Limited action for Verstappen Racing during wet second qualifying

Published on 15 May 2026 by Florence Cobben

Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing has finished the first day on the Nürburgring in third. Qualifying 2 was mostly spent milling about in the rain, meaning Max only managed to put down one lap. Luckily, teammates Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella did spend some more time in the car. Because of worsening weather conditions, no top times were improved upon.

With smoke from countless trackside barbecues hanging over the circuit, the cars are released for Qualifying 2 at 20:00 local time at the Nürburgring. Much like the opening session, Verstappen Racing treats the outing more as preparation than outright qualifying. Over the course of the 3.5-hour session, the drivers get the chance to reacquaint themselves with the “Green Hell” under nighttime conditions. For Max, it marks his first experience driving the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife in the dark. The weather also adds an extra challenge, with rain sleeting down at the start of the session.

Lucas Auer is the first to take Verstappen Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 for a spin. In his first lap he sets a 10:08.1 time, almost 2 minutes slower than today’s fastest time in the dry. As the stint progresses, the circuit begins to dry slightly and a racing line starts to emerge. Nevertheless, the fan-favorite #300 Dacia Logan briefly loses control and ends up pointing the wrong way on track. The brightly colored car causes a short traffic interruption, but manages to right itself and continue. Marco Grilli in the #677 asBest Racing car spins and hits the wall. He, too, manages to get back underway.

Auer soon passes the baton to Jules Gounon, who sets two purple sectors on the much-improved track, recording a 9:44 lap. The momentary reprieve from the wet is, however, short-lived as clouds start to gather and it once again starts to rain. Next, the sun bids the drivers adieu, and fans start lighting their fireworks to illuminate the cars’ way. When Daniel Juncadella finally gets his turn, the track is incredibly wet and all hope of improving on the top times has gone.

Max finally gets his opportunity to put down some night laps toward the closing stages of the session. He steps into the car at around 22:00, but a bout of hail means he quickly pits again. After about half an hour the four-time Formula 1 world champion once again braves the track. After one slippery lap, Max opts for safety and parks the car. The rest of the session provides no opportunities to return to the track. At the fall of the flag there are barely any lap-time improvements compared to Qualifying 1, meaning Team Verstappen Racing remains three seconds behind the #80 Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol in third.

The 54th edition of the 24h Nürburgring starts at 15.00 CEST on Saturday 16 May and finishes 24 hours later on Sunday 17 May. You can watch it live on Viaplay.com or via Red Bull TV and the Red Bull Motorsports YouTube channel.

Schedule 24h Nürburgring, Nordschleife

Friday 15 May
10.15-10.45 Top Qualifying 1
11.05-11.35 Top Qualifying 2
12.00-13.05 Qualifying 3
13.35-14.35 Top Qualifying 3

Saturday 16 May
10.00-11.00 Warm-up
14.40-15.00 Formation lap
15.00 Race start

Sunday 17 May
15.00 Race finish