Max Verstappen suffered a setback at the Nürburgring after his team was handed a grid penalty following a qualifying incident, leaving him with more work to do in the NLS4 race later on Saturday.
Racing under the Team Verstappen Racing banner, Verstappen had looked competitive during qualifying for Race 1 of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers. However, the session proved chaotic, having already been interrupted by a red flag earlier in the day due to a separate crash.
The key incident involved Verstappen’s teammate, Lucas Auer, who made contact with a Porsche Cayman while on track. The collision quickly came under review by the DMSB stewards, who assessed responsibility after the session concluded.
In their report, the stewards noted that the driver of the Porsche maintained his racing line and was unaware of the faster car approaching. Auer, on the other hand, admitted he had spotted a potential gap but misjudged the move, which resulted in the contact. He also issued an apology immediately after the incident.
Based on these findings, the stewards ruled that Auer was at fault and imposed a three-place grid penalty on Team Verstappen Racing. This decision pushes the team down the starting order for the race.
As a result, Verstappen and Auer will now start from ninth position instead of the sixth place they originally secured in qualifying. On a demanding circuit like the Nürburgring, losing positions on the grid can make a significant difference, as overtaking opportunities are limited and early track position is key.
The penalty adds to what has already been a difficult day for Verstappen, who now faces the challenge of fighting his way through the field on one of the most technical tracks in motorsport.
At the front, David Jahn claimed pole position with an impressive lap for GAMOTA Racing. Schnitzelalm Racing, running in partnership with KCMG, secured second place, while Black Falcon rounded out the top three, with Daan Pijl (racing as “Daan Arrow”) contributing to a strong result.
With the revised grid now confirmed, attention turns to whether Verstappen can recover lost ground and still mount a competitive charge despite the early setback.