Verstappen wins NLS2
Max Verstappen made his Mercedes‑AMG GT3 debut and dominated NLS2—taking pole and winning by nearly a minute with teammates Juncadella and Gounon. (sportscar365.com) The win underscores Verstappen’s quick adaptation to GT3 machinery and raises eyebrows about more cross‑discipline entries. (dailysportscar.com)
Verstappen raced the No. 3 Mercedes‑AMG Team Verstappen Racing AMG GT3, an entry run in partnership with Winward Racing and supported by Red Bull as part of a wider GT3 programme. (gpfans.com) He claimed pole with a lap of 7:51.751, putting him 1.974 seconds clear of Christopher Haas’s Scherer Sport PHX Audi on the NLS2 grid. (gpfans.com) The race ran 29 laps for the class leaders; the #3 car posted a fastest race lap of 7:53.552 while finishing 59.524 seconds ahead of Jordan Pepper in the No. 99 BMW. (racingnewstoday.com) Verstappen completed the opening stint before Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon took over and maintained a controlled lead through their stints to the finish. (racingnewstoday.com) Mercedes‑AMG Team Verstappen Racing briefly swapped chassis during free practice after technical trouble, but the original #3 car was used for qualifying and the race. (motorsportweek.com) The NLS appearances were scheduled to build toward a confirmed entry for the ADAC 24h Nürburgring (May 14–17, 2026), a programme rearranged in part to avoid clashes with the Formula 1 calendar. (gpfans.com)
