After Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappen announced that he would be driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in mid-May, reigning world champion Lando Norris came to Germany a month earlier. Like his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, the Brit gets into the car for a tire test.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will sit in the cockpit during tire testing by manufacturer Pirelli on the Nürburgring Grand Prix track (April 14th and 15th), as “GPBlog” reports.
After intensive test drives in Suzuka, Japan, the tire manufacturer is continuing its tests for Formula 1 in Europe; alongside McLaren, Mercedes is also in action. It is not yet known who will be behind the wheel for the Silver Arrows, who were so dominant at the start of the season.
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix was actually supposed to take place in mid-April, but the race, like the Bahrain Grand Prix, was canceled due to the ongoing Iran war and removed from the F1 calendar for the 2026 season without replacement. By taking part in the tire test, the two McLaren stars can still cover a few kilometers.
Verstappen is preparing for Nürburgring action
Formula 1 last hosted a race in the Eifel in 2020. The Eifel Grand Prix was held at the Nürburgring under special Corona conditions, and Lewis Hamilton secured victory in the Mercedes.
Meanwhile, Formula 1 star Max Verstappen is also preparing for his appearance at the Nürburgring. The Dutchman will take part in the 24-hour race (May 16th and 17th) in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 car, and the qualifers will take place from April 17th to 19th. Things had been turbulent recently on the legendary Nordschleife: Verstappen won the Nürburgring endurance series race with his teammates Daniel Junadella and Jules Gunon, but the victory was subsequently revoked because one set of tires was used too many.
But Verstappen is not the only F1 driver who uses the free time to take a detour to another racing series. RacingBulls driver Liam Lawson wants to compete in New Zealand, Lance Stroll will take part in the GT World Challenge Europe in Le Castellet in mid-April.
