After electrifying the Nürburgring at the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GT3 and making his mark in his first race in endurance racing's premier class, Max Verstappen is already turning over a new leaf. A short, intense page, but enough to leave its mark. From 2026 onwards, the Verstappen Racing team will be leaving Ferrari behind to join Mercedes-AMG in GT World Challenge Europe.
A Ferrari adventure as brief as it was spectacular
Verstappen's move to Ferrari will be remembered as an episode as dazzling as it was symbolic. In just a few months, the Dutchman went from being a curious endurance enthusiast to an immediate benchmark. After securing the precious A license on a Porsche Cayman GT4, he made his debut in GT3 with the Ferrari 296 entered by Emil Frey Racing. Result: an unofficial record on the Nordschleifeunchallenged domination in racing and a victory which the paddock deemed "insolent". This performance, far from being a mere flash in the pan, validated a certainty already firmly established in Verstappen's mind: his future in motorsport is not limited to single-seaters.
Contrary to what some might think, Verstappen doesn't indulge in endurance racing as a leisure activity between Grands Prix. For several seasons now, he has been methodically building a coherent, technical and progressive GT project. In 2025, Verstappen Racing divided its commitments between Aston Martin for the Endurance Cup and Ferrari for the Sprint Cup, with a view to learning and comparison. Victory at the Nürburgring with the Ferrari 296 GT3 was therefore not an end in itself, but a milestone.
Why Mercedes is the obvious choice
It was during private testing at Estoril that the switchover took place. Alongside Jules Gounon, Max Verstappen took the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, fresh from the 2025 season. The verdict was in. The German car would be more stable, more predictable and more consistent on all types of circuits - essential qualities in long endurance racing, and even more so on a track as extreme as the Nordschleife. From 2026, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be operated by 2 Seas Motorsport. In the Sprint Cup, Verstappen Racing will field Chris Lulham and Daniel Juncadella, while Jules Gounon will reinforce the crew for the Endurance Cup rounds. A solid trio, designed to perform immediately.
While a one-off return to Ferrari is not entirely out of the question in the future, the direction taken is clear. Mercedes offers Verstappen the best technical guarantees to aim for a major participation in the legendary event, subject to the always delicate constraints of the Formula 1 calendar. It's important to stress that this choice has nothing to do with Formula 1. Verstappen continues to insist that Formula 1 remains the core of his career. The GT program is evolving in parallel, with its own logic, its own objectives and its own ambition. Far from being a mere hobby, it's a genuine sporting project, built with the same exacting standards that have made Verstappen one of the most dominant drivers in recent history.
https://t.co/Ga9eks3PwF NEWS: Verstappen Racing collaborates with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport in GT3 from 2026 https://t.co/apXR48HXAf pic.twitter.com/HZAJBRBAPn
- Max Verstappen (@VerstappenCOM) December 24, 2025
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