughout the race. Among them is Scherer Sport PHX driver Christopher Haase, with whom Verstappen has already been involved in several spectacular battles in the past. Other major endurance racing stars on the grid include Manthey driver Kevin Estre, who will share the car with Ayhancan Güven and Thomas Preining. But the list of big names hardly ends there, with the SP9 category featuring an extremely competitive field from top to bottom.

Even though this will be his first appearance in a 24-hour race, Verstappen is heading into the Nürburgring weekend with a clear objective in mind: fighting for victory. The four-time world champion described the Nürburgring 24 Hours as one of the standout events on the motorsport calendar and admitted the legendary Nordschleife has always been a track he dreamed of racing on. Verstappen also hinted that he would like to make the event a regular part of his schedule in the coming years, whether with a single entry or an expanded Verstappen Racing programme.

Despite knowing how competitive the field will be, the Dutchman insisted the ambition is to challenge at the front from the very beginning. At the same time, he said he is eager to enjoy the full endurance racing experience alongside his teammates throughout the demanding race weekend.

He finally pointed to sim racing as a key factor behind his preparation for the event. Having spent years driving the Nordschleife virtually and competing in online endurance races, he felt comfortable with the layout straight away once he arrived at the track in real life. Instead, the biggest adaptation came from dealing with the physical side of driving the car, including the grip conditions, kerbs and heavy compressions unique to the Nürburgring.