F1 Champion Max Verstappen’s bucket list race: Conquering 24 hours at “The Green Hell”

Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is preparing to tackle a dream challenge that has long been on his motorsport bucket list, the grueling 24-hour race at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife .

Verstappen, alongside his sportscar teammates Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon, and Lucas Auer , will share a Red Bull-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 , aiming to master one of the world’s most demanding circuits. “The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a special place. There's no other track like it,” Verstappen said. “The 24h Nürburgring has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now.”

The Nordschleife, often called “The Green Hell,” stretches nearly 13 miles (20.8 kilometers) through wooded German hills, featuring over 150 corners with barriers often dangerously close to the track. The circuit is notorious for its high-risk thrills, Formula 1 last raced here in 1976, when reigning champion Niki Lauda suffered severe burns in a life-changing crash.

Verstappen’s journey to the 24-hour challenge began last September, when he made his debut at the Nordschleife in a slower GT4-spec car during a four-hour race, a test to earn a full permit for faster cars. That same month, he returned and clinched victory in a GT3 Ferrari race, proving his adaptability and skill on the formidable track.

To fine-tune his preparation, Verstappen’s team revealed he will also compete in another race at the circuit on March 21, strategically scheduled between this week’s Chinese Grand Prix and the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29. The 24-hour endurance race is set to begin at 3 p.m. local time on May 16 , concluding the following day, just a week before the Canadian Grand Prix .

With his Formula 1 commitments and now the demanding world of endurance racing, Verstappen’s foray into the Nürburgring promises fans a thrilling spectacle, blending precision, stamina, and the kind of fearlessness that has defined his racing career.