Max Verstappen‘s ambitions to compete in endurance racing are taking concrete shape, with his Verstappen.com Racing outfit reportedly in advanced talks to field a Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the legendary Nürburgring 24 Hours. The four-time world champion has made no secret of his desire to tackle prestigious GT3 events, though his own participation remains dependent on adequate preparation time away from Formula 1’s relentless calendar.
Championship-winning outfit eyes Pro-class step with Mercedes switch
Verstappen.com Racing secured the Gold Cup title in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup last season, fielding an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo with drivers Harry King, Chris Lulham and Thierry Vermeulen. The team operated with technical support from 2 Seas Motorsport, which provided the engineering backbone despite the Verstappen branding on the entry.
For the upcoming campaign, the operation is expected to continue in the same championship but with a significant upgrade in ambition. Sources indicate the team will switch to Mercedes-AMG machinery and compete in the more competitive Pro class, marking a clear statement of intent from the Verstappen-backed programme.
GT3 veterans Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella are reportedly set to join Lulham in the driver lineup, though official confirmation remains pending. Both bring extensive experience in GT racing’s top echelons, which would provide the squad with proven pace as it steps up the competition ladder.
American outfit with German roots tipped for Nordschleife assault
The Nürburgring 24 Hours presents a unique challenge that requires specialised knowledge of the fearsome Nordschleife circuit. While 2 Seas Motorsport has proven adept at conventional GT3 racing, the Bahrain-British operation has no experience navigating the treacherous 25-kilometre lap through the Eifel mountains.
According to respected German publication Motorsport-Total, Verstappen.com Racing has turned to Winward Racing for its Green Hell campaign. The squad, originally American but now based in Altendiez—roughly an hour from the circuit—acquired the renowned HTP Motorsport operation at the end of the previous decade. Winward has established itself as one of Mercedes-AMG’s premier GT3 teams globally, claiming back-to-back IMSA championships and victories at the Daytona 24 Hours, alongside strong performances in the DTM series.
Crucially, the team’s HTP heritage brings deep institutional knowledge of the Nordschleife, despite not having contested the 24-hour event since 2019. That experience gap represents the main challenge facing any potential Verstappen.com Racing entry at the circuit where the Dutchman himself secured victory alongside Lulham last year in a Ferrari.
Mercedes-AMG connections deepen as Verstappen tests GT3 hardware
Recent developments suggest the relationship between Verstappen’s racing interests and Mercedes-AMG is strengthening, despite his continued association with Red Bull Racing‘s Honda power units in Formula 1. The four-time champion was spotted meeting with senior Mercedes-AMG officials, while he also completed testing of the GT3 Evo machine at Estoril in Portugal last week.
Those test sessions provided Verstappen with direct experience of the Mercedes platform, allowing him to evaluate the car’s characteristics and provide feedback to his team’s technical staff. The Stuttgart manufacturer’s latest GT3 evolution has proven competitive across multiple championships, making it an attractive option for any serious GT programme.
Verstappen.com Racing’s previous split operations—running with 2 Seas Motorsport in the Endurance Cup and supporting Emil Frey Racing’s Ferrari entries in the Sprint Cup—demonstrated the 27-year-old’s willingness to explore different partnerships. Lulham and Vermeulen secured Gold Cup honours in the Sprint series with the Ferrari 296 GT3, the same car they used for their Nordschleife success.
Calendar conflicts complicate proper Nordschleife preparation
Verstappen has consistently emphasised that he will only enter major endurance events if he can prepare properly, which creates significant complications for any 2025 Nürburgring participation. The Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie races that serve as essential preparation for the 24-hour event clash directly with Formula 1’s schedule.
NLS1 coincides with the Chinese Grand Prix, NLS2 overlaps with Japan, NLS3 conflicts with Bahrain, while the crucial 24-hour qualifying races (NLS4 and NLS5) take place during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend. This leaves virtually no opportunity for Verstappen to gain the track time he considers necessary before tackling one of motorsport’s most demanding challenges.
Mike Jäger, CEO of the VLN organisation that oversees the NLS, has indicated that calendar adjustments could be considered to accommodate Verstappen’s participation. Such flexibility would be unprecedented but reflects the significant commercial and sporting value his entry would bring to the event.
What this means going forward
Whether Verstappen personally competes at the Nürburgring in 2025 remains uncertain, but his team’s reported partnership with Winward Racing signals serious intent to establish a competitive presence in GT3’s most prestigious events. The combination of experienced drivers, proven technical partners, and Mercedes-AMG’s competitive hardware provides a strong foundation for success in both the GT World Challenge Europe and potential Nordschleife outings. As Formula 1’s schedule continues to expand, finding windows for adequate preparation will remain the primary obstacle to Verstappen’s endurance racing ambitions, though his test programme with the GT3 machinery suggests he is laying groundwork for future participation when circumstances allow.
