Max Verstappen will fulfil his goal of competing at the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year after his GT3 team, Verstappen Racing, confirmed its participation in the endurance event.
The four-time world champion started his journey to the 24-hour race last year, initially by gaining a licence to race at the circuit before taking part in -- and winning -- the ninth round of the NLS (Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie).
For this year's 24 Hours, which will take place on May 16 and 17, Verstappen will race in a Red Bull-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by his own team and co-driven by Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer. The car will use the starting number 3 - the same number used by Verstappen in F1.
The German circuit, nicknamed "The Green Hell", has earned legendary status since it first opened in 1927, but was removed from F1's race schedule in 1976 after it was considered too dangerous.
The 15.7-mile layout used for NLS races includes a combination of the modern grand prix circuit and the legendary Nordschleife, which features banked corners, blind crests, and very limited run-off.
In preparation for this year's event, Verstappen has also signed up for a four-hour precursor at the Nurburgring, NLS2, which will take place on March 21.
The timing of the races will allow them to dovetail with Verstappen's F1 commitments with Red Bull, with NLS2 falling on the free weekend between the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix, and the 24 Hours taking place in the two-week gap between the Miami Grand Prix and Canadian Grand Prix.
"The Nürburgring is a special place," Verstappen said. "There's no other track like it. The 24h Nürburgring is a race that's been on my bucket list for a long time, so I'm really thrilled we can make it happen now.
"Last year, I was able to get my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and participate in NLS9, that we won. That preparation is very valuable, as we have learned a lot that we can take into our program this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race.
"We've got a strong line-up with Dani, Jules and Lucas and great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it's about putting in the right preparations before the events, so we can maximize everything in the races."
Although Verstappen has long held a desire to race at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, his decision to participate in this year's event coincides with his recent criticism of F1's new regulations.
The Red Bull driver has labelled the new rules "anti-racing" and after Sunday's season opener in Australia, urged F1 to listen to drivers and reconsider the regulations.
Verstappen has warned that he will leave F1 if he no longer enjoys it, and in preseason testing said he was looking for opportunities outside of the series, such as the Nurburgring 24 Hours, to enjoy himself behind the wheel.
"I am of course also exploring other things outside of Formula 1 to have fun at, but I know that we're stuck with this regulation for quite a while," he said.