Max Verstappen’s hopes of a victory on his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut were dealt a cruel blow, as a late mechanical issue collapsed his chances.
Verstappen shared the #3 Mercedes with Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella and Lucas Auer, with the entire outfit having done an excellent job.
The four-time world champion had stormed from 10th to first on Saturdat, before an exceptional night stint saw victory look firmly in sight.
Mercedes sat in an excellent position, as the #3 and #80 sister car broke away from the field. However, a small clash did take place between the two cars in the early hours of the morning.
Unfortunately, disaster struck with just four hours remaining, as just two laps after Verstappen handed the car over to Juncadella, the Spaniard was forced to pit due to a puncture.
It was quickly discovered that the car also had a driveshaft failure, causing it to fall to 38th and only go on to complete one final lap at the end of the race.
While it was disaster for the #3, the #80 cruised to victory for the first Mercedes win since 2016. The #84 Lamborghini and #34 Aston Martin completed the podium.
