Verstappen enjoys F1 weekend off with 24 Hours of Nurburgring victory

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen
Red Bull driver Max VerstappenJakub Porzycki / Reuters

Max Verstappen took a break from a frustrating Formula 1 season by winning a four-hour endurance race at the Nurburgring in Germany on Saturday.

The Dutch four-time Formula 1 champion has said he plans to race in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in May. On Saturday, he split time at the wheel of a Mercedes sporting Red Bull livery with co-drivers Frenchman Jules Gounon and Spaniard Daniel Juncadella.

Verstappen was sixth in the F1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 8th before failing to finish in Shanghai last Sunday. He returns to Asia for the Japan Grand Prix next Sunday.

Competing in the GT3 class, Verstappen grabbed pole position on the full 24.358-kilometre configuration of the Nuerburgring by nearly two seconds and then helped his team win the race by almost exactly a minute.