Max Verstappen stripped of race win as F1 star pays the price for blunder | F1 | Sport

Max Verstappen has been stripped of his dominant win at Nurburgring Nordschleife earlier today. The four-time Formula One world champion joined Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Team Verstappen Racing. The trio won the second race of the 2026 Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) comfortably, finishing over one minute faster than the next team in the four-hour event at the historic 15.5-mile circuit. But it has since been confirmed Verstappen and his team have been disqualified for a breach of the rules.

During post-race technical checks, officials found that Verstappen and his squad used seven sets of tyres, exceeding the limit of six for race day which covers qualifying and the race itself. That means the Rowe Racing duo of Don Harper and Jordan Pepper instead inherit the victory. Organisers said in a statement: « After crossing the finish line at the second round of the ADAC RAVENOL Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie, Max Verstappen, Daniel Juncadella, and Jules Gounon celebrated their first victory of the season in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing.

« About two hours later, reality set in. During the technical commission’s routine review of the so-called Tyre App, it was discovered that the team had used seven sets of tires on race day instead of the permitted six. The stewards were thus forced to disqualify the car. »

Verstappen’s team qualified on pole in the No.3 Winward Mercedes-AMG GT3 with the Dutchman enjoying two stints behind the wheel. The 28-year-old thought he had secured his second-ever Nurburgring win, his first in a Mercedes, until the rule breach was revealed.

Under the FIA and NLS sporting codes, a tyre allocation breach is considered a major infringement because it provides a potential performance advantage. As a result, the stewards had no choice but to issue a mandatory disqualification, handing the victory to the second-place finishers.

Christian Hohenadel, the team principal of Winward Racing, reflected: « For us, this was our first outing as a Mercedes-AMG Performance team on the Nurburgring Nordschleife. I would like to apologise to everyone who was rooting for us. We will now thoroughly analyse the day, meticulously prepare for the remaining races, and work toward the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nurburgring with full concentration. »

While Stefan Wendl, the head of Mercedes-AMG’s customer racing, said: « A mixed start to the 2026 Nurburgring season. We crossed the finish line first but were subsequently disqualified. During routine checks by the technical commission, it was found that the team used seven sets of tyres on race day, instead of the permitted six.

« The error occurred during qualifying, when multiple driver and tyre changes were practiced. An NLS weekend we won’t forget anytime soon: Great racing, incredible atmosphere, and initially, the joy of victory.

« The disappointment is all the greater as a behind-the-scenes mistake led to disqualification, which hurts. On the Nordschleife, everything must come together. Now, we focus on analysing, learning, and preparing for the upcoming races and the 24-hour highlight. »

Verstappen, meanwhile, has a lengthy break in his schedule after the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. He is looking into the possibility of racing in NLS3 on April 11, a four-hour race around the Nordschleife.

« Well, for me this is one of the craziest tracks in the world, » the Dutchman said. « I’ve been watching this for a very long time, and it’s just one of these races that you want to compete in. At least finally, this year I have the chance to do it.

« It also depends a bit on what the calendar allows me to do. I’m already racing a lot. I will try to do as much as I can. We’re looking into it [NLS3]. It just all depends if it’s all feasible. But I’m always happy to race here. »