Max Verstappen Nurburgring disqualification as qualifiers plan revealed – roundup
Max Verstappen has raced for Red Bull Racing since 2016
It may be a free weekend in Formula 1, but that did not stop Max Verstappen getting behind the wheel.
Verstappen headed to the Nurburgring, and dominated in GT3 action. He is eyeing up further outings in the Nurburgring 24 Hours qualifying races. All of this, plus more key headlines in your Saturday F1 news roundup. So, let’s get to it.
Verstappen Racing and Mercedes crush the competition, before DSQ
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Verstappen teamed up with Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon for the first race of the 2026 Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie. The trio dominated around the Nurburgring Nordschleife, manning Mercedes-AMG GT3 machinery.
Verstappen pumped in the first and final stints for the team, as a crushing victory was recorded.
That was, until the win was stripped post-race, due to a tyre allocation blunder.
Read more – Max Verstappen disqualified as Nurburgring win lost to rule breach
Verstappen eyes Nurburgring 24 Hours qualifiers
Verstappen was gaining experience ahead of his debut in the Nurburgring 24 Hours event, to be held in May.
With the F1 schedule suddenly clear in April, Verstappen is looking into taking part in the qualifying races that month.
Read more – Max Verstappen eyes Nurburgring 24 Hours qualifiers after dominant NLS2 victory
Bernie Ecclestone responds to Jonathan Wheatley’s Audi exit
Back over in Formula 1, the huge announcement dropped on Friday that Jonathan Wheatley, the now former Audi team principal, had left with immediate effect.
As first reported by PlanetF1.com earlier this week, a move to Aston Martin is expected to be in his future.
Former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has been left surprised by the development.
Read more – ‘Impossible’ – Bernie Ecclestone reacts to Jonathan Wheatley’s Audi F1 bombshell
Adrian Newey opens up on Aston Martin distraction
PlanetF1.com revealed on Wednesday that Newey has been leading Aston Martin’s search for a new team principal.
Newey, Aston Martin’s current team principal, managing technical partner and team shareholder, admitted in Melbourne that he has found the role of team principal “a little bit” distracting from his “core job” since his appointment.
Read more – Adrian Newey opens up on Aston Martin distraction as Wheatley move edges closer
Lewis Hamilton finds agreement on ‘staggering’ Mercedes gap
Lewis Hamilton admitted at the Chinese Grand Prix that Ferrari is unlikely to catch Mercedes in the short term, given the W17’s sizeable advantage at the front.
Former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo has validated Hamilton’s comments, by calling the gap to Mercedes “quite staggering”.
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Read more – Ferrari handed reality check amid ‘quite staggering’ Mercedes gap
