Max Verstappen is set to make his highly anticipated debut at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, starting from fourth on the grid after a thrilling qualifying session that saw a Lamborghini lock out the front row.
Co-driver Daniel Juncadella delivered a strong lap of 8 minutes 12.005 seconds in the #1 Verstappen Racing Mercedes, putting the team just 0.882 seconds off pole position. The top spot went to Luca Engstler in the #84 Team ABT Lamborghini Huracán, who clocked an impressive 8 minutes 11.123 seconds to lead a Lamborghini 1-2 ahead of teammate Marco Mapelli.
Qualifying for the Nürburgring 24 Hours is famously complex, with three initial sessions determining positions 50 through 161, while a separate Top Qualifying (TQ) phase decides the front-runners. Each car must nominate a different driver for each TQ session, adding strategic depth to the process.
For the Verstappen team, Lucas Auer kicked things off in TQ1, securing fifth place and advancing to TQ2. There, Verstappen himself took the wheel—the four-time Formula 1 champion needing a top-seven finish to progress. He delivered, edging into sixth place and setting the stage for Juncadella in TQ3.
Juncadella faced the pressure of completing two hot laps in the final session. His first lap of 8 minutes 18.537 seconds left him in the lower half of the top 10, 6.8 seconds off the pace. But he rebounded with a stunning second lap of 8 minutes 12.005 seconds, briefly rising to second before ultimately settling for fourth as Lamborghini showcased its dominance.
The Italian marque maintained a 1-2 for much of the session, with Mapelli initially leading before Engstler snatched pole with his final flying lap. Christopher Haase in the #16 Scherer Sport Audi qualified third, 0.861 seconds off the pace, while Thomas Neubauer in the #45 Kondo Racing Ferrari rounded out the top five.
The race gets underway on Saturday at 3:00 PM local time in Germany, promising 24 hours of intense action at one of the world's most challenging circuits. For Verstappen, known for his relentless drive and precision, this debut marks another chapter in his storied career—and a chance to prove his versatility extends beyond Formula 1.