Max Verstappen paused a difficult Formula One campaign by taking part in a four‑hour contest at Germany’s Nürburgring on Saturday, where he crossed the line first only to be officially stripped of the win.
The Dutch four‑time champion has indicated he intends to compete in the prestigious 24‑Hour Nürburgring event in May.
Running in the GT3 category, Verstappen secured pole by nearly two seconds on the full 24.358‑km layout of the track.
Sharing the car with Frenchman Jules Gounon and Spaniard Daniel Juncadella, and piloting a Mercedes painted in Red Bull colours under the Winward banner, Verstappen helped guide the machine to a lead of almost a minute before officials halted the official result.
The vehicle was later disqualified after it was found to have used seven tyre sets, exceeding the strictly six‑set limit.
“The penalty is very hard to accept,” Winward team boss Christian Hohenadel told Motorsport.com. “We made an internal mistake that forced the stewards to remove the winning car from the classification.”
Read next
Josh Kerr clinches world indoor gold, mocks rival with a “night night” gesture.
Josh Kerr often pairs outstanding performance with provocation, a mix that makes him a fascinating competitor. After clinching a dramatic world indoor 3,000‑metre title in Toruń, the British runner promptly delivered a pointed response.
As he crossed the finish line, Kerr mimicked NBA star Steph Curry’s “night
Carlos Alcaraz silences critics, defeats Joao Fonseca at Miami Open
While Carlos Alcaraz was executing his serve midway through his first match at the Miami Open, a shout cut through the night. A member of the 16,000‑strong crowd, apparently hoping for Alcaraz’s defeat, tried to divert the Spaniard just before contact.
Amid an electric setting that stood
Northampton fend off Newcastle's late surge in thriller to retake league lead
At first glance there isn’t much to report. The table‑topping side reclaimed the summit with a bonus‑point victory over the bottom‑placed club. Yet the result tells a different story. Newcastle, who were beaten by 60 points in their previous Premiership visit, forced the Saints into a