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Max Verstappen will make his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours on May 16. In doing so, he joins a long list of Formula 1 drivers who have taken part in the endurance classic.
Verstappen’s entry is not only big news because of his status, but also because he becomes part of a select group. Since 1970 – the first year of the race – more than 30 Formula 1 drivers have competed in this legendary event on the Nordschleife.
However, what immediately makes Verstappen unique is his resume. With four world titles, he surpasses almost every previous F1 driver to participate in the Nurburgring race. Only names such as Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Jack Brabham come close in terms of championships. Of these, Lauda is also the only F1 world champion to have actually won the race (1973).
In terms of Formula 1 experience, Verstappen also stands out. With more than 230 grand prix starts, he has more starts than any other F1 driver who has ever competed in the 24 hours race. That underlines his status as one of the most experienced and successful active drivers ever to take the start – although it should be noted that the F1 calendar has featured significantly more races in recent years than it did in the 1980s, for example.
However, there are also statistics in which Verstappen cannot (yet) compete. Hans-Joachim Stuck holds the record with no fewer than 19 entries in the Nurburgring 24 Hours between 1970 and 2011, including three victories. Markus Winkelhock (16 starts, three wins) and Pedro Lamy also stand out. The latter is, in fact, the most successful former F1 driver in the race’s history with five overall victories.
A New Chapter
What stands out in the statistics is the strong German representation. A large proportion of participants come from Germany, which is logical given the historical and geographical ties to the Nurburgring. Names such as Bernd Schneider, Christian Danner and Heinz-Harald Frentzen all made the switch from F1 to the Nordschleife.
The question now is where Verstappen will place himself in this list. In previous races, he has already shown he can fight at the front immediately and has twice battled for the lead with experienced GT3 driver Christopher Haase.
Verstappen even won the second race of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) alongside Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella – until the team was disqualified for using too many tyre sets.
Max Verstappen neemt met de Mercedes-AMG GT3 deel aan de 24 uur van de Nürburgring.
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Max Verstappen neemt met de Mercedes-AMG GT3 deel aan de 24 uur van de Nürburgring.
A win on debut would be historic and would place him alongside Lauda in the record books. More realistically, he may first gain experience, as many predecessors did, although with such a strong team the objective is clear: to fight for the overall victory.
Either way, Verstappen’s participation marks a new chapter in the rich history of Formula 1 drivers on the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Every F1 drivers to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours
DriverNationalityF1 experienceNurburgring 24 Hours appearancesWins|
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| 2 grands prix (1994) | 3 (1997–1998, 2000) | – |
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| 3 qualifying sessions (1992) | 1 (1985) | – |
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| 4 qualifications (1991) | 7 (1991, 2000–2001, 2003–2006) | 2 (2000, 2001) |
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| 126 grands prix, 3 titles | 1 (1980) | – |
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| 18 grands prix | 4 (1988, 1990–1992) | 1 (1992) |
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| 36 grands prix | 7 (1978–1979, 1985, 1990–1992, 2000) | 1 (1992) |
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| 156 grands prix | 2 (1988, 2008) | – |
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| 91 grands prix | 1 (2024) | – |
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| 3 grands prix | 2 (1994–1995) | – |
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| 183 grands prix | 2 (2012, 2014) | – |
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| 1 qualifying session | 5 (1971–1973, 1994–1995) | – |
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| 3 grands prix | 3 (1994–1996) | – |
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| 49 grands prix | 1 (2025) | – |
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| 176 grands prix | 1 (2006) | – |
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| 32 grands prix | 12 (2001–2005, 2010–2016) | 5 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010) |
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| 171 grands prix, 3 titles | 1 (1973) | 1 (1973) |
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| 105 grands prix | 2 (1971, 1999) | – |
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| 57 grands prix | 4 (2005, 2007–2009) | – |
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| 70 grands prix | 1 (2000) | – |
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| 37 grands prix | 4 (2019–2021, 2024) | – |
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| 204 grands prix, 3 titles | 1 (1994) | – |
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| 37 grands prix | 3 (1989, 1993, 2009) | 1 (1989) |
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| 1 grand prix start | 10 (1982, 1984, 1987–1988, 1990–1991, 1993, 2004–2006) | – |
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| 114 grands prix, 1 title | 1 (1982) | – |
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| 9 grands prix | 9 (1987, 1990–1991, 2012–2013, 2015–2018) | 2 (2013, 2016) |
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| 54 grands prix | 2 (1981–1982) | – |
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| 74 grands prix | 19 (1970–1972, 1981–1982, 1984, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002–2011) | 3 (1970, 1998, 2004) |
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| 5 grands prix | 4 (1987–1989, 2006) | – |
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| 10 qualifying sessions | 2 (1986–1987) | – |
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| 7 qualifying sessions | 9 (1984, 1986–1988, 1990–1992, 1994–1995) | 2 (1990, 1991) |
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| 47 grands prix | 1 (1982) | – |
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| 1 grands prix | 16 (2010–2025) | 3 (2012, 2014, 2017) |
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| 69 grands prix | 1 (1992) | – |
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| 18 grands prix | 5 (2012–2017) | – |
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