Late driveshaft problem denies Verstappen Nurburgring 24 Hour victory on debut
The Dutchman came close to winning the race at his first attempt
Technical gremlins denied Max Verstappen a win on his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours over the weekend.
The four-time F1 champion swapped his Milton Keynes-based Red Bull Racing team for the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing fielded Mercedes-AMG GT3, where he would race on the Green Hell alongside Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella.
And the quartet looked on course for victory when the Dutchman passed leader Maro Engel during the notoriously challenging night stint, bolting clear of the competition before handing over the reins to his team-mates.
But the #3 Mercedes came a cropper when, just three-and-a-half hours from the end, a vibration worsened in the hands of Juncadella. Though he tried to fight on, he had to pit three laps into his stint, forcing the car into the garage for repairs.
Unfortunately for Verstappen and co, the vibration was diagnosed as a driveshaft problem, ending their chances of both victory and a solid overall finish. Sidelined for the majority of the remainder of the race, Team Verstappen emerged at the end for a couple of laps, but would finish 20 laps behind the winners and outside of the top 35 cars.
It handed victory back to their Mercedes running mates in the #80 car, Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maxime Martin - who claimed the German manufacturer’s first Nurburgring 24 Hours victory in a decade.
Speaking afterwards, Verstappen said: “Very unfortunate and frustrating ending, but these things can happen. I still really enjoyed the experience together with Jules, Luggi and Dani. Thanks to the team and everyone around the track for your support.”
Verstappen swaps the Mercedes for the RB22 again this weekend as he rejoins the F1 paddock for the Canadian Grand Prix. Last season Verstappen finished second to George Russell’s Mercedes at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, ending a run of three consecutive wins in Montreal.