Max Verstappen is generating excitement at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, but harsh reality awaits at the Canadian Grand Prix—how will the Red Bull driver manage this balancing act?
Less than a week after Max Verstappen nearly celebrated an overall victory at the legendary 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, the 28-year-old Dutchman returns to the cockpit of his Red Bull RB22 this weekend at the Canadian Grand Prix (schedule).
Just how motivated he actually is, however, remains questionable. Unlike at the endurance classic in the Eifel, Verstappen is unlikely to have much of a chance at a podium finish at the Formula 1 race in Montreal, let alone a win.
The Red Bull driver did not get off to the start to the season he had hoped for this year. After the first four race weekends of the new Formula 1 era, the four-time world champion is only in seventh place in the overall standings and already 74 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
This is also due to the fact that Red Bull has built a car, the RB22, that is currently suffering from massive balance issues and has difficulty maintaining consistent tire grip. As a result, the team has so far been struggling in the midfield rather than at the front for much of the season.
Max Verstappen enjoys the 24-hour race
Verstappen has appeared frustrated for months now. After the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of March, where he managed to fight his way up to eighth place despite being eliminated in Q2, he even spoke of having to make a “life-changing decision.”
Added to this is his well-known aversion to the increasing electrification of the sport. It is therefore hardly surprising that the Dutchman, who has already won four world titles and has nothing left to prove in Formula 1, is showing increasing interest in competing in significantly more endurance races in the future.
Because this is exactly the kind of motorsport Verstappen loves. Despite all the discussions surrounding the Balance of Performance, it was clear from the very first moment just how liberating the Nürburgring weekend was for him. He was there to race, not to answer political questions or grapple with championship calculations.
Verstappen attended only a few media events and instead enjoyed the excitement in the Eifel, where an extraordinary atmosphere prevailed thanks to 352,000 visitors. “During the first practice sessions on Thursday afternoon, I saw Max drive out of the pit lane and looked up at the grandstands,” said teammate Jules Gounon.
“Usually, there are a lot of people at the first practice sessions because of the big race, but it’s not completely packed. This time it was packed. That’s just something special, and I think this race has always been special. But with Max, it’s even more special.”
Verstappen drives at the Nürburgring without pressure
And indeed, it hardly mattered how Verstappen ultimately performed. There were no discussions about his car, no critical questions about the championship standings. The fans simply celebrated his presence, just as did many drivers in the field, who viewed him less as a rival and more as an opportunity to compete against a world champion.
“He’s definitely someone I look up to and can learn a lot from,” said Abt-Lamborghini driver Luca Engstler. “He has a huge passion, just like many drivers here, and I think that’s why we can identify with him so well.”
The pressure had thus practically vanished, which stood in stark contrast to a normal race weekend in Formula 1. Verstappen was fast right from the start, setting the third-fastest lap in practice and subsequently helping the team secure fourth place on the grid.
Verstappen began his first stint in the race after about an hour. There, the Dutchman put on an absolute masterclass: He came onto the track in tenth place and worked his way up to the front within two hours before handing over a lead of over 20 seconds to his teammate Gounon.
“At the start, I got stuck in traffic a bit,” Verstappen explained afterward, “so it was difficult to pass the cars. But once I’d passed a few and then the weather changed with a couple of slippery laps, that’s when I think we made the difference.”
“And after that, the car was good. You try to avoid trouble, but at the same time you have to push and go to the limit. That’s always a difficult compromise, but it worked out well.” It was clear that Verstappen was relishing the opportunity to showcase his talent, something he hasn’t really been able to do so far in the 2026 Formula 1 season.
AMG duel thrills fans at the Nürburgring
His strong performance continued into the night during his second stint. He got into the Mercedes in second place, six seconds behind Maro Engel in the sister 80 AMG, but quickly closed the gap, overtook the AMG works driver, and subsequently built a 20-second lead.
