Verstappen Racing Spa 24: P7 in Qualifying and superpole next as Max watches from Austria
Verstappen Racing Spa 24: The #3 Mercedes lines up for Superpole
The Verstappen Racing Spa 24 story is well underway. The #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO has secured its spot in Friday’s Superpole after a dramatic qualifying night at Spa-Francorchamps. And yes, Max Verstappen is watching it all unfold on his phone from the Austrian Grand Prix paddock.
A Solid Qualifying Night for the #3 Car
Verstappen Racing has its own car competing this weekend. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in Red Bull colours is being driven by Daniel Juncadella, Chris Lulham and Jules Gounon.
After penalties reshaped the final order, the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER entry climbed to fifth, ahead of the #59 Garage 59 McLaren and the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing car in seventh.
The Verstappen Racing trio posted a combined average lap time of 2:17.293 to lock out seventh in the amended Superpole classification.
It is a solid base. Seventh in a field this competitive is nothing to be disappointed about. Among the more than 200 drivers on the entry list, only two boast more than one overall victory in the race. One of them is Jules Gounon, who drives the #3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes. That race-winning pedigree makes the car a genuine threat over 24 hours.
Drama at the Top: GetSpeed Thrown Out
The qualifying session itself was turned on its head overnight. In a midnight bombshell, Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed carried out illegal work on the brakes during the Q3 session. As a result, the #17 car retroactively lost all its lap times from that segment.
Consequently, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari of Alessio Rovera, Tommaso Mosca and Nicklas Nielsen now heads the final order with a 2:17.068 average. Although the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche progresses to Superpole in second, the car will start Saturday’s race from the pit lane after the team replaced the engine, breaching Article 510 of the sporting regulations.
Penalties and drama all around, then. That actually helps Verstappen Racing’s cause heading into Superpole.
Max Watching on His Phone in Spielberg
Alongside the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen is keeping a close eye on events in Belgium this weekend. The four-time world champion cannot compete himself this time, as the Ardennes endurance race clashed with an F1 weekend.
He made clear just how personally invested he is. “Yes, I’ll try to watch it as much as I can. The car is racing with our drivers, so I’m very much involved this weekend,” Verstappen said.
The Spa 24 Hours ranks highly on Verstappen’s personal wishlist, partly because Spa is his favourite track and partly because a 24-hour race with only GT cars is, in his own words, “something very special.”
If you want the full picture of what Max is up to this weekend in Formula 1, check out our Austrian GP FP1 report and the latest on his Red Bull upgrade package. There is also a fascinating bombshell report about Verstappen and McLaren talks doing the rounds.
Verstappen Wants to Race Spa in 2027
For precisely those reasons, Verstappen has already asked the organisers of the GT World Challenge Europe whether it would be possible not to let the 2027 edition clash with an F1 weekend. He has also expressed a desire to return to the Nordschleife for the Nurburgring 24 Hours next year.
The dream is real. But for now, it is Juncadella, Lulham and Gounon carrying the Verstappen Racing flag. Superpole on Friday evening will set the grid, and then the 24-hour battle begins on Saturday. The #3 car has the experience and the pace to be right in the mix. Watch this space.
