Max Verstappen looked at home at the Nurburgring over the weekend, despite the suggestion that he could be the “weak link” in his 24-hour race later this year. Team-mate Dani Juncadella has since given short shrift to those statements.
Max Verstappen’s Nürburgring heroics may have stolen the spotlight, but it was a comment from the commentary box that sparked the biggest reaction — with team-mate Dani Juncadella quick to shut it down.
Verstappen delivered a statement performance on the Nordschleife, lapping two seconds clear of the field in qualifying before controlling the race with authority.
A post-race disqualification over a tyre set error did little to detract from the overriding impression: the Dutchman looked immediately at home around the ‘Green Hell’.
Yet during the live NLS broadcast, Peter Snowdon suggested Verstappen could be the “weakest link” in the planned Nürburgring 24 Hours line-up.
The reigning F1 champion is set to share a Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Jules Gounon, Lucas Auer and Juncadella.
“I did place the argument the other day that for the 24-hour race in May, that in this line-up, which is joined by Lucas Auer as well, that Verstappen is arguably the weaker link,” Snowdon said.
Because he hasn’t had 24-hour experience, whereas the others have, and there’s just no insight. So it will be interesting to see how much he does at night.
“I’m not saying he’s going to be slow or anything. But that is credit to the strength of the other team-mates… that he’s arguably, perhaps the weakest link at night, in that car, or if it rains.”
The remarks quickly gained traction online — and it did not take long for Juncadella to respond. Posting on X, the Mercedes factory driver pointed to Verstappen’s on-track display: