Everyone was excited to see Max Verstappen in contention at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, but it all ended in bittersweet disappointment for Team Verstappen. The #3 Mercedes had been in a strong position, leading a Winward Racing 1-2 with less than four hours remaining and looking firmly in control of the race.
Things quickly unraveled after Verstappen handed the car over to teammate Dani Juncadella. Just a couple of laps into his stint, the Spaniard suddenly slowed on track due to a mechanical issue. The #3 Mercedes was pushed into the garage as the crew inspected the rear-right section of the car, before a driveshaft problem was confirmed. After around 15 minutes in the garage, a visibly emotional Juncadella walked away as Team Verstappen’s hopes of a Nurburgring 24 Hours victory faded away.
How Did Max Verstappen Help the #3 Mercedes Take Early Control at Nurburgring?
Max Verstappen played a huge role in putting the #3 Mercedes at the front of the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours after a superb overnight stint. Taking over from Dani Juncadella around 1:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, Verstappen quickly found himself battling the #80 Mercedes driven by Maro Engel. The fight for the lead turned intense when the two cars made contact during an overtake attempt, sending Engel onto the grass. Verstappen, however, avoided damage and stayed in front before completing a strong double stint.
Thank you to all of you for the immense support we’ve felt this week ❤️ Absolutely gutted we couldn’t bring it home, but that’s racing. Until the next one 🙏 pic.twitter.com/DBh7jeWHKi
— Max Verstappen (@VerstappenCOM) May 17, 2026
Jules Gounon later kept the car in the lead, while Lucas Auer extended the advantage to 15 seconds over the #80 Mercedes. But the race changed dramatically once Juncadella returned behind the wheel, as the #3 Mercedes suddenly slowed with a mechanical issue and limped back to the pits. While the team worked on repairs, the sister #80 AMG entry of Maxime Martin, Maro Engel, Fabian Schiller, and Luca Stolz opened up a lead of more than five minutes, leaving the #3 car troubled.
What Happened to Max Verstappen’s #3 Mercedes Late in the Nurburgring 24 Hours?
Max Verstappen played a massive role in keeping the #3 Mercedes out front during the Nürburgring 24 Hours, helping the team build a gap of nearly 30 seconds during his overnight stint. After starting fourth, Dani Juncadella had already pushed the car into contention on the opening lap before a puncture for the polesitting Lamborghini opened the door for Team Verstappen to take control at the front.
The race was anything but smooth for Verstappen. The Dutchman survived a frightening moment when the car briefly lifted off the ground and brushed the armco barrier, something he later blamed on turning in too early. He also came through a dramatic 270 km/h clash with Maro Engel while fighting for the lead, but the #3 Mercedes somehow kept holding on at the front despite the chaos.
Mercedes-AMG customer racing boss Stefan Wendl later revealed how things suddenly fell apart. “Just after the pitstop Danny reported some noise from the rear right,” Wendl explained, with the team initially suspecting an electrical issue linked to the ABS system. But the situation quickly worsened as vibrations increased before the car limped back to the pits. Wendl confirmed “the whole rear axle had a major damage resulting from a driveshaft failure,” forcing lengthy repairs. Despite the heartbreak, the team still wanted to send the car back out near the end of the race for the fans. “We spoke with Max and the other drivers and everybody is so much disappointed,” Wendl said. “But we said yeah, let’s send this beautiful car out again.”
