Max Verstappen will have ground to make up in Saturday’s NLS4 race at the Nürburgring after his team received a grid penalty following a qualifying incident.
The Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing was placed under investigation by officials from the Deutscher Motor Sport Bund (DMSB) after a collision during qualifying for Race 1 of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers.
The session had already been disrupted by a red flag earlier on, but further drama unfolded when Verstappen’s team-mate, Lucas Auer, was involved in contact with a Porsche Cayman. The stewards reviewed the circumstances surrounding the clash and later confirmed their decision.
According to the official findings, the driver of car 941 explained that he held his racing line and did not see the faster-approaching car behind. Auer, who was driving car 3, admitted that he had noticed an opportunity to pass but miscalculated the situation, leading to the contact. He reportedly apologised to the other driver immediately after completing his stint.
After considering both drivers’ statements and the available evidence, the stewards determined that a three-place grid penalty for the next race would be an appropriate sanction.
As a result of the ruling, Verstappen and Auer will drop three positions from their original qualifying result. Instead of lining up in sixth place for Saturday evening’s race, scheduled for 4:30pm UK time, they will now start from ninth on the grid.
The setback presents an added challenge for Verstappen, who is balancing his Nürburgring commitments alongside his Formula 1 campaign. With the grid reshuffled, the team will need a strong race performance to recover lost ground and fight back into contention.
While the penalty is relatively minor in scale, the Nürburgring’s demanding layout and the competitive nature of the field mean that every grid position can prove crucial. Overtaking opportunities can be limited, and track position often plays a decisive role in endurance-style events.
For Team Verstappen, the focus now shifts from the stewards’ room back to race strategy, as they look to turn a frustrating qualifying outcome into a productive result once the lights go out.