Max Verstappen delivered a strong showing in the opening qualifying session for the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours, although the Dutch star was ultimately pushed down to third place as conditions changed dramatically throughout the session.
The first qualifying outing at the iconic Nürburgring circuit featured plenty of action, interruptions, and unpredictable weather as teams began preparations for one of endurance racing’s toughest events. Verstappen, driving the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 machine, initially looked set to dominate after producing a series of rapid laps during the early stages of Thursday’s session.
After completing a pair of installation laps, the four-time Formula 1 world champion returned to the track with just over an hour remaining. His first competitive effort saw him clock an 8:47.982 before he quickly improved with a stunning 8:18.539 lap. At that point, Verstappen moved comfortably to the top of the timing screens, holding an advantage of roughly eight seconds over the chasing BMW entries from ROWE Racing.
However, the session soon became increasingly chaotic due to multiple on-track incidents that triggered slow zones and Code 60 restrictions around the circuit. Those interruptions prevented several drivers from putting together clean laps and made the timing order difficult to judge.
An early red-flag style incident involved the No. 900 Black Falcon Team Zimmermann Porsche, which caught fire near the Schumacher S section of the track. Driver Alexander Hardt escaped safely from the vehicle but remained close to the stricken car when Janina Schall, driving the No. 146 Giti Tires by WS Porsche, collided with it. Fortunately, both drivers emerged unharmed despite the frightening crash.
As the track conditions stabilized, more front-running contenders began to challenge Verstappen’s benchmark. Fabian Schiller eventually delivered the fastest lap of the session in the No. 80 Ravenol Mercedes-AMG GT3 shared with Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, and Luca Stolz. Schiller’s impressive 8:14.957 lap pushed Verstappen off provisional pole position.
Raffaele Marciello also moved ahead of Verstappen in the No. 1 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, finishing just over three seconds behind Schiller. Verstappen’s Mercedes-AMG eventually settled for third place overall, 3.582 seconds adrift of the leading time.
Weather conditions added another layer of unpredictability in the closing stages of the session. Rain and even light hail began falling across sections of the Nordschleife, making improvements nearly impossible during the final 20 minutes. Some parts of the circuit reportedly looked almost snow-covered due to the unusual mix of precipitation.
Later in the session, Lucas Auer headed out in the Verstappen Racing entry to gain experience in wet conditions as teams prepared for the possibility of more rain during the weekend.
Behind the top three, Dan Harper placed fourth in the No. 99 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, while Thomas Preining rounded out the top five in the Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Although Verstappen missed out on ending the session fastest, the opening qualifying performance confirmed that his team remains firmly in contention heading into the remaining qualifying rounds and Friday’s crucial Top Qualifying shootout.
