Verstappen's Teammate Reveals Awkward Grid Moment After Nurburgring DSQ

Max Verstappen dominated a GT3 race at the Nurburgring only to be disqualified hours later for a tyre infringement, while his teammate Daniel Juncadella shared an awkward moment of fan disappointment when he, not the F1 star, emerged from their car on the grid.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's foray into endurance racing highlights his passion for motorsport beyond F1, but the post-race disqualification underscores that even a four-time world champion is not immune to procedural errors. The incident also illustrates the intense spotlight on Verstappen, where even his teammates experience the weight of public expectation firsthand.

The details:

• Verstappen, driving a Red Bull-branded Mercedes-AMG GT3 with teammates Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon, claimed pole by 1.9 seconds and won the NLS race by almost a minute.
• The victory was stripped hours later because the team used seven sets of tyres across qualifying and the race, exceeding the maximum allowance of six.
• The race date was reportedly moved forward by a week to accommodate Verstappen's schedule between the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix.
• Teammate Daniel Juncadella, an Aston Martin F1 simulator driver, described the awkward pre-race moment on social media: "When they saw it was me [getting out of the car] there was a disappointing 'ohhhh' flying around."

What's next:

Despite the setback, Verstappen remains committed to his planned debut at the prestigious Nurburgring 24-hour race in May. The disqualification serves as a sharp reminder of the strict regulations in professional motorsport, a lesson even the most successful drivers can relearn outside their primary discipline.