Of course, a certain amount of team strategy from Mercedes-AMG also played a role, after both cars had made slight contact during a duel around three o’clock in the morning. Nevertheless, both drivers were beaming with excitement after the duel.
“It was a ton of fun,” said Engel, who went on to win the race. “I had a smile under my helmet. It was really great to race against him. We pushed right to the limit, and a night on the Nordschleife is always something special.”
The reaction would likely have been much more tense in Formula 1, where the pressure and consequences are far greater. But at the Nürburgring Classic, the drivers simply wanted to race—especially Verstappen, who showed no hesitation whatsoever in fighting uncompromisingly throughout the entire 24 hours.
And for a long time, everything looked like a perfect weekend: The Verstappen-AMG 3 was in the lead with a comfortable margin and heading for victory. “So far, it couldn’t be going much better, but there are still a few hours to go. That’s why we have to stay focused, and then we’ll see where we end up,” said Verstappen.
Why Max Verstappen loves the 24 Hours of Nürburgring
When asked what he particularly enjoyed about the weekend, the Formula 1 star replied: “Generally just the competition. This kind of endurance race where you share the car with teammates. The track is extremely challenging; just the whole combination.”
But victory was not to be in the end. A broken driveshaft knocked Verstappen and his teammates out of the fight for first place and handed the overall victory to rival Engel and his teammates in the sister car. However, that did nothing to dampen Verstappen’s overall enthusiasm.
“A very unfortunate and frustrating end, but these things happen,” the Dutchman wrote on social media. “I still really enjoyed the experience together with Jules, Luggi, and Dani. Thanks to the team and everyone at the track for the support.”
Verstappen also confirmed that he would love to return, provided the race calendar allows it. One gets the impression that this weekend was exactly what he needed: a return to the basics of racing—and a break from the constant worry about the final result.
Verstappen refocuses on Formula 1
Despite all the enthusiasm, however, it would likely be an exaggeration to claim that Verstappen now wants to leave Formula 1 behind as quickly as possible. At a recent Viaplay event, the 28-year-old made it clear that a fifth Formula 1 world championship title is currently still more important to him than a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“I also feel that I can still win Le Mans when I’m a bit older,” he said. There is therefore little doubt that Verstappen will now refocus entirely on Formula 1, starting with Montreal.
There, following his performance at the Nürburgring, he is likely to receive a hero’s welcome, precisely because more and more Formula 1 drivers are showing interest in other racing series. But then Verstappen will quickly be confronted again with the harsh reality of the 2026 regulations and the fact that he cannot currently compete for victories.
In addition, Verstappen is likely to be asked for the first time about the already confirmed Formula 1 rules for 2027. These stipulate a 60:40 ratio between internal combustion and electric power in the future, a concept Verstappen remains critical of.
Red Bull hopes to close the gap
So the euphoria of the Nordschleife can certainly linger for another day or two before the uncompromising focus returns to the track in Montreal. Nevertheless, Red Bull has reason to be confident, as the team showed significant improvement in Miami and narrowed the gap to Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari.
Verstappen qualified second in Florida behind pole-setter Antonelli. Although he ultimately finished fifth after spinning out on the first lap, while teammate Isack Hadjar retired, Red Bull proved competitive, and that is all the team can hope for at the moment.
“We’re getting closer, but we’re not there yet,” said Verstappen. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies confirmed this assessment: ” There’s definitely a step forward. We were 1.2 seconds off pole in Japan, one second in China.”
“The competition wouldn’t wait for us with their updates, so everyone has further developed their cars for Miami,” says the Frenchman. “But we knew that, in addition to the development race, we had to solve some of our problems. And we knew there was still lap time in the car. “
Even a weekend in the fight for the podium would therefore be another positive step for Red Bull and Verstappen, who has not yet announced when he will compete in his next endurance race. No doubt that will happen soon—but for now, the Formula 1 star is returning to his main job in the premier class.
