Mercedes reacts to Verstappen's shock NLS disqualification

Mercedes-AMG has issued an official statement expressing "great disappointment" after the car driven by Max Verstappen, Dani Juncadella, and Jules Gounon was disqualified from a dominant victory in Saturday's NLS2 race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The #130 Mercedes-AMG GT3 was stripped of its win hours after the four-hour race due to a technical infringement involving the use of one more set of tires than the regulations allow.

Why it matters:

This incident marks a significant blemish on Max Verstappen's otherwise perfect record in GT3 competition, breaking a streak of wins. Beyond the driver's personal stat, it highlights how easily operational errors can unravel dominant on-track performance, even for a top-tier manufacturer like Mercedes, especially in the highly regulated and demanding environment of the Nürburgring endurance series.

The details:

• The #130 Winward Racing-operated Mercedes won the four-hour NLS2 race by a massive margin of 59 seconds.
• Post-race scrutineering revealed the team used seven sets of tires during the event, exceeding the permitted maximum of six sets.
• The mandatory disqualification was applied several hours after the checkered flag fell.
• In the official statement, Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, acknowledged the team's mistake: "The disappointment was all the greater when we realised that we had made a mistake behind the scenes that morning."
• Wendl emphasized the unique challenge of the Nordschleife, stating, "It shows once again that you can only win on the Nordschleife if everything comes together."

What's next:

Mercedes and the Winward Racing team must now regroup and learn from the error as the focus shifts to the upcoming Nürburgring 24 Hours, the crown jewel of the endurance calendar.

• Wendl noted the team would "analyse the mistakes" while taking "positive lessons from the weekend on board."
• The priority will be ensuring flawless operational execution in the remaining preparatory races leading up to the main 24-hour event in May, where such a mistake would carry even greater consequences.