When you are a four-time Formula 1 World Champion, winning is essentially muscle memory. So, taking a weekend off from the F1 circus to casually crush a four-hour endurance race in Germany sounds like a fun weekend getaway. That’s exactly what Max Verstappen did this past weekend at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. But unfortunately, a technicality tore the trophy right out of his hands.
Driving the #3 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, Verstappen and his co-drivers (Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella) absolutely dismantled the field at the second round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS2). Verstappen threw the car on pole by nearly two seconds, fought through traffic, and eventually helped cross the finish line a massive 59 seconds ahead of the competition.
But hours after the champagne dried, the #3 crew was formally disqualified.
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What Part of The Rules Did He Break?
Unfortunately for all of us, rules are rules. And when the technical commission scanned the barcode logs on the team’s rubber during post-race scrutineering, they found a pretty substantial mistake. The rules strictly dictate that a team can only use a maximum of six sets of tires (24 individual tires) across the entire race day.
The Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG disappointingly logged 28 tires.
Using seven sets instead of six is a massive, slam-dunk violation of the rulebook, leaving the stewards with zero choice but to scrub the #3 car from the final classification. With Verstappen and company tossed out, the overall win was handed over to the ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3.
What Went Wrong For This to Happen?
How does a world-class racing outfit accidentally bolt on an illegal set of tires? According to team principal Christian Hohenadel, it was simply an “internal error.”
While the #3 car only made the standard three pit stops during the actual four-hour race, the extra rubber was reportedly cycled through during the chaotic morning qualifying sessions. In endurance racing, where multiple drivers are swapping seats and practicing tire changes, keeping track of your allocation is crucial.
“It was our first outing as a full Mercedes-AMG Performance Team on the Nordschleife, and I want to apologize to all the fans who were cheering us on,” Hohenadel explained.
While getting disqualified over a bookkeeping error stings, Verstappen wasn’t there to collect a trophy. The Dutch phenom is actively using these NLS events as real-world practice for the legendary 24 Hours of Nürburgring this May. The team has plenty of time to tighten up their tire management before the 24-hour marathon begins.
