Nurburgring 24 Hours winner is in ‘close contact’ with another F1 driver over entering next year

Follow us on Google Discover

With the attention Max Verstappen managed to bring to the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, race winner Maro Engel has reached out to another F1 star about making an appearance.

Verstappen was absolutely gutted at Nurburgring after his team’s car faced a driveshaft issue that squandered their lead and led to them finishing 38th.

Luckily for Mercedes, who provide the cars for Max Verstappen’s team, their Winward GT3 team, led by Maro Engel, managed to earn the win.

Verstappen is eyeing a return to Nurburgring next year, provided the F1 calendar allows him to make an appearance. But he is likely to see one of his F1 rivals on the track against him.

Maro Engel reportedly leveraged his Mercedes connections to get in touch with Kimi Antonelli to try and get him to join the race next year.

READ MORE: German racing fans should ‘bow down’ to Max Verstappen for saving the sport

Maro Engel reached out to Kimi Antonelli to join 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2027

F1-Insider’s Bianca Garloff and Alex Warneke discussed the fallout from the 24 Hours of Nurburgring yesterday, where the former shared some interesting information.

While speaking to the press, Maro Engel noted that he had been speaking to Kimi Antonelli about joining the race the following year, especially after the Italian expressed interest in participating in the future.

Bianca Garloff: “Maro Engel said he is in close contact with Kimi Antonelli; there is, of course, a Mercedes connection.

“Kimi seems to be watching very closely to see what is going on here. Who knows, maybe next year, we will see the Antonelli vs. Verstappen duel here on the Nordschleife.”

Alex Warneke: “Antonelli announced he would try to get the permit for next year soon.”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen left GT3 officials in ‘absolute disbelief’ before Nurburgring 24 Hours heartbreak

Kimi Antonelli vs. Max Verstappen at Nurburgring would be a massive event

Antonelli has expressed admiration for Verstappen ahead of his GT3 venture earlier this year, noting how much he wants to take part in the event.

Despite being in just his second season in Formula 1, Antonelli has had eyes on replicating Verstappen’s feat and following him to Nurburgring in the future.

Verstappen’s appearance brought a new vibe to the event, with there being an unprecedented demand for tickets to see the four-time world champion conquer one of motorsport’s most iconic races.

But the arrival of Antonelli, who has been proving himself to be a prodigy like Verstappen did years ago, could jeopardise his dream to win the Nurburgring if the Italian sensation replicates his Formula 1 success.