REVEALED: THE 2026 MERCEDES-AMG GT3 SQUAD MAX VERSTAPPEN IS BUILDING FOR HIMSELF
Max Verstappen targets the 2026 Nürburgring 24h with a new Mercedes-AMG deal. Discover if the NLS will move for the F1 superstar.
Max Verstappen has never made a secret of his drive to win beyond Formula 1. Sure, he’s all in for the world championship, but there’s a lot more on his mind than just F1 trophies.
Last season, while he was still hunting down Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in the F1 standings, Max also kicked off his GT3 adventure. He had to get his racing license for GT3 cars first, but once that was sorted, he jumped straight into a four-hour race at the legendary Nordschleife. And, true to form, he won on debut with Chris Lulham—even though qualifying didn’t exactly go their way. That’s classic Verstappen.
Unlike Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, Max isn’t planning on sticking around F1 into his 40s. He’s got his eye on other challenges—other racing dreams he wants to chase.
In a recent interview, Verstappen finally revealed which races outside F1 matter most to him.
So, which ones top Max’s wish list? He’s aiming high: the Nordschleife 24 Hours and Le Mans.
On the Team Redline YouTube channel, someone asked Max which race he’d rather win: Le Mans in a hypercar or the Spa 24 in a GT car. His answer was pretty much “Why not both?” He said, “I want to win both of them! It’s difficult to choose, but winning in a hypercar is really cool as well, but at the same time, like, winning in a full GT3 field is also really cool. But probably if you have to pick between the two, probably the Le Mans hypercar.”
When pressed to pick just one GT race he’d really want, he didn’t hesitate: “The Nords [Nordschleife] 24.”
Talking about his Nordschleife race in 2025, Max just lit up. “I mean, I had a lot of fun. First of all, the track is great. Like, everything was just really nice. And also the conditions as well. You know, you had a bit of rain in qualifying, where I think I scared you a little bit, right? I knew as soon as I went over the grass, I was like, “I know the onboard is on, and people are watching it,” and I was like, “I’m sure that they are like shitting themselves right now.”
So what’s next for him outside F1, especially looking at 2026? He hasn’t nailed down his exact plans yet. But right before Christmas, Verstappen’s GT squad announced a big switch—they’ll be running Mercedes cars from now on, signing a multi-year deal with the German brand.
Verstappen Racing will compete in the GT World Challenge Europe and its Sprint Cup, though it’s Chris Lulham who’ll be driving in those events.
According to Autosport, Max is looking to jump into the Nürburgring Nordschleife 24 Hours this year. Red Bull has apparently given him the green light to enter, but he still needs to do a prep race first. The problem? That race clashes with the F1 calendar, landing on the same weekend as the Chinese Grand Prix. Unless organisers push things back by a week, Max’s chance to qualify for the big event (which runs May 16-17) is up in the air.
If Verstappen shows up, the hype around the race will go through the roof. But whether the organisers will reshuffle the schedule just so Max can take his shot? That’s still anyone’s guess.
KIM KARDASHIAN AND LEWIS HAMILTON SPOTTED ON ROMANTIC EUROPEAN TOUR TOGETHER
Kim Kardashian and F1 star Lewis Hamilton are turning heads across Europe as insiders reveal Kim's "Russell Wilson" nickname.
Kim Kardashian and Lewis Hamilton are the latest celebrity duo making waves, and apparently, Kim’s already got a cheeky nickname for him. The two have been spotted out together in the Cotswolds, London, and Paris, just enjoying themselves and turning a few heads in the process.
Word is, Kim’s close friends are spilling a few details about this new romance. One insider claims Lewis isn’t looking to settle down right now, but Kim still has a special name for him—she calls him “her Russell Wilson”. If you know the reference, it’s a nod to NFL star Russell Wilson, who married singer Ciara after her high-profile breakup with rapper Future. Friends say Kim thinks of Lewis as a “sophisticated upgrade” from her ex, Kanye West.
Kim and Kanye—now legally known as Ye—were married from 2014 to 2021 and share four kids. Their co-parenting relationship is famously complicated.
Kim’s reportedly a bit anxious about how Kanye will react to her new thing with Lewis, considering Kanye and Lewis were friends back in the day. One source told the Mail, “They’re both cautious about Kanye’s feelings since he and Lewis go way back. Kim’s living for herself these days, but she doesn’t want to poke the bear. They know this could set Kanye off, so they’re keeping it light and just having fun for now.”
Kim and Lewis first crossed paths years ago at GQ’s 2014 Men of the Year Awards. Back then, they both showed up with their now-exes—Kim was with Ye, and Lewis was with Nicole Scherzinger.
Kanye even had Lewis over for Easter one year. He talked about it: “Lewis Hamilton’s over at my house, and we’re playing some music in my studio. We’re having Easter brunch—my wife’s family, my friends, everyone’s there. And everybody’s like, ‘What is this music?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s Lewis Hamilton’s music.’”
Since splitting from Ye, Kim’s dated Pete Davidson and moved on. Kanye’s remarried, too—this time to Australian architect Bianca Censori.
Those two have been in the headlines a lot, usually for their wild fashion choices. Things got especially wild when Bianca showed up at the Grammy Awards in a see-through gown. She arrived in a black fur coat but ditched it to reveal a sheer dress that left little to the imagination. People at the event were definitely stunned.
FERRARI SF-26 COMPLETES 121 LAPS IN HISTORIC LEWIS HAMILTON-LECLERC BARCELONA DEBUT
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completed a "productive" 121-lap debut for the Ferrari SF-26 during 2026 testing in Barcelona.
Ferrari kicked off its on-track work for the 2026 Formula One season with a steady first day at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc split driving duties in the team’s bold new car, and the whole thing felt like the start of a new chapter.
With the 2026 rules shaking up both the chassis and the power unit, Ferrari didn’t chase lap times. They zeroed in on checking systems, making sure their data lined up, and ironing out any reliability kinks. The weather threw a few curveballs—rain, some dry patches—but even so, they got through their plan and stacked up plenty of laps.
Leclerc seemed upbeat after his first taste of the new machine. He said it felt good to get back behind the wheel and start figuring out the car, even if the focus was just on systems and not raw speed. “We came here to understand how everything works,” he said. “With the weather mixed up, today was all about checks. We finished what we set out to do, and the car did what we expected. It’s a solid start and a decent base.”
Hamilton, now officially in Ferrari red, felt the same. For him, it was a busy day—lots of on-track time, plenty of new things to get used to—but he called it productive. “We got good mileage, learnt a lot, and didn’t hit any big issues. That’s what matters with so many changes coming in. This gives us a strong platform for the next few days.”
Ferrari’s Head of Track Engineering, Matteo Togninalli, stressed how important it was just to get through the day cleanly. “Given the conditions, it went well for us,” he said. Rain or not, they racked up the laps and—most importantly—avoided any real reliability problems. That’s the top priority when you’re shaking down a brand-new car and engine.
Performance talk? Still way too early for that. Right now, Ferrari’s just learning how this new car behaves, gathering data, and building up bit by bit as the days go on—keeping their focus squarely on themselves.