GALLERY: Verstappen makes Nurburgring 24 Hours debut

Max Verstappen has spent a weekend off from F1 racing at the Nurburgring 24 Hours, though the Dutchman’s debut at the endurance event ended in disappointment after an issue on his car put his team out of contention.

Verstappen teamed up with Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella and Lucas Auer at the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the race – held at the iconic Nurburgring circuit in Germany – and the four-time Formula 1 World Champion had been leading on Sunday morning by over half a minute.

However, after Juncadella had taken over from Verstappen for the next stint, the car suffered a driveshaft problem with three hours and 20 minutes still left on the clock, forcing Juncadella to return to the garage for the issue to be fixed.

Reflecting on the event later on, Verstappen wrote on social media: “Very unfortunate and frustrating ending, but these things can happen. I still really enjoyed the experience together with Jules, Luggi and Dani. Thanks to the team and everyone around the track for your support.”

The Red Bull driver will next return to action at the Canadian Grand Prix on the weekend of May 22-24.

Click through the gallery up top to see the photos of Verstappen’s debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours.