Max Verstappen will start fourth on the grid for the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours after an intense and dramatic qualifying battle around the legendary Nordschleife circuit on Friday.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion and his No.3 Mercedes-AMG crew fought through multiple qualifying sessions to secure a place in the final pole shootout, delivering a strong performance in front of huge crowds gathered at the iconic German venue. While Verstappen himself drove during Top Qualifying 2 earlier in the day, it was team-mate Dani Juncadella who handled the decisive Top Qualifying 3 session and ultimately locked in fourth place on the starting grid.
Juncadella produced a rapid lap of 8:12.005 in the Mercedes-AMG GT3, but it was not quite enough to challenge for pole position as Lamborghini dominated the final session. Pole was secured by Luca Engstler in the No.84 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 after he unleashed a stunning lap of 8:11.123 around the fearsome 12.9-mile circuit.
Lamborghini completed an impressive front-row sweep when Marco Mapelli placed the No.130 car second on the grid, just 0.345 seconds behind the pole-winning machine. Meanwhile, one of Verstappen’s major Nürburgring rivals, Christopher Haase, secured third position in the No.16 Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II.
Despite narrowly missing out on the front three, Verstappen’s team remained firmly in the fight throughout qualifying. Earlier on Friday morning, Verstappen personally took the wheel during Top Qualifying 2 and posted the sixth-fastest time overall with a lap of 8:11.614. His effort ensured the No.3 Mercedes advanced into the final shootout and kept hopes alive of challenging for pole.
The qualifying sessions highlighted just how competitive this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours field has become, with multiple manufacturers featuring near the top of the timesheets. Lamborghini emerged as the standout force, but Audi, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Ford, Aston Martin, BMW and Ferrari all demonstrated strong pace across the various sessions.
In Top Qualifying 3, Ferrari’s No.45 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo26 claimed fifth, while another Lamborghini machine in the No.7 car finished sixth. Ford’s new Mustang GT3 EVO entries also impressed, with the No.64 car taking seventh and the No.67 machine placing 12th. Porsche’s famous No.911 GT3 R finished eighth, ahead of BMW’s M4 GT3 EVO in ninth and another Mercedes-AMG GT3 in tenth.
The earlier sessions were equally dramatic. Aston Martin topped Top Qualifying 1 thanks to a superb lap from the No.34 Vantage AMR GT3, while Lamborghini’s No.130 car dominated Top Qualifying 2 with the fastest lap of the entire qualifying period — an 8:10.485.
With qualifying now complete, attention turns to the main event itself. The legendary 24-hour endurance race begins on Saturday afternoon at 3pm local time and will continue non-stop through the night before concluding on Sunday. Verstappen’s debut challenge at the Nürburgring now moves into its most demanding phase as he attempts to conquer one of motorsport’s toughest races against a packed and ultra-competitive GT3 field. Yh y
