Max Verstappen Joins Elite Group of F1 Champions at Nurburgring 24 Hours — A Historical Breakdown

Max Verstappen’s appearance at the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend places him among a distinguished group of over 30 Formula 1 drivers who have competed in the endurance classic on the Nordschleife since the race began in 1970, according to Autosport.

What sets Verstappen apart from most of his predecessors, however, is the weight of his credentials. His four world championship titles put him above nearly every other F1 driver to have entered the race. Only Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, and Jack Brabham have matched or approached that level of championship pedigree among previous participants. Of those names, Lauda holds the additional distinction of being the only F1 world champion to have won the Nurburgring 24 Hours outright, achieving that feat in 1973.

Verstappen also enters the race with more Formula 1 grand prix starts than any other driver in the event’s history — more than 230 appearances at the highest level of motorsport. That figure, it should be noted, reflects the significantly expanded modern F1 calendar compared to the schedules of the 1970s and 1980s, which makes direct comparisons with earlier competitors more nuanced.

Where Verstappen cannot yet compete is in the area of Nurburgring-specific experience. Hans-Joachim Stuck, a 74-grand-prix F1 veteran, made 19 entries in the race between 1970 and 2011, claiming three victories. Markus Winkelhock — who holds just one F1 grand prix start to his name — has accumulated 16 starts and three wins between 2010 and 2025. Perhaps most impressively, former F1 driver Pedro Lamy, who started 32 grands prix, remains the most successful grand prix driver in the race’s history with five overall victories from 12 appearances between 2001 and 2016.

The list of F1 drivers to have raced at the Nordschleife carries a notably strong German contingent, a reflection of the cultural and geographical connection between Germany and the circuit. Bernd Schneider, Christian Danner, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen are among those who made the transition from Formula 1 to the ‘Green Hell’, as the circuit is widely known.

Verstappen has already demonstrated competitive pace ahead of his 24-hour debut. In the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) — the feeder endurance series that serves as preparation for the main event — he has twice battled for the lead with experienced GT3 driver Christopher Haase. He went on to win the second NLS race of the season alongside Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, though the team was subsequently disqualified for exceeding the permitted number of tyre sets.

A debut victory at the Nurburgring 24 Hours would place Verstappen alongside Lauda as the only F1 world champions to win the race, a historically significant outcome given the event’s 56-year history. Whether or not that materialises in his first attempt, his participation adds another chapter to the long-running connection between Formula 1 talent and the Nordschleife’s most demanding test.