The 24 Hours of Nurburgring has been running since 1970. It has survived fuel crises, pandemics, and decades of indifference from drivers who considered it beneath them. In all that time, it had never sold out. Until now.

The official Nürburgring X account confirmed that weekend tickets for the 2026 event are completely gone – a first in the race’s history. The cause is not hard to identify. Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen‘s venture into the iconic endurance race around the Nordschleife is drawing a sell-out crowd, with the Dutchman having spent much of the year preparing through NLS races.

Entries had to be turned down by organisers several weeks ago, with the 150-car field filling up for the first time since before the COVID pandemic, largely due to Verstappen’s presence. The 2026 entry list is the largest at the Green Hell since 2014, comprising 161 cars including Verstappen himself, with the SP9 GT3 class alone growing to 41 entries.

One driver has reshaped an entire event’s economics before even turning a wheel in anger.

What Verstappen Is Actually Getting Into

He’ll be driving the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO under the Verstappen Racing flag, alongside teammates Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella, and Lucas Auer.

The circuit uses a combined layout of the Nordschleife and the GP circuit, producing a lap of roughly 25km with over 150 corners, dramatic elevation changes, and conditions that can swing from dry to rain to fog within a single lap.

This is not an exhibition run or a charity drive. Verstappen has been preparing specifically since last year, building the necessary requirements for a start through Nordschleife appearances and intensive SimRacing.

Race Director Walter Hornung talked about how the entry process worked:

“The fact that he is taking his start seriously and approaching it in an incredibly professional manner is already evident from his intensive preparation. He went through the normal qualification process without any special treatment, prepared himself with drives on the Nordschleife, completed the mandatory e-learning and familiarised himself intensively with the track with countless SimRacing laps.”

The race gets underway on Saturday, May 16 at 3pm local time and runs for 24 hours straight, with the four-day event opening on Thursday, May 14 with free practice.

ADAC Nordrhein has also introduced a new F1-inspired knockout qualifying format, the revamped ‘Top Qualifying,’ divided into three segments – Top-Q1, Top-Q2, and Top-Q3 – reserved for the highest-performing classes including the SP9 GT3 category where Verstappen competes.

If You Don’t Have a Ticket, Stay Home Saturday

The advice from the circuit is to stay home. All multi-day tickets have already sold out in advance, leaving only single-day tickets for Thursday, Friday, and Sunday available. Anyone without a ticket valid for Saturday should under no circumstances drive to the Ring on Saturday on a whim.

Parking and camping capacity around both the GP circuit and the Nordschleife is finite, and the limited access roads to the venue simply cannot absorb additional visitors on the busiest day.

Hornung discussed the sheer scale of the demand:

“We are, of course, delighted by the overwhelming support from long-time and new fans, who have literally flooded us this year. At the same time, however, we are naturally working closely with the Nürburgring and the authorities to ensure an orderly and safe experience for all visitors. That is why, for the first time in the 24h Nurburgring’s more than 50-year history, we had to limit the number of tickets.”

In 2025, the previous attendance record already stood at around 280,000 fans over the race weekend.

Whatever the 2026 figure ends up being, it’s going to be pretty insane. Verstappen chasing a bucket-list race in a GT3 has done more for endurance racing’s visibility in Europe than years of marketing budgets ever managed. Whether he wins is almost beside the point – though you can be certain he doesn’t see it that way.

Max Verstappen will make his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours on May 16. In doing so, he joins a long list of Formula 1 drivers who have taken part in the endurance classic.

Verstappen’s entry is not only big news because of his status, but also because he becomes part of a select group. Since 1970 – the first year of the race – more than 30 Formula 1 drivers have competed in this legendary event on the Nordschleife.

However, what immediately makes Verstappen unique is his resume. With four world titles, he surpasses almost every previous F1 driver to participate in the Nurburgring race. Only names such as Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Jack Brabham come close in terms of championships. Of these, Lauda is also the only F1 world champion to have actually won the race (1973).

