Formula 1: Max Verstappen competes in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring

Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen will tick one of his ‘bucket list’ events to compete in the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race.

The 28-year-old Red Bull F1 driver will get behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT at the event in May, which sees showroom-style cars compete on the famous 15.8-mile circuit in Germany’s Eifel Mountains.

“The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a special place. There’s no other track like it. The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a race that has been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really happy that we can make it happen now,” said the Dutchman, who finished sixth in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

It’s very rare for a Formula 1 driver to compete in a lower-level motorsport event, especially of Verstappen’s calibre, but he has long enjoyed driving in motorsport simulators and has a special affinity for sports car racing.

It is widely believed that Verstappen could one day compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans,, external It is an event that has gained huge popularity in recent years thanks to the introduction of new ‘supercars’ regulations, which has seen the likes of Ferrari, Peugeot, Aston Martin and Ford return to the top tier of sports cars.

The venerable Nürgburgring 24 Hours race is a lower level than races such as Le Mans, and is part of the World Endurance Championship, which announced last week that it would postpone the season-opening 1,812-kilometre race in Qatar due to the US-Israel war against Iran., external

Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull until 2028, but was previously linked to the Mercedes Formula 1 programme.

The Nurburgring 24 Hours race takes place on May 16-17, between the Miami race and the Canadian Grand Prix.