This forum contains threads to discuss teams themselves. Anything not technical about the cars, including restructuring, performances etc belongs here.
Max would have probably been in the mic at the front had his rear not locked up like that in qualy. He probably would have started third or even second, and even if the Ferraris passed everyone quickly at the start, RB would have pitted under VSC too and possibly continued to give Merc a run for their money. Who knows how George's hard tyres would have held up until the end of the race if he had to spend more tyre life defending against Max (in addition to a possible three-way George/Charles/Max fight at the beginning).
I'm guessing the real clean air race pace of both RB and Ferrari are only 0.2-0.3s behind Merc at the moment, both of which can be overcome with weight (in RB's case), and deployment/track differences (in everyone's case). Mclaren have had a slow start but I suspect that they'll get much stronger as the season goes on and they figure out deployment + upgrade their car.
Only 0.5 second a lap slower than mercedes despite being in traffic, using wrong tires, and car being overweight.
Merc was also on a suboptimal strategy due to their early stop. They also had 1 fewer stop with a 40+ lap stint. + They were just cruising at the end as they had no reason to push. Real difference could be closer to 1 sec than to 0.5s.
Max would have probably been in the mic at the front had his rear not locked up like that in qualy. He probably would have started third or even second, and even if the Ferraris passed everyone quickly at the start, RB would have pitted under VSC too and possibly continued to give Merc a run for their money. Who knows how George's hard tyres would have held up until the end of the race if he had to spend more tyre life defending against Max (in addition to a possible three-way George/Charles/Max fight at the beginning).
I'm guessing the real clean air race pace of both RB and Ferrari are only 0.2-0.3s behind Merc at the moment, both of which can be overcome with weight (in RB's case), and deployment/track differences (in everyone's case). Mclaren have had a slow start but I suspect that they'll get much stronger as the season goes on and they figure out deployment + upgrade their car.
Sorry to burst that bubble, Mercedes were not even trying hard, after they pitted for M->H. Currently Ferrari is 0.5s behind and Redbull/McLaren 1s behind, on race pace. It's only because Mercedes decided to run a 40+ lap stint on H that they were 'driving to a target time' and not driving to the potential of the car, as the fuel load started dropping. With software tweaks and weight shedding, Ferrari can eventually get to a 0.2-0.3s gap, same thing with Redbull/McLaren and they can get to ~0.5s behind.
I simply cannot see how this 'enormous pace advantage' (illegal/partially legal/legal ICE) that Mecedes have, can be bridged in a year.
VER had to start on combustion engine only. Mekies said that they messed up the software for both drivers.
This is what happens when harvesting and deployment are being controlled by AI program. And of course it is underdeveloped and works poorly.
All is AI it seems these days.
Interesting that Max probably got a pretty good idea about the Mercedes project from Toto last summer, and he clearly didn’t have high hopes for Red Bull either. Judging by his comments, I think he expected even worse from RBPT. But he still chose to stay.
I wonder what his main reason was, and if he feels any regret now.
Now I think part of the reason why he choose to stay, probably even the main reason is his desire to be himself, do and say what he wants. When you hear what Kimi and George say, and how they say it choosing very carefully every word, when the media ask all those questions about new cars, you understand they aren’t free and cannot criticize anything even remotely related to Mercedes brand. They speak like utter corporate muppets, PR robots. This reset and regulations have been set up by Mercedes, this is Mercedes regulations drivers have no right to criticize in any way. Ferrari drivers are in similar position. I’ve no doubts if Max now had utterly dominant car he would be as critical about this --- show as he is now, which would not be possible at Mercedes due to contractual obligations.
What are the software update rules for the engine? Can RBPT update it at any point during the season? Feels to me that they have a lot of work to do there to get some laptime.
Verstappen Racing confirms Nurburgring programme with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport
Published on 09 March 2026 by Niels Hendrix
Verstappen Racing announces its commitment to compete in NLS2 and the 2026 24h Nürburgring, fielding a Mercedes-AMG GT3
with team Winward Racing. The ambitious programme will be supported by Red Bull and marks another significant step in Verstappen Racing’s commitment to GT3 racing and expanding its racing activities. The entry underlines Verstappen Racing’s long-term vision to compete at top-level endurance events.