In terms of Formula 1 experience, Verstappen also stands out. With more than 230 grand prix starts, he has more starts than any other F1 driver who has ever competed in the 24 hours race. That underlines his status as one of the most experienced and successful active drivers ever to take the start – although it should be noted that the F1 calendar has featured significantly more races in recent years than it did in the 1980s, for example.

However, there are also statistics in which Verstappen cannot (yet) compete. Hans-Joachim Stuck holds the record with no fewer than 19 entries in the Nurburgring 24 Hours between 1970 and 2011, including three victories. Markus Winkelhock (16 starts, three wins) and Pedro Lamy also stand out. The latter is, in fact, the most successful former F1 driver in the race’s history with five overall victories.

A New Chapter

What stands out in the statistics is the strong German representation. A large proportion of participants come from Germany, which is logical given the historical and geographical ties to the Nurburgring. Names such as Bernd Schneider, Christian Danner and Heinz-Harald Frentzen all made the switch from F1 to the Nordschleife.

The question now is where Verstappen will place himself in this list. In previous races, he has already shown he can fight at the front immediately and has twice battled for the lead with experienced GT3 driver Christopher Haase.

Verstappen even won the second race of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) alongside Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella – until the team was disqualified for using too many tyre sets.

Max Verstappen neemt met de Mercedes-AMG GT3 deel aan de 24 uur van de Nürburgring.

A win on debut would be historic and would place him alongside Lauda in the record books. More realistically, he may first gain experience, as many predecessors did, although with such a strong team the objective is clear: to fight for the overall victory.

Either way, Verstappen’s participation marks a new chapter in the rich history of Formula 1 drivers on the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Every F1 drivers to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours

		2 grands prix (1994)	3 (1997–1998, 2000)	–
		3 qualifying sessions (1992)	1 (1985)	–
		4 qualifications (1991)	7 (1991, 2000–2001, 2003–2006)	2 (2000, 2001)
		126 grands prix, 3 titles	1 (1980)	–
		18 grands prix	4 (1988, 1990–1992)	1 (1992)
		36 grands prix	7 (1978–1979, 1985, 1990–1992, 2000)	1 (1992)
		156 grands prix	2 (1988, 2008)	–
		91 grands prix	1 (2024)	–
		3 grands prix	2 (1994–1995)	–
		183 grands prix	2 (2012, 2014)	–
		1 qualifying session	5 (1971–1973, 1994–1995)	–
		3 grands prix	3 (1994–1996)	–
		49 grands prix	1 (2025)	–
		176 grands prix	1 (2006)	–
		32 grands prix	12 (2001–2005, 2010–2016)	5 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010)
		171 grands prix, 3 titles	1 (1973)	1 (1973)
		105 grands prix	2 (1971, 1999)	–
		57 grands prix	4 (2005, 2007–2009)	–
		70 grands prix	1 (2000)	–
		37 grands prix	4 (2019–2021, 2024)	–
		204 grands prix, 3 titles	1 (1994)	–
		37 grands prix	3 (1989, 1993, 2009)	1 (1989)
		1 grand prix start	10 (1982, 1984, 1987–1988, 1990–1991, 1993, 2004–2006)	–
		114 grands prix, 1 title	1 (1982)	–
		9 grands prix	9 (1987, 1990–1991, 2012–2013, 2015–2018)	2 (2013, 2016)
		54 grands prix	2 (1981–1982)	–
		74 grands prix	19 (1970–1972, 1981–1982, 1984, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002–2011)	3 (1970, 1998, 2004)
		5 grands prix	4 (1987–1989, 2006)	–
		10 qualifying sessions	2 (1986–1987)	–
		7 qualifying sessions	9 (1984, 1986–1988, 1990–1992, 1994–1995)	2 (1990, 1991)
		47 grands prix	1 (1982)	–
		1 grands prix	16 (2010–2025)	3 (2012, 2014, 2017)
		69 grands prix	1 (1992)	–
		18 grands prix	5 (2012–2017)	–

Logan Sargeant hopes for Max Verstappen in Ford Hypercar: “He’s going to kick everyone’s ass”

Are we at a turning point for Verstappen – and F1?

