Jules Gounon was filled with reward for his “superb team-mate” Max Verstappen, claiming he’s the proper co-driver for endurance racing forward of contesting the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
The four-time Components 1 world champion is making his debut on the historic occasion this weekend, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Gounon, Lucas Auer and Daniel Juncadella.
Verstappen’s entry has introduced extra fan fare to the 2026 race, which has absolutely bought out amid the Dutchman’s ongoing endurance racing commitments that hold rising.
However alongside that, he’s additionally the founding father of the Verstappen.com Racing group which Gounon competes for in GT World Problem and that led to him being picked for the Nordschleife.
Gounon advised Motorsport.com: “Max is a tremendous team-mate to have. Because the first check we did in Estoril, I instantly understood that this particular person is coming from one other planet, in a great way, as a result of the man is simply superb.
“On high of that, he is a really good team-mate, so if I had amnesia and I might not know the particular person, I might be like, ‘wow, it is a superb transfer that AMG introduced this driver with us as a result of he is quick, he is good, he is enjoyable’.
Jules Gounon
Picture by: Jakob Ebrey / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
“On the finish, it is what you want in endurance. In endurance, you could share a variety of stuff, so if you do not get alongside together with your team-mate, it is very troublesome to have a pleasant environment.
“And Max may be very good: he is very open, very humble. There isn’t a ego. So on this manner, he is a really good team-mate.”
The #3 Mercedes is due to this fact the speak of the paddock this weekend and to many is the favorite for victory, however not simply due to Verstappen.
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Gounon is an already profitable endurance racer with two victories on the Spa 24 Hours, having additionally taken the 2022 GT World Problem Europe Endurance title with Juncadella, whereas Auer took the Dash model of that championship in 2024.
So Mercedes is in an awesome place to take its first Nurburgring 24 Hours victory since 2016, when it gained with Maro Engel, Bernd Schneider, Manuel Metzger and Adam Christodoulou.
“We’re good on paper, however we did not win it for 10 years,” added Gounon. “So I actually hope that now we have a great race.
#3 Mercedes-AMG Crew Verstappen Racing, Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO: Max Verstappen
Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool
“As soon as once more, I do not like to talk earlier than, however now we have ready as a lot as we might, as finest as we might and hopefully it seems effectively.”
But Gounon is aware of trying good on paper issues comparatively little at such a manic and unpredictable occasion, as numerous components like combined climate, technique and reliability come into play.
“I actually consider that every one the 24-hour races, it is one thing that is meant to be – the place wants to decide on you,” mentioned the Frenchman.
“On the finish of the day, you want a little bit of luck to win the 24 hours. I misplaced many 24 hours the place I actually thought that I used to be going to have them.
“I am doing dash and endurance races, which is one thing very totally different, and in endurance, I actually really feel…on the finish, you could provoke your luck, that is clear.
“However I really feel in these huge races the place there’s a variety of aura from the place, the place wants to decide on you.”
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