Max Verstappen will race a Winward Mercedes in the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours

Knowing this was happening does not lessen the intensity of hearing the news that Max Verstappen, Jules Gounon, and Dani Juncadella will race a Red Bull-liveried, Winward Racing-prepared Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Max will also contest the NLS2 round in preparation.

Today just happens to be the day these lineups are coming out, but it does taste a little more delicious coming on the heels of the opening round of a Formula 1 rule set that Max viscerally hates. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like to see Max race in Formula 1 for a long time to come, but I also hope that sports car racing is increasingly where he has his fun in life.