Max Verstappen at Le Mans? F1 calendar reveals growing GT potential

Sam Hall
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Red Bull's Max Verstappen behind the wheel of his Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Max Verstappen earned himself a new nickname amongst his Mercedes-AMG GT3 teammates at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Max Verstappen has made no secret of his desire to compete in GT cars once more, and a favourable 2027 F1 schedule looks to have cleared the path for some headline-worthy outings.

Verstappen was the star of the show at the Nurburgring 24 Hours as he made his endurance racing debut earlier this year as he came agonisingly close to victory.

Max Verstappen’s Nurburgring return

For many in the F1 paddock, when added to launch season and testing, 24 race weekends is more than enough action for a single year.

However, drivers are a different breed, and much like Fernando Alonso before him, Verstappen is keen to spend as much time as possible behind the wheel – whether this be in the real world or on his simulator.

This year, the four-time F1 champion was the headline act at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, with a massively increased media presence, as well as a sellout crowd for the first time in the event’s history.

Had it not been for a mechanical failure shortly after Verstappen hopped out after a double stint, the Dutchman’s entry appeared set to take victory at the first attempt.

Either by luck or design, this weekend is once again clear for Verstappen to make the trip to Germany, with the end of May date slotting between the Canadian and Monaco Grands Prix.

Daytona, Le Mans and Bathurst call for Max Verstappen

But this may not be Verstappen’s first outing of the year. Indeed, should he wish to tackle the most iconic endurance races on the planet, he could almost complete the list in a single year.

Should he wish, Verstappen could begin the year at the end of January with the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Lando Norris contested the race in 2018, with Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button among a plethora of F1 talent to have previously featured.

Still before the F1 season begins, Verstappen could spend a romantic Valentine’s Day in Bathurst, taking on the iconic Australian venue in a 12-hour slog across the mountain.

Following on from the Miami Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver could elect to remain stateside and take on the Texas Eight Hour at the Circuit of the Americas, before his Nurburgring jaunt.

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After the Monaco Grand Prix, there would likely be no time to rest, with the most iconic endurance race of them all taking place from June 9-13 – the Le Mans 24 Hours. Verstappen came close to taking on this challenge previously in a team featuring Fernando Alonso and his father, Jos Verstappen.

With both his own team, which runs a Mercedes AMG GT3, and the potential for a link-up with Red Bull partner Ford, this is an opportunity that Verstappen is unlikely to want to let pass him by.

Remarkably, there would still be time for Verstappen to make one final GT outing, with the 24 Hours of Spa taking place the weekend before the British Grand Prix – an event that he has previously stated publicly that he would like to tackle, going as far as to suggest that organisers should avoid an F1 clash in 2027 to faciliate his entry.

Bathurst, COTA, the Nurburgring and Spa combine to make up four-fifths of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. But Verstappen would not be able to complete the schedule, as the 1000km of Suzuka clashes with the Italian Grand Prix.

Beyond these events, Verstappen could feature in additional IMSA rounds as well as a handful in the World Endurance Championship, but it is most likely that any additional racing would be confined to the headline events.

Max Verstappen’s potential 2027 calendar

  1. 1. Roar before the Rolex 24 – January 22-24
  2. 2. Rolex 24 At Daytona – January 28-31
  3. 3. Bathurst 12 Hour – February 11-14
  4. 4. F1 pre-season testing: Bahrain – February 24-27
  5. 5. Bahrain Grand Prix (Sprint) – March 14
  6. 6. Saudi Arabia Grand Prix – March 21
  7. 7. Australian Grand Prix (Sprint) – April 4
  8. 8. Japanese Grand Prix (Sprint) – April 11
  9. 9. Chinese Grand Prix – April 18
  10. 10. Miami Grand Prix – May 2
  11. 11. Texas 8 Hour – May 7-9
  12. 12. Canadian Grand Prix (Sprint) – May 23
  13. 13. Nurburgring 24 Hours – May 27-30
  14. 14. Monaco Grand Prix (Sprint) – June 6
  15. 15. Le Mans 24 Hours – June 9-13
  16. 16. Portuguese Grand Prix – June 20
  17. 17. Spa 24 Hours – June 24-27
  18. 18. British Grand Prix (Sprint) – July 4
  19. 19. Austrian Grand Prix – July 11
  20. 20. Belgian Grand Prix – July 25
  21. 21. Hungarian Grand Prix – August 1
  22. 22. Italian Grand Prix (Sprint) – September 5
  23. 23. Spanish Grand Prix – September 12
  24. 24. Azerbaijan Grand Prix – September 26
  25. 25. Turkish Grand Prix – October 3
  26. 26. Singapore Grand Prix – October 10
  27. 27. United States Grand Prix – October 24
  28. 28. Mexico City Grand Prix – October 31
  29. 29. Sao Paulo Grand Prix (Sprint) – November 7
  30. 30. Las Vegas Grand Prix – November 20
  31. 31. Qatar Grand Prix (Sprint) – December 5
  32. 32. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Sprint) – December 12

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