Max Verstappen will make his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend. In doing so, he joins a long list of Formula 1 drivers who have taken part in the endurance classic.
Verstappen’s entry is not only big news because of his status, but also because he becomes part of a select group. Since 1970 – the first year of the race – more than 30 F1 drivers have competed in this legendary event on the Nordschleife.
However, what immediately makes Verstappen unique is his record. With four world titles, he surpasses almost every previous F1 driver to participate in the Nurburgring race. Only names such as Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Jack Brabham come close in terms of championships. Of these, Lauda is also the only F1 world champion to have actually won the race (1973).
In terms of F1 experience, Verstappen also stands out. With more than 230 grand prix starts, he has more starts than any other F1 driver who has ever competed in the 24 hours race. That underlines his status as one of the most experienced and successful active drivers ever to take the start – although it should be noted that the F1 calendar has featured significantly more races in recent years than it did in the 1970s and 1980s, for example.
However, there are also statistics in which Verstappen cannot (yet) compete. Hans-Joachim Stuck holds the record with no fewer than 19 entries in the Nurburgring 24 Hours between 1970 and 2011, including three victories. Markus Winkelhock (16 starts, three wins) and Pedro Lamy also stand out, the latter being the most successful former F1 driver in the race’s history with five overall victories.
A large proportion of F1 driver participants come from Germany, which is logical given the historical and geographical ties to the Nurburgring. Names such as Bernd Schneider, Christian Danner and Heinz-Harald Frentzen all made the switch from F1 to the Nordschleife.
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
The question now is where Verstappen will place himself in this list. In previous races, he has already shown he can fight at the front immediately and has twice battled for the lead with experienced GT3 driver Christopher Haase.
Verstappen even won the second race of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) alongside Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella – until the team was disqualified for using too many tyre sets.
A win on debut would be historic and would place him alongside Lauda in the record books. More realistically, he may first gain experience, as many predecessors did, although with such a strong team the objective is clear: to fight for the overall victory.
Either way, Verstappen’s participation marks a new chapter in the rich history of F1 drivers on the Nurburgring Nordschleife.
Every F1 drivers to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours
| Driver | Nationality | F1 experience | Nurburgring 24 Hours appearances | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippe Adams |  |
2 grands prix (1994) | 3 (1997–1998, 2000) | – |
| Giovanna Amati |  |
3 qualifying sessions (1992) | 1 (1985) | – |
| Michael Bartels |  |
4 qualifications (1991) | 7 (1991, 2000–2001, 2003–2006) | 2 (2000, 2001) |
| Jack Brabham |  |
126 grands prix, 3 titles | 1 (1980) | – |
| Johnny Cecotto |  |
18 grands prix | 4 (1988, 1990–1992) | 1 (1992) |
| Christian Danner | |
36 grands prix | 7 (1978–1979, 1985, 1990–1992, 2000) | 1 (1992) |
| Heinz-Harald Frentzen | |
156 grands prix | 2 (1988, 2008) | – |
| Timo Glock | |
91 grands prix | 1 (2024) | – |
| Hubert Hahne | |
3 grands prix | 2 (1994–1995) | – |
| Nick Heidfeld | |
183 grands prix | 2 (2012, 2014) | – |
| Hans Heyer | |
1 qualifying session | 5 (1971–1973, 1994–1995) | – |
| Ingo Hoffmann |  |
3 grands prix | 3 (1994–1996) | – |
| Christian Klien |  |
49 grands prix | 1 (2025) | – |
| Jacques Laffite |  |
176 grands prix | 1 (2006) | – |
| Pedro Lamy |  |
32 grands prix | 12 (2001–2005, 2010–2016) | 5 (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2010) |
| Niki Lauda | |
171 grands prix, 3 titles | 1 (1973) | 1 (1973) |
| Jochen Mass | |
105 grands prix | 2 (1971, 1999) | – |
| Arturo Merzario | |
57 grands prix | 4 (2005, 2007–2009) | – |
| Stefano Modena | |
70 grands prix | 1 (2000) | – |
| Tiago Monteiro | |
37 grands prix | 4 (2019–2021, 2024) | – |
| Nelson Piquet | |
204 grands prix, 3 titles | 1 (1994) | – |
| Emanuele Pirro | |
37 grands prix | 3 (1989, 1993, 2009) | 1 (1989) |
| Dieter Quester | |
1 grand prix start | 10 (1982, 1984, 1987–1988, 1990–1991, 1993, 2004–2006) | – |
| Keke Rosberg |  |
114 grands prix, 1 title | 1 (1982) | – |
| Bernd Schneider | |
9 grands prix | 9 (1987, 1990–1991, 2012–2013, 2015–2018) | 2 (2013, 2016) |
| Rolf Stommelen | |
54 grands prix | 2 (1981–1982) | – |
| Hans-Joachim Stuck | |
74 grands prix | 19 (1970–1972, 1981–1982, 1984, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002–2011) | 3 (1970, 1998, 2004) |
| Eric van de Poele | |
5 grands prix | 4 (1987–1989, 2006) | – |
| Volker Weidler | |
10 qualifying sessions | 2 (1986–1987) | – |
| Joachim Winkelhock | |
7 qualifying sessions | 9 (1984, 1986–1988, 1990–1992, 1994–1995) | 2 (1990, 1991) |
| Manfred Winkelhock | |
47 grands prix | 1 (1982) | – |
| Markus Winkelhock | |
1 grands prix | 16 (2010–2025) | 3 (2012, 2014, 2017) |
| Alexander Wurz | |
69 grands prix | 1 (1992) | – |
| Alex Yoong |  |
18 grands prix | 5 (2012–13, 2015-17) | – |
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– The Autosport.com Team
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