Max Verstappen faces one of the biggest challenges of his GT3 career as he prepares for the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours this weekend. Despite making an impressive start to life at the Nordschleife, Verstappen is expected to encounter intense competition from several experienced endurance teams and specialist GT drivers at the legendary German circuit.
Verstappen immediately attracted attention after dominating his GT3 debut alongside Chris Lulham. He also won his second race before later being disqualified because of tyre regulation infringements. During the qualifying races for the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Verstappen even led comfortably before technical problems ended his challenge alongside Lucas Auer. However, a 24-hour endurance race presents a far more complex challenge compared to sprint competition.
One of the main threats comes from Scherer Sport PHX and its #16 entry. The team features Christopher Haase, who has regularly battled Verstappen for the lead in previous Nordschleife races. Haase is supported by Alexander Sims, winner of the 2020 Nürburgring 24 Hours and former IMSA class champion, together with Ben Green, who already has experience winning the SP10 class at Nürburgring.
Another major rival is ROWE Racing, especially its #1 car arriving as the defending winner of the 2025 Nürburgring 24 Hours. The line-up of Augusto Farfus, Raffaele Marciello, Jordan Pepper, and Kelvin van der Linde makes the team one of the strongest favourites. Van der Linde is already a three-time Nürburgring 24 Hours winner, while Farfus remains recognised as one of the standout touring car drivers of his generation.
ROWE Racing’s #99 entry is also expected to be highly competitive with Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Dan Harper, and Max Hesse in the driver roster. Harper arrives with strong momentum after his recent class victory at Imola, while the combination of Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde adds significant top-level GT endurance experience.
Red Bull Team ABT is also considered a serious contender with two separate entries. The #84 car finished second during last month’s qualifying race with Luca Engstler, Mirko Bortolotti, and Patric Niederhauser. Meanwhile, the #130 car features experienced names such as Nicky Catsburg and Nick Yelloly, both of whom have already secured major victories at Nürburgring and Le Mans.
In addition, Manthey Racing remains one of the leading favourites with its #911 Porsche entry. The team finished runner-up in the 2025 edition after previously securing pole position. Kevin Estre, Ayhancan Güven, and Thomas Preining form one of the strongest driver combinations in the field with experience ranging from WEC world titles to recent DTM championships. Porsche also remains the second most successful manufacturer in Nürburgring 24 Hours history with 13 overall victories.
Although Verstappen arrives with proven speed and strong form around the Nordschleife, the Nürburgring 24 Hours continues to be regarded as one of the toughest endurance races in world motorsport. Reliability, changing weather conditions, multiclass traffic, and overnight strategy are all expected to play decisive roles in determining whether Verstappen can secure his first major endurance victory at the German classic.
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