Max Verstappen’s victory at the NLS2 event at the Nurburgring in Germany has been wiped away after his team was disqualified post-race.
Competing in the GT3 class, Verstappen grabbed pole position on the full 24.358-kilometre configuration of the Nurburgring by nearly two seconds.
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Splitting time with co-drivers Frenchman Jules Gounon and Spaniard Daniel Juncadella at the wheel of a Mercedes sporting Red Bull livery and run by the Winward team, Verstappen helped steer his car to victory by almost exactly a minute before officials intervened.
The car was disqualified for using seven sets of tyres during the race when only six are permitted.
“The disqualification is tough to take,” Winward team principal Christian Hohenadel told Motorsport.com.
“Unfortunately, we made an internal error that left the stewards with no choice but to exclude the winning car.”
Rowe Racing’s Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper were awarded the victory as a result of the disqualification.
Mercedes-AMG’s customer racing chief Stefan Wendl said in a statement: “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 practised.
“The disappointment is all the greater as a behind-the-scenes mistake led to disqualification, which hurts.”
Verstappen was sixth in the F1 season opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8 before failing to finish in Shanghai last Sunday. He returns to Asia for the Japan Grand Prix next Sunday.
The disqualification is a tough pillow to swallow for the 28-year-old, who is trying his hand at different racing categories during breaks in the F1 season.
Verstappen’s has been highly critical of the new F1 regulations and there is growing speculation he could leave the sport in the coming years.
He is contracted at Red Bull until the end of 2028.
The Dutchman has also expressed interest in driving in the 24-hour Le Mans race in June.
– With AFP
