Max Verstappen told Nurburgring 24 Hours win would be ‘almost’ like a championship

Max Verstappen could add another milestone to his career this weekend with a win at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.

The impact Verstappen’s presence has had on the race has been clear, with tickets selling out for the first time in its history. The four-time world champion won’t just be happy with that, though.

And while some may doubt him due to a lack of experience in this event, he’s hardly without support.

Max Verstappen doesn’t have a lot of time behind the wheel at Nurburgring compared to other drivers. Still, he did take part in 2024 pre-season testing for Team Redline on their sim rigs, helping them set up and offering feedback based on his laps.

Nico Muller was one of those who noticed the work Verstappen put in ahead of this year’s race:

“He also tried out different cars and teams during test races,” said Muller. “For example, he drove for Walkenhorst once and compared notes with our people after the event. He clearly made a lot of effort to be as well-prepared as possible.”

Markus Winkelhock backs Max Verstappen to win the 24 Hours of Nurburgring

Markus Winkelhock spoke with GP Blog about how winning the 24 Hours of Nurburgring can feel just as special as a championship title.

He believes that’s exactly what Verstappen is after, and despite some concerns, Winkelhock feels Verstappen has a solid chance to come out on top.

“Yes, absolutely. For me, winning a 24-hour race is almost the same as winning a championship… You only get one chance a year to win. So it’s something very special for a driver to win a 24-hour race.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why Max Verstappen has this on his bucket list. Looking ahead, [winning] the Nurburgring, Spa, and Le Mans are definitely on Max’s bucket list.”

“I think he just needs to be careful when overtaking traffic. I think he may need to take it a little easier to survive the 24 hours. But even so, I think he has good chances to win this race.”

Winkelhock highlights Verstappen’s biggest test at Nurburgring

Winkelhock also spoke about the unique challenges of racing at night, especially when the weather turns, and how Verstappen could handle those conditions.

“I think he has shown that he can adapt very quickly. He is super fast and now knows the circuit very well. The only issue is that he doesn’t have much experience at night yet.”

“And if it starts raining at night, then it really comes down to practical experience. He has done a lot of simulations, but the Nordschleife is very special.

“If it rains at night and then starts to dry, that’s the key part. Because you can’t see where it’s drying, where it’s still wet or where it’s damp. That’s super difficult.”

He isn’t alone in this opinion; Renger van der Zande also pointed out how tough driving in darkness can be for someone without much experience.

While Verstappen has looked impressive in his previous runs with a GT3 car at Nurburgring, this will be his first time handling night racing under these conditions.

The buzz around Verstappen taking part in the Nurburgring 24 Hours is hard to miss, and there will no doubt be plenty of F1 fans tuning in just to see how he handles it all.