During this weekend's Nurburgring 24 Hours, all signs pointed to Max Verstappen and his teammates, Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella, and Lucas Auer, winning the iconic endurance race.
Unfortunately, with three hours and 20 minutes remaining in the 24-hour race, a driveshaft problem on their Mercedes-AMG GT3 meant they were forced to pit the car and relinquish the win to the Mercedes team of Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maxime Martin.
Shortly after Verstappen finished his stint in the car, Juncadella noticed a problem and limped back to the pits, where the team worked on the GT3 until completing one final lap at the end of the event.
It was heartbreak for Verstappen after similar bad luck at previous NLS2 and SLS5 races that saw him disqualified due to an error by the pit crew and, later, a drop from 1st to 39th because of mechanical issues.
Despite disappointment at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Verstappen has vowed to return next year. "I like the competition and the endurance style racing where you share with team-mates," he said. "The 24-Hour race here, the track is super challenging, so the whole combination [I enjoy]."
"I will for sure try [to return next year]," Verstappen continued. "It always depends a bit on my schedule. My stint was good. Back in the daylight, I was trying to keep it safe while, of course, maintaining a decent pace. The car was working well and I just tried to stay out of trouble."
The Nurburgring 24 Hours is one of the biggest endurance races in the world. This year, 161 cars entered to take on the 15.769-mile circuit, which three-time F1 world champion Jackie Stewart once described as "The Green Hell".
This weekend, Verstappen returns to Formula 1 for the Canadian Grand Prix. With Red Bull Racing improving in Miami, the hope among the Dutchman's fans is that he might have better luck up north.