F1 LIVE | Verstappen Racing miss out on Nürburgring pole at the Nordschleife

Max Verstappen and the Winward Racing outfit missed out on pole position for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race. The Dutch driver, who alongside Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella took to the Green Hell for qualifying, missed out on pole by just over eight-tenths of a second.

Auer and Verstappen guided the team through Top Qualifying 1 and 2, respectively, before Juncadella took over for the final leg of qualifying. The Spaniard, however, clocked a lap time quick enough for fourth place, with Luca Engstler in the #84 Red Bull Team ABT Lamborghini claiming pole position.

Prior to missing out on pole position,Verstappen admitted he was pleased after helping his team secure a place in Top Qualifying 3 for the 24h Nürburgring. The Dutchman also reflected on the challenge of driving the circuit in wet conditions on Thursday night.

The four-time Formula 1 world champion entered the session aiming to finish inside the top seven and book a place in the final qualifying shootout. Verstappen achieved exactly that by recording the sixth-fastest time in Top Qualifying 2, paving the way for Juncadella’s eventual charge for pole position in Top Qualifying 3.

Ralf Schumacher has once again urged Lewis Hamilton to consider retirement, despite the seven-time world champion’s encouraging start to the 2026 season with Scuderia Ferrari.

The 50-year-old, who has recently commented on Hamilton’s form, suggested that although the Briton appears to be in a stronger position this year, he still does not believe he will be able to outperform teammate Charles Leclerc over the course of the campaign. The former Williams driver added that he feels it may be time for Hamilton to step aside at the end of the season to make way for younger talent.

Schumacher went on to single out Oliver Bearman as his preferred candidate to replace Hamilton, suggesting the young Haas driver has the potential to thrive at Ferrari and even challenge Leclerc as a teammate.

Fernando Alonso has expressed confidence in the direction Aston Martin F1 Team is taking with its upgrade programme for the 2026 campaign.

The two-time world champion, who alongside the Silverstone-based outfit has endured a difficult start to the season, arrived at the Miami Grand Prix without any new updates to the car since Suzuka. When asked about the situation, Alonso backed Aston Martin’s decision to hold back on incremental upgrades until they can deliver a meaningful step in performance.

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