Max Verstappen has identified the Nürburgring 24 Hours and CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa as serious possibilities for his 2027 endurance racing programme, with the newly confirmed Formula 1 calendar leaving space for the four-time World Champion to contest both endurance classics.
The Dutchman has ruled out a 2027 appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans despite that event also avoiding a direct F1 clash. Instead, Verstappen’s attention appears focused on returning to the Nürburgring after coming close to victory on his debut earlier this year, while Spa has emerged as another realistic option following the continued expansion of his GT3 involvement. The 2027 Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar confirms that the Nürburgring and Spa will again form part of the five-round series.
Verstappen puts Nürburgring and Spa ahead of Le Mans
With the 2027 Formula 1 calendar now confirmed, several major endurance races fall into gaps between Grands Prix rather than directly clashing with Verstappen’s primary commitments. That has created renewed interest in how extensively he could expand his GT3 programme next season.
Asked which events represented genuine possibilities, Verstappen, while speaking to the media ahead of the 2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP, placed the Nürburgring and Spa considerably higher on his list than Le Mans.
“Nürburgring and Spa, probably. Le Mans not. Yeah, that’s not on my list for now.
“But, yeah, I mean, I said already, of course, after the race with Nordschleife that I wanted to go back. So, if it allows me to prepare well and it all works out well, I know there is no clash, but if it still needs to work out in my schedule, then I’ll do it.”
His comments leave both GT3 events under serious consideration without amounting to confirmation. The absence of direct F1 clashes removes one major obstacle, but Verstappen has repeatedly stressed the importance of proper preparation before committing to major endurance events.
Nürburgring return follows painful 2026 near-miss
Of the two possibilities, another attempt at the Nürburgring appears the most natural continuation of Verstappen’s GT racing programme.
He made his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut earlier this season in the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer. The Verstappen Racing entry emerged as one of the strongest cars in the field and looked increasingly likely to fight for victory deep into the final hours.
However, a right-rear driveshaft failure with just over three hours remaining ended its challenge while Juncadella was driving. Until the problem emerged, the #3 Mercedes-AMG had controlled the front of the race and built a sizeable advantage over most of its opposition. Pit Debrief’s full Nürburgring 24 Hours report detailed how the late failure transformed a potential debut victory into a retirement from contention.
That disappointment only reinforced Verstappen’s desire to return. His 2026 appearance followed an extended process of gaining experience around the Nordschleife rather than an immediate jump into the 24-hour event.
Nordschleife programme began before 24-hour debut
Verstappen’s serious involvement with the Nordschleife began in 2025 when he obtained the DMSB Permit required to race at the circuit before progressing into GT3 machinery.
Later that year, he partnered Chris Lulham in an Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 and won on his GT3 debut in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. Verstappen controlled his opening stints before Lulham completed the victory, giving the F1 champion an immediate demonstration that he could compete successfully against experienced Nordschleife specialists. Pit Debrief covered Verstappen and Lulham’s breakthrough GT3 victory before the focus shifted towards an eventual 24-hour programme.
That experience became the foundation for his 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours entry. He continued adding Nordschleife mileage before taking on the full race, where night running, constantly changing traffic and the enormous multi-class field presented challenges that cannot be replicated through isolated testing.
His approach helps explain why preparation remains a condition for another appearance. Verstappen has already demonstrated the required pace, but the Nürburgring rewards familiarity as much as outright speed.
2027 calendar gives Verstappen room for Nürburgring return
The 2027 Nürburgring 24 Hours will take place from 27-30 May as the third round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. That puts the event between two Formula 1 weekends rather than directly alongside one.
F1 visits Canada from 21-23 May before Monaco follows on 4-6 June. Verstappen would therefore have a free weekend for the Nürburgring, although the race sits only four days after the Canadian Grand Prix weekend ends and less than a week before Monaco begins.
The lack of a direct clash consequently makes participation possible rather than straightforward. Travel, simulator work, media duties and preparation for the Monaco Grand Prix still need to fit around a demanding Nürburgring programme.
That consideration is reflected in Verstappen’s insistence that the race must work properly within his schedule rather than simply being technically possible.
Spa emerges as second major 2027 possibility
The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa represents the more surprising addition to Verstappen’s potential programme.
While he has previously made his determination to return to the Nordschleife clear, the Belgian GT3 classic would give him a different endurance challenge and an opportunity to race one of Verstappen Racing’s most important events personally.
