Mercedes is going well beyond polite interest to make Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring 24 Hours dream a reality – to the point where even Toto Wolff is reportedly picking up the phone.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion’s potential appearance at the Nordschleife has been gathering momentum for months, but now the spotlight has shifted away from garages and driver line-ups to calendars and boardrooms.
Quite simply, Verstappen’s participation hinges on whether he can squeeze in a mandatory Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) race – and Mercedes is pushing hard to make it happen.
Mercedes Pushes the Calendar
With Winward Racing confirming its factory-backed assault on the Nürburgring 24 Hours as the Mercedes-AMG Performance Team, Verstappen’s plan has moved into its final, most political phase.
The driver already has approval from Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, and even Red Bull’s parent company. What he doesn’t yet have is a free weekend.
Every remaining NLS race and qualifying event currently clashes with the F1 calendar. That’s where Mercedes steps in.
©Verstappen.com
According to reports, the lobbying effort has reached the very top of the company, with Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius and motorsport boss Toto Wolff backing a request to move the NLS season opener away from its current date, which conflicts with the Chinese Grand Prix.
Mercedes-AMG has formally asked the NLS to delay the race by one week, potentially opening a narrow window between the China and Japan F1 rounds.
Series boss Mike Jäger has confirmed the request but poured cold water on suggestions that a deal is already done, stressing that other championships and logistical constraints are also in play.
"The request for a possible postponement has now been submitted, but nothing more than that,” Jäger said. “It has to suit everyone.”
Verstappen Builds His Own Dream Team
While the calendars are being debated, Verstappen is doing everything else himself. The Dutchman is believed to be personally selecting his Mercedes-AMG GT3 teammates, with DTM runner-up Lucas Auer high on the list. Their rivalry goes back to their Formula 3 days, and Auer’s recent AMG form makes him a natural fit.
Sim-racing standout Chris Lulham, Nürburgring expert Jules Gounon, and endurance veteran Daniel Juncadella are also in the mix, giving the project a blend of raw speed, technical reference, and Nordschleife experience.
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Russell: F1 drivers ‘pretty jealous’ of Verstappen’s GT3 successVerstappen isn’t waiting for paperwork to catch up either. Earlier this week –, before jetting off to Detroit for Red Bull’s 2026 livery launch – he logged significant mileage in AMG GT3 machinery during private testing at Portimão, deliberately running in mixed conditions that mirrored the notoriously unpredictable Eifel weather.
Whether the NLS moves or not will decide the outcome – but one thing is clear: when Mercedes wants Max Verstappen on the Nürburgring, it’s prepared to fight the calendar itself.
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