Max Verstappen has expressed hope that the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring race remains largely dry. The Dutchman is concerned above all about the chaos that could ensue if conditions on the Nordschleife change constantly.
Verstappen starts his debut in the iconic race at the Nürburgring from fourth place on the grid on Saturday afternoon. Verstappen Racing is immediately considered one of the contenders for victory, partly because the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 showed consistent speed during qualifying. The team has also successfully completed the warm-up, which the F1 driver himself did not take part in.
While the F1 world champion is hoping for stable conditions, rain is once again in the forecast at the Nordschleife. Qualifying earlier in the weekend was already heavily disrupted by fog, damp patches, and significant variation in grip across different sections of the circuit.
Verstappen hopes for no rain during the Nürburgring 24 Hours
“I actually just hope it’s dry,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “Of course, I’m fine with changing conditions, but sometimes luck is involved too. Having the right tyres at the right time, for example, you can either win a lot with that or lose a lot.”
The four-time Formula 1 world champion believes a fully dry race would provide the fairest conditions for all competitors: “In that regard, I think it is better for everyone on slicks,” he added. However, he admitted that the scenario looks unlikely. “It looks like it is going to rain,” Verstappen continued, emphasising once again that, as far as he is concerned, the showers can stay away. “I think it has rained enough for the whole weekend, but we’ll see.”
Verstappen already experienced the Nordschleife’s challenges in the wet during qualifying, including his first-ever night laps on Thursday. The Dutchman navigated rain and fog in near-zero visibility at times, producing dramatic footage and offering a stark introduction to the unpredictable nature of the legendary circuit.
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