4-time Components 1 world champion Max Verstappen will sort out the legendary Nurburgring 24 Hours with Mercedes this yr.
Following months of hypothesis, the Dutchman has been confirmed to make his debut on the German endurance traditional on 14-17 Might with the factory-supported Winward workforce, working underneath the Verstappen Racing banner.
Verstappen will likely be joined within the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 by manufacturing facility drivers Lucas Auer and Jules Gounon, plus new Genesis Hypercar signing Daniel Juncadella.
Auer, Guonon and Juncadella all have intensive expertise on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, whereas the latter two drivers additionally compete as team-mates for Winward in GT World Problem Europe.
The quartet will make a preparatory outing on this month’s NLS2 race, which has been introduced ahead by every week to 21 March at Mercedes’ request to permit Verstappen to participate.
The occasion had initially been scheduled for 28 March, which might have clashed with the annual Japanese Grand Prix on the Suzuka Circuit. Verstappen had made it clear internally that he needed to finish a minimum of one race within the early a part of the NLS to make sure he felt prepared for the 24-hour enduro.
Max Verstappen, Purple Bull Racing
Picture by: Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images / NurPhoto by way of Getty Photos
His solely earlier outing on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, final yr’s penultimate spherical in November, was on the wheel of an Emil Frey Ferrari 296 GT3, reasonably than the Mercedes-AMG GT3 that he will likely be racing this yr.
“The Nurburgring is a particular place,” Verstappen stated. “There’s no different observe prefer it. The 24h Nurburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket record for a very long time, so I’m actually thrilled we are able to make it occur now. Final yr, I used to be capable of get my DMSB Allow Nordschleife and take part in NLS9, that we gained.
“That preparation may be very helpful, as now we have discovered rather a lot that we are able to take into our programme this yr with NLS2 and the 24-hour race. We’ve received a powerful line-up with Dani, Jules and Lucas and nice assist from Purple Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it’s about placing in the precise preparations earlier than the occasions, so we are able to maximise every little thing within the races.”
Mercedes will enter two so-called Efficiency Groups on the Nordschleife enduro this yr, each run by Winward. Other than the Verstappen Racing entry headlined by the F1 star, the German model may even be represented by a second automotive run underneath the Mercedes-AMG Workforce RAVENOL moniker.
Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz will type the driving force line-up for the #80 Mercedes. Engel was a part of the crew that scored Mercedes’ final win on the Nurburgring 24 in 2016, along with Adam Christodoulou, Manuel Metzger and Bernd Schneider.
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