Verstappen’s teammate reflects on ‘extremely tricky’ Nürburgring 24H stint

The Frenchman inherited the wheel of the #3 car from the four-time world champion, who had produced an extremely solid double stint by charging from 10th to first and carving his way through the field with a series of impressive overtakes, despite a major scare in which he nearly lost the car before managing to save it.

Gounon’s stint was not quite as strong as the Dutchman’s, with the Frenchman losing the lead but still remaining firmly in contention before eventually pitting and handing the Mercedes over to Auer, who later managed to retake the race lead.

Speaking to the media after his stint, Gounon admitted the worsening weather conditions had made things extremely difficult out on track, particularly while running on medium tyres. The Frenchman explained that the combination of rain and oil on the circuit had created incredibly tricky grip levels, revealing he had nearly lost control of the car himself during the stint.

With the first six hours now in the books, the Nürburgring 24 Hours still has another 18 hours of action to go before the drivers finally see the chequered flag. You can follow all the LIVE action from the race here. For minute-by-minute updates, you can follow all the key moments from the Nürburgring 24 Hours here, including updates directly from the pit lane courtesy of our reporter Shanna Lutgert.

Speaking to the media after his opening stint - which was later followed by Gounon taking over the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 - Verstappen admitted the early phase of the race had not been straightforward due to the amount of traffic he initially found himself stuck behind. However, once the Dutchman managed to clear several cars, the worsening weather conditions helped him make the difference at the front, with the slippery surface allowing him to build a stronger pace advantage.

The four-time world champion also praised the balance of the car throughout the stint, while acknowledging how difficult it had been to constantly push at the limit without crossing it in such treacherous conditions. During his run, Verstappen additionally survived a major scare after nearly losing the rear of the car and coming dangerously close to the barriers, although he managed to regain control and continue without damage. Looking ahead, Verstappen expects the next phase of the race to become even more demanding as darkness approaches around the Nordschleife, especially with the rain continuing to create unpredictable and constantly changing conditions.