The real reason F1 star Max Verstappen is drawn to GT3 racing

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Max Verstappenracing a Ford at Le Mans isn’t a pipe dream someone floated on a podcast. It’s a conversation Ford is actively having with the man himself, and Mark Rushbrook isn’t hiding it. Speaking to Motorsport.com, Ford Performance‘s global director confirmed the discussions are real and ongoing.

When asked if talks had taken place, Rushbrook didn’t hide his enthusiasm to have an ally in the Dutchman: “Yes, of course.

“We love Max. We love what he does in the Formula 1 car, on the track. We love him off the track. He’s a great person, as much as he’s a great driver. We love his passion to be racing GT3, like he is, and what he does with developing drivers through sim racing and getting them on the track. So, of course, we have regular discussions with him about what are the opportunities to do more in sportscar, including Hypercar. He’s a racer. He wants to race,” Rushbrook said.

Verstappen’s name keeps coming up in the endurance world, given his appetite for long-distance racing and his existing ties to Ford through Red Bull Powertrains. The four-time champion has made clear in recent years that he wants to do more outside of Formula 1, and he will compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, his next step in GT racing.

A Le Mans outright bid is the obvious target, and Ford is the obvious partner – except for when the calendar gets in the way.

The Schedule Is the Problem, Not the Will

Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, keeping his schedule locked up for the foreseeable future with 24-race seasons.

“He wants to go race Le Mans and race for the overall win, but most years the schedule doesn’t allow it, right? While he’s a committed Formula 1 driver, most years now it’s a conflict. I think we’re just talking about what the opportunity is and if and when it makes sense, and everybody wants to do it, then great.”

Rushbrook also confirmed this wouldn’t happen in 2027, Ford’s debut year in the Hypercar class, and that any potential third-car entry at Le Mans would have to come after the programme’s first season.

Ford’s Hypercar will use an ORECA chassis powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.4-litre V8 built entirely in-house with support from Red Bull Ford Powertrains, making it one of only three non-turbocharged cars in the WEC Hypercar field.

The first three confirmed drivers are Sebastian Priaulx, Mike Rockenfeller, and Logan Sargeant.

What makes the Verstappen conversation something more than flattery is what Rushbrook said about his value as a development asset. He watched Verstappen work at the Red Bull F1 shakedown in Barcelona earlier this year, and came away with a good idea of what he brings to the table in terms of feedback:

“One of the great things about Max, is drivers like him don’t come along that often, in terms of what he accomplishes on track, right? But it’s how he accomplishes it. Especially this year when we were in Barcelona [for the F1 shakedown]. Hearing his feedback on the radio while he’s out on track, testing his brandnew car, and then he would come back in after doing, depending on the stint, 30, 40, 50 laps.

“The amount of detail that he’s able to give feedback to the engineers that is so much more valuable than all the data that the engineers have. It’s complimentary, it’s got to go together. Just the mental capacity and the bandwidth that he has for developing a car, for racing a car, for tuning a car. To have a driver like that in your programme, at some point, even if it’s only for one race, is pretty meaningful.”

The fact he specifies ‘only for one race’, meant they’re not shopping for a full-season Hypercar programme driver. They’re thinking about Le Mans, specifically, with arguably the best active racing driver on the planet.

Ford won four consecutive Le Mans outright victories from 1966 to 1969 with the GT40 and has been building back toward that kind of relevance ever since. Verstappen in a Ford at La Sarthe, fighting for the overall, would be exactly that kind of statement. Both sides know it. The calendar just needs to cooperate.