The Nürburgring entry announcement is made in signature Red Bull style: Max Manow performed a 131-metre B.A.S.E. jump into a cooling tower, helping unveil the striking new Red Bull livery of the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing.
Preparations for the 24h Nürburgring at the iconic Nordschleife will begin ahead of the main event, with the team contesting in Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie races prior to the 24-hour race. As part of the build-up, Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing will enter NLS1 (14 March), NLS2 (21 March) and the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers (18 & 19 April). The car will carry the starting number 3.
Max Verstappen is scheduled to make an appearance at NLS2, using the event to prepare for the 24h Nürburgring, whilst in the midst of his busy Formula 1 schedule. His participation reflects his love for racing and his continued push to test the limits of driving.
For the 2026 24h Nürburgring, Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing will field a strong driver line-up consisting of Max Verstappen, Dani Juncadella (Spain), Jules Gounon (Andorra) and Lucas Auer (Austria), and is looking forward to beginning its Nürburgring campaign to take on one of endurance racing’s greatest challenges in 2026. Max Verstappen: “The Nürburgring Nordschleife is a special place. There’s no other track like it. The 24h Nürburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now. Last year, I was able to get my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and participate in NLS9, that we won. That preparation is very valuable, as we have learned a lot that we can take into our programme this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race. We’ve got a strong line-up with Dani, Jules and Lucas and great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it’s about putting in the right preparations before the events, so we can maximise everything in the races.”
Dani Juncadella: “I am incredibly proud to have the opportunity to join Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing. I love the 24h Nürburgring. I have been racing there for many years, and I am hoping to finally get a shot at winning this race. Our package is extremely strong. It’s a very competitive car with a very strong line-up. I know Max quite well from his simulator racing team. Also preparing for the 24h Nürburgring in the simulator is very valuable, and we have already done a lot of preparation work. I am very thankful to Mercedes-AMG Motorsport, as well as to Genesis Magma Racing, whom I represent in the Hypercar programme, for giving me the approval to pursue this GT3 project.”
Jules Gounon: “It’s great to be back at the 24-hour race after a year away. Finishing on the podium in 2022, my ambition is clearly to go for an even stronger result this time. Since joining the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing in the GT World Challenge, it’s good to work with them as well at the Nordschleife. That continuity helps us build momentum and work efficiently together. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 has proven to be a strong package at the Nürburgring, and with Luggi, Dani and Max we have a very competitive line-up. We all share the same mindset and approach. I already had two amazing test days with Max in Estoril, and I’m sure that we will prepare best for the Nürburgring campaign.”
Lucas Auer: “Being able to compete for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife since 2024 naturally makes me proud. I am really looking forward to this year. What a line-up, what an event on this unique track. This year, we are in an excellent position with Dani, Jules and Max. I am a racing driver, my goal is clear. The key now is to prepare ourselves optimally and get the most out of our overall package.”
The 24h Nürburgring at the Nordschleife will start on Saturday 16 May at 15.00 CET and will be broadcasted live on Viaplay,
Red Bull TV and the Red Bull Motorsports YouTube channel.
- The gap is wider in qualifying where a different hybrid map is used, which this year weighs a lot more, basically it's back to a bit of party mode: Mercedes and RedBull seem to be the ones with the most aggressive qualifying map
- The gap is wider in qualifying where a different hybrid map is used, which this year weighs a lot more, basically it's back to a bit of party mode: Mercedes and RedBull seem to be the ones with the most aggressive qualifying map
https://x.com/Fred__18/status/2030525051427041703
After a decade, Red Bull finally have party mode
Ferrari confirmed they were not extracting most in Q3, because AI basically messed those maps for them In Q2. It constantly learns and adapts harvesting deployment strategy based on previous inputs of the driver, even separately for each driver. Drivers literally said they had those issues in Q3 which costed them pace. So, it’s too premature to come to conclusions like that. Let’s probably get back to this discussion once all top drivers and teams will end up being happy after qualifying saying it was all they had in their car and PU package.
