Max Verstappen is heading to the pole shootout for the Nurburgring 24 Hours, but it wasn't without a little drama. The four-time Formula 1 world champion secured his spot by finishing sixth in Top Qualifying 2 (TQ2), posting a time of 8m11.614s—actually faster than last year's overall pole time of 8m12.741s. Still, he was on the edge of elimination until the very end.

At the Nurburgring 24 Hours, qualifying works a bit differently. Qualifying sessions 1, 2, and 3 determine grid positions 50 through 161, while the Top Qualifying sessions (TQ1, TQ2, TQ3) are what matter for the frontrunners. To advance from TQ1 to TQ2, a car must finish inside the top 20. Verstappen's Mercedes team managed that with ease, as Lucas Auer took fifth in TQ1 with an 8m14.871s.

Then it was Verstappen's turn behind the wheel for TQ2, where he needed to finish inside the top seven to progress to the final pole-determining session. Early on, it looked like a sure thing. The Dutchman went fastest on his first lap (8m14.459s), putting him nearly a second ahead of the field with a clean run. Meanwhile, DTM points leader Maro Engel wasn't so lucky—he spun the sister Mercedes into the Hatzenbach barriers, ending his session early.

With about four minutes left in TQ2, drivers headed back out for their second laps. That's when Verstappen started slipping down the order, even though he improved on his final tour. The fastest time ultimately went to Nick Yelloly in the Team Abt Audi, who posted an 8m10.485s—0.139s quicker than second-placed Christian Krognes (Walkenhorst Aston Martin). Ayhancan Guven (Manthey Porsche) took third with an 8m11.222s.

A pair of HRT Ford Mustangs locked out fourth and fifth, with Arjun Maini (8m11.278s) ahead of Dennis Olsen (8m11.423s). Verstappen's 8m11.614s was good for sixth, just 1.129s off the top time. Christian Engelhart (Frank Konrad Lamborghini) rounded out the top seven with an 8m11.937s, meaning eighth-placed Adam Christodoulou (Prosport Racing) just missed the cut with an 8m13.935s.

With the pole shootout ahead, all eyes will be on Verstappen and the #3 Mercedes as they chase the top spot on the grid for one of endurance racing's most grueling events.