Valentin Khorounzhiy
21 Mar 2026 — 1 min read
Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen took his second win in two starts in the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie in GT3 as part of his preparations for his upcoming Nurburgring 24 Hours debut.
Verstappen, who previously won last year's NLS9 with Chris Lulham in a Ferrari, was competing this time in the #3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with GT ace team-mates Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon.
Juncadella and Gounon will also partner him in the 24-hour race later this year, with Lucas Auer - another seasoned Mercedes GT3 pro - added into the mix.
Verstappen took pole for the four-hour race - referred to as NLS2 but effectively serving as season opener for the Nordschleife-based endurance series due to NLS1 having been called off due to weather - but the #3 car was challenged at various points in the distance.
The four-time F1 champion was pounced on by Audi GT veteran Christopher Haase on the opening lap and spent much of his initial stint looking for a way back past - and only found one at the very end, before ducking into the pits with Haase.
The Audi retook that lead in the pit phase, but Juncadella quickly dealt with Haase's less-heralded team-mate Nico Hantke and began to break away - while also stretching out a longer stint than his direct rivals.
An eight-lap stint for Juncadella was followed by another eight laps for Gounon, son of former F1 driver Jean-Marc.
Jules Gounon had his hands full battling the #99 BMW of Dan Harper at the start of his stint, Harper even briefly nipping ahead before the pair diced side by side and Harper inadvertently sideswiped the #941 Porsche Cayman as part of the duel.
This helped Gounon keep the lead, then extend it by a handful of seconds as Harper was forced to serve a 'penalty lap' loop.
But when Verstappen rejoined the race for the final stint he was anyway well, well clear of any rivals in how the strategies shook out - needing only to nurse the car home with a buffer of over a minute.
Context:
Verstappen secured his second consecutive NLS victory, dominating the final stint with over a minute lead.
Context:
This win builds crucial experience ahead of his debut in the grueling 24-hour Nurburgring endurance race.
Context:
Verstappen previously won NLS9 in a Ferrari but switched to Mercedes-AMG GT3 for this season's campaign.
