Verstappen rocked by major setback after Nordschleife technical drama
Photo: GPblog
15:19, 19 Apr
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Samson Ero is a Formula 1 editor at GPblog with seven years of experience in sports media. He covers key developments across the paddock, delivering accurate reporting and insight on drivers, teams, and performance trends, with work published on recognised platforms including Tuko and Legit.ng.
Max Verstappen and the Winward Racing outfit saw their charge to victory in the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers wiped out by technical issues with their Mercedes.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion, sharing a Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Luca Auer for Winward Racing, endured a dramatic outing during the second session at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
After a difficult qualifying for the NL5 race, in which the team struggled to match the frontrunners in wet conditions, Verstappen fought his way to the front, executing a decisive move on Audi driver Christopher Haase.
However, the Dutchman’s charge was ultimately cut short by a technical fault. The team confirmed to GPblog that a damaged splitter on car #3 caused a loss of performance, costing crucial time and the race lead.
That setback opened the door for Alexander Sims, who capitalised to take the lead of the race in the Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II.
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