P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen has suffered further misfortune at the Nurburgring, after being handed a three-place grid penalty for the first of its qualifying races for the anticipated 24 Hour event.
Max Verstappen was given a three-place grid penalty at the Nurburgring for the first qualifying race leading up to the 24 Hour event. Despite the Formula 1 break, he decided to join the race with a Red Bull-liveried Mercedes AMG GT3 and Lucas Auer.
Auer’s contact with the #941 Porsche during grid placement post-red flag led to the penalty. The incident brought a visit to the stewards, resulting in the imposed penalty for the upcoming qualifying race at 16:30 GMT.
Verstappen’s challenging start to 2026 continues as he navigates through the consequences of the Nurburgring incident.
