The second NLS round brought forward by a week and no longer clashing with the Japanese Grand Prix. The change could prove crucial for Verstappen as he works towards his long-term ambition of competing in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
After racing in the series in 2025, Verstappen had already made it clear he was keen to return to the Nordschleife before taking on the endurance classic.
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Juan Pablo Montoya believes Mercedes were still holding plenty back during the Barcelona tests. Although they did not end the three-day running with the outright fastest lap, the W17 nevertheless showed several encouraging signs early on in Spain.
Both Antonelli and Russell completed a heavy workload, racking up 500 laps across the three days, while the new power unit already appeared to deliver solid reliability.
Speaking on the MontoyAS podcast, however, the Colombian insisted the Silver Arrows were still a long way from showing their true pace, suggesting that the lap times seen in Barcelona were around ‘three to four seconds off’ the car’s full potential.
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