Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen and the crew of the No.3 Winward Racing Mercedes won the NLS2 at the Nurburgring on Saturday.
Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen made his Nurburgring debut last year in a Red Bull-branded Ferrari, as he took the first steps towards competing in the Nurburgring 24 Hours with a victory.
After a calendar reshuffle to avoid F1 clashes, which was pushed for by Mercedes and Toto Wolff, the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) welcomed Verstappen back this weekend in the No.3 Winward Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside Joules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella.
Marking his first outing in a Mercedes, Verstappen and the No.3 car qualified on pole ahead of Saturday’s four-hour NLS2 race.
Holding the lead at the start the No.3, with Verstappen behind the wheel, was overhauled early by the No.16 Audi driven by Christopher Haase.
Verstappen hounded the No.16 across his first stint and eventually took the lead before handing the car over to Juncadella for the second stint.
The No.3 lost the lead at its driver change, but was soon back in the lead, with Gounon taking over for the third stint before Verstappen took to the car again for close to the race.
After 29 laps, Verstappen and the No.3 car got to the chequered flag just under a minute clear of the No.99 entry.
It marks Verstappen’s second victory at the Nurburgring in his second GT3 race start and his first in a Mercedes.
“Yeah, could be much worse,” he said of the race.
“Two different cars as well. For me, this whole weekend has been about getting to grips with the car around the Nordschleife, which has been super enjoyable.
“The team also prepared the car really well, so we could do some decent testing, and it made me feel really comfortable in the car.
“It was a really good experience for me to race here today.”
With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East, Verstappen says he is exploring the possibility of taking part in NLS3 on 11 April.
“Well, for me this is one of the craziest tracks in the world,” he added.
“I’ve been watching this for a very long time, and it’s just one of these races that you want to compete in.
“At least finally, this year I have the chance to do it. It also depends a bit on what the calendar allows me to do.
“I’m already racing a lot. I will try to do as much as I can. We’re looking into it [NLS3]. It just all depends if it’s all feasible. But I’m always happy to race here.”
