Max Verstappen Promoted After Rival Team Disqualified From Nürburgring 24 Hours
Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has received a boost in the final standings of the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours after a rival team was disqualified nearly a month after the race concluded.
Verstappen, who balanced his Formula 1 commitments with participation in the legendary 24 Hours of Nürburgring, saw his team’s position improve following the release of the official race results 26 days after the event.
The No. 84 Lamborghini of Red Bull Team ABT, driven by Mirko Bortolotti, Luca Engstler, and Patric Niederhauser, was disqualified after post-race technical inspections revealed that the car exceeded the power limits set by the Balance of Performance (BoP) regulations.
The Lamborghini had originally finished second overall, but race officials found irregularities during a rolling-road test. Investigators became suspicious after the car displayed significantly higher straight-line speeds during the race compared to qualifying sessions.
As a result of the disqualification, all teams behind the Lamborghini moved up one position in the final classification.
The race victory remained with the No. 80 Mercedes-AMG crew of Maro Engel, Maxime Martin, Fabian Schiller, and Luca Stolz.
Meanwhile, the Walkenhorst Aston Martin team of Mattia Drudi, Christian Krognes, and Nicki Thiim inherited second place, while the ROWE BMW crew secured the final podium position.
Verstappen’s own entry, the No. 3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG, endured a difficult race after suffering a broken driveshaft with only three hours remaining. The setback dropped the team down the order, but the late disqualification promoted Verstappen’s squad from 19th to 18th in the SP9 GT3 class standings.
While the gain may have little impact on Verstappen’s overall result, it marks a positive outcome from a race that was filled with mechanical failures, changing weather conditions, and intense competition among the GT3 field.
The final ruling closes the chapter on one of the most dramatic editions of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, with post-race technical inspections ultimately reshaping the official results weeks after the chequered flag fell.