Max Verstappen confirms damage cause as Nürburgring win curtailed

Max Verstappen revealed a broken front splitter curtailed his chances of victory at Sunday’s Nürburgring 24-Hour Qualifier event, alongside Lucas Auer.

The #3 Verstappen Racing car moved from fifth to first with the Red Bull driver at the wheel in the first hour, and after the first round of stops, the Formula 1 four-time World Champion took himself into a significant lead – before a 28-minute stint in the pit lane.

Max Verstappen reveals splitter failure at Nürburgring

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After pre-race respects were paid to Juha Miettinen, who passed away after a tragic accident at the circuit on Saturday, the action got underway at the Nürburgring.

Verstappen moved through the field in the first part of Sunday’s four-hour event to take the lead, before his car was wheeled into the garage after his second stop.

He had already planned to swap with Auer so his teammate could get more time behind the wheel, but the team quickly realised there was a front-end issue that required repairs.

His team posted an update confirming the car required “extensive repairs” before heading back out on track, with the #3 in the pit lane for 28 minutes before Auer re-emerged in 87th place.

Auer was able to make his way through the lower classes with the remaining time to finish 39th overall, but a race victory was on the cards for the duo.

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Just after the chequered flag, the Red Bull driver confirmed the issue, though said he still enjoyed his time behind the wheel on Sunday.

“During the second lap of my second stint, I realised something was wrong. The splitter had broken off,” Verstappen said after the race.

“That’s strange, because I didn’t hit anyone, so I don’t know how it happened. We’ll have to investigate and sort it out.

“I did have fun today. The car felt good, which I’m happy about. I was able to complete my stints, even in traffic, which was quite intense.

“I had battles with other GT3 cars, so in that respect it was good preparation for the 24-hour race. I’m as ready for it as I can be. The only thing is that I haven’t driven in the dark yet. I don’t think you can do any more than that.”

The Nürburgring 24 Hours will take place on the weekend of 16-17 May, with Verstappen having confirmed ahead of the season he planned to take part in the blue riband GT event.

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