His team already competed at Spa in 2026, with Juncadella, Lulham and Gounon sharing the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry in the Pro category. The programme brought together substantial Spa experience, with both Juncadella and Gounon previous winners of the event. Pit Debrief’s guide to the 2026 Spa Pro field highlighted Verstappen Racing among Mercedes-AMG’s major outright contenders.
A personal appearance in 2027 would therefore represent another step in Verstappen’s transition from team owner and GT3 programme architect to active endurance competitor.
Spa fits neatly between F1 weekends
Spa’s position on the 2027 calendar gives Verstappen a particularly useful opening.
The main event runs from 23-27 June, with the 24-hour race taking place across 26-27 June. Formula 1 races in Portugal the previous weekend from 18-20 June before travelling to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix from 2-4 July.
Unlike the Nürburgring, Spa therefore occupies a completely free weekend between two European Grands Prix. The relatively short travel distances compared with flyaway races also reduce the logistical burden associated with adding another major event.
However, the wider preparation programme could still create complications. The 2027 Spa Prologue has been moved to 15-16 June, immediately before the Portuguese Grand Prix weekend. Whether Verstappen would need or want to participate in that running would therefore form part of the scheduling considerations surrounding a possible Spa debut.
The race itself, though, presents no direct conflict with F1.
Verstappen Racing already has Spa experience
Verstappen would also arrive at Spa with an organisation that already understands the event.
The 2026 edition featured 69 GT3 cars across five classes, making traffic management one of the defining challenges of the race. Verstappen Racing entered the Pro category as part of Mercedes-AMG’s factory-supported challenge, gaining first-hand experience of the qualifying format, strategy requirements and operational demands surrounding the championship’s largest event.
The 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa again demonstrated how difficult the race can become, with changing strategies and relentless traffic shaping the contest across an entire day and night.
For Verstappen, Spa would therefore provide a different test from the Nordschleife. The Nürburgring demands mastery of an exceptionally long and unforgiving circuit, while Spa places its own emphasis on navigating one of the world’s deepest GT3 fields at sustained racing speeds over 24 hours.
No Le Mans move for Verstappen in 2027
Le Mans also fits into a gap in the 2027 F1 calendar, but Verstappen has made clear that the race is not currently part of his plans.
The 95th edition is scheduled for 12-13 June. F1 will race in Monaco one week earlier on 4-6 June before returning at Portugal from 18-20 June, meaning Verstappen could theoretically contest Le Mans without missing a Grand Prix.
That gap has attracted additional attention because several Formula 1 drivers have expressed interest in endurance racing. Verstappen has also previously been linked with future Hypercar opportunities as manufacturers increasingly look towards high-profile drivers for major endurance events.
For 2027, however, his answer removes Le Mans from immediate consideration. His current endurance ambitions remain focused on GT3 rather than adding a prototype programme and all of the preparation required to contest Le Mans competitively.
Preparation remains more important than available dates
The absence of F1 clashes does not automatically guarantee either of Verstappen’s potential GT3 appearances.
His preparation for the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours demonstrated the standard he expects before entering a major endurance event. Verstappen did not simply arrive for the 24-hour race after obtaining his licence. He accumulated Nordschleife mileage, raced in NLS competition and worked with his GT3 programme before taking on the event itself.
A Spa programme would create its own preparation requirements, particularly if it becomes Verstappen’s first appearance in the race. Testing, simulator work and potentially other GTWC Europe outings would all need to fit around a 24-round Formula 1 campaign.
The newly confirmed F1 calendar removes the most obvious barrier, but Verstappen’s comments make clear that scheduling remains about more than avoiding identical race dates.
Two GT3 classics could join Verstappen’s 2027 F1 programme
Should everything align, Verstappen could contest two of GT3 racing’s biggest endurance events within a month.
The Nürburgring 24 Hours concludes on 30 May before the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa follows four weeks later on 26-27 June. Both also count towards the 2027 Intercontinental GT Challenge, creating the possibility of Verstappen competing in consecutive European IGTC rounds.
Such a programme would significantly expand his racing commitments beyond Formula 1 while remaining consistent with the GT3 project he has steadily developed over recent seasons. His Nordschleife debut has already moved from ambition to reality, and the near-victory in 2026 has provided an obvious reason to return.
Spa is now firmly part of the discussion as well.
Le Mans can wait. For 2027, Verstappen’s clearest endurance targets are the Nürburgring and Spa — provided he can prepare for both without compromising his Formula 1 commitments.
