Another triumphant Saturday at the Nürburgring for Max Verstappen, who claimed victory in the NLS2 (Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie) alongside Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon. Driving the Mercedes prepared by Winward Racing, the Dutchman turned pole position into a commanding win, his second at the Green Hell, crossing the finish line with a one-minute advantage over the BMW #99 of Rowe Racing. Mattia Drudi finished sixth, competing in the Walkenhorst Aston Martin shared with Christian Krognes, while a technical issue relegated Raffaele Marciello to 26th place.
The cinematic duel between Verstappen and Haase
The second weekend of the NLS (Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie) kicked off with Max Verstappen securing pole position, setting the fastest lap in 7:51.751—almost two seconds quicker than the Audi #16 of Team Scherer/Phoenix. After the previous week’s race was canceled due to terrible conditions, the sun returned and the track was dry, with the race officially starting at 12:00.
At the start, Max Verstappen held the lead, exploiting the full potential of the Mercedes AMG GT3 prepared by Winward Racing. However, by the end of the first lap, Haase seized control of the race, entering the long Dottinger straight perfectly to overtake the four-time Formula 1 World Champion just before the final complex of corners. Losing first place did not deter Verstappen, who continued to apply relentless pressure on the experienced German’s Audi. What followed was a spectacular duel lasting around an hour, during which Haase’s lead never exceeded one second. Battling and navigating through traffic, both drivers pulled away from the competition, extending their advantage to thirty seconds over the rest of the field.
Marking Haase closely, Verstappen finally found the right opportunity just seconds before the first pit stop. Taking advantage of traffic at Galgenkopf corner, the Dutchman used the slipstream offered by Haase and positioned himself to the left of the R8 on the Dottinger straight. Haase, however, did not yield, holding off the Mercedes for nearly two kilometers. The battle intensified with a few minor door-to-door touches, always within racing limits, before Verstappen ultimately prevailed, concluding an intense one-hour showdown.
Juncadella and Gounon defeat BMW Rowe #99
Shortly after, both cars headed to the pits, and during the stop, Verstappen handed the wheel to Daniel Juncadella. The Scherer/Phoenix mechanics executed a quicker stop, and the Audi, now in the hands of Nico Hantke, exited the pit lane first. The glory was short-lived for the #16 crew, as Juncadella immediately closed the gap and overtook in the Flugplatz section, regaining the position and extending it without major issues.
During the second phase of the race, a technical problem forced the BMW M4 #98 of Rowe Racing—shared by Augusto Farfus, Raffaele Marciello, and Kelvin van der Linde—into the pits. Meanwhile, Juncadella identified the #99 Rowe BMW, driven by Jordan Pepper and Dan Harper, as the primary threat. At the third pit stop, a driver change handed the Winward Mercedes #3 to Jules Gounon. Harper briefly overtook Gounon, but the French-Andorran quickly responded, attacking Harper in a duel that spanned the entire first sector of the GP layout. Gounon ultimately overtook the BMW driver, who was additionally penalized with a “Penalty Lap” for clipping a Cayman GT4 during the confrontation with Gounon.
Verstappen takes the final stint and secures glory
By extending his stint, the 2022 Spa 24 Hours winner (alongside Marciello and Juncadella) allowed Winward to shorten the pit stop, and with 45 minutes remaining, Gounon handed the car back to Max Verstappen, who had the task of preserving first place until the finish. Nothing and no one could stop the Red Bull driver, who extended his lead to nearly a full minute over the BMW Rowe #99 and the Porsche Falken #44.
When the time expired, Max Verstappen completed the final lap and crossed the checkered flag first, securing victory in the four-hour race alongside Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon. They finished a full minute ahead of the competition, celebrating with the entire Winward team. This marked a second consecutive victory for the Dutchman, following his October win with the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296. Preparations for the Nürburgring 24 Hours, as well as the collaboration with Mercedes and Winward Racing, could not have started better.
Rowe Racing maintained second place with the BMW M4 #99, narrowly beating the Porsche Falken #44 in a sprint to the line. Fourth place went to the Porsche #48 of Losch Motorsports, first in the Pro-Am class, while the Ferrari 296 of Kondo/Rinaldi finished fifth, just ahead of the Aston Martin Vantage #34 of Walkenhorst, driven by Mattia Drudi and Christian Krognes. Only seventh was the Audi #16 of Haase/Hantke, which went from fighting for victory to finishing a minute and a half behind over the course of the race.
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