- Lando Norris backs Max Verstappen for his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut.
- Norris drove the Nordschleife himself days before the Miami Grand Prix.
- Miettinen’s death and Verstappen’s F1 frustrations add weight to Norris’s words.
Lando Norris has publicly backed Max Verstappen ahead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, saying he will watch as much of the race as possible and is rooting for his F1 rival to do well.
The reigning world champion made the comments at the Miami Grand Prix weekend. He also spoke about his own first experience driving the Nordschleife during a McLaren tyre test earlier in April.
“I’ve been watching all the GT races that Max has been doing,” Norris told the media. “Quite a few of my friends do GT racing, I’ve watched it for years. I’ll be watching (Nürburgring 24H), maybe not the whole 24 hours, but as much as possible, and support Max.”
Norris experiences the Nordschleife first-hand
Norris arrived at Miami with fresh memories of the Nürburgring. McLaren used the circuit for a two-day Pirelli tyre test.
It was the team’s first visit there since 2020, with Norris and Oscar Piastri sharing duties in the MCL40. The test had originally been planned for Saudi Arabia but moved to Germany because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Piastri drove on Tuesday and completed 66 laps. Norris followed on Wednesday, running 108 laps and setting a fastest time of 1:33.640s.
Both drivers also took road cars out on the Nordschleife, and McLaren later published footage of the experience on its YouTube channel.
For Norris, it was a circuit he felt he already knew.
“I’ve been to Nürburgring countless times. It was my first opportunity to actually go on the Nordschleife and drive,” he said in Miami. “I’ve watched all of the onboards. I knew the track off by heart already.”
He had built that familiarity through years of sim racing. “It’s been a circuit I’ve driven on Gran Turismo and iRacing, on the simulator for years,” he said.
“It’s one of those tracks that everyone just wants to drive, whether you’re a racing driver or not.”
Verstappen’s road to the 24 hours
Verstappen confirmed his entry in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, scheduled for 16-17 May, some time ago.
He will drive a Red Bull-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 for his own Verstappen Racing team, sharing the car with Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer.
His preparation for the race has been thorough. He won on his Nordschleife debut last year, partnering Chris Lulham in a Ferrari at the NLS9 round.
For 2026, he switched to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and entered the NLS2 qualifying race in March. His team initially took victory there but was later disqualified for a tyre rule violation.
The NLS5 qualifying race did not go as well. Verstappen climbed from fifth to the lead with a series of early overtakes but had to pit with front splitter damage, ending his challenge.
Haase, Ben Green and Alexander Sims won the race for Scherer Sport PHX Audi.
It was these battles between Verstappen and Haase that Norris referenced directly. “I’ve enjoyed watching him and Chris Hasse racing over the last few weeks,” he said. “It’s good to watch him, so I’ll definitely be watching.”
A sombre reminder of the risks
The Nürburgring qualifying weekend was touched by tragedy. Finnish driver Juha Miettinen, 66, lost his life during the first qualifying race on 18 April after a seven-car crash at the Karussell section.
An oil spill near the Klosterthal curve triggered the incident, and Miettinen’s BMW hit a stationary car side-on.
Norris addressed the loss carefully.
“It’s a tricky, risky track, and it’s sad to obviously lose a life in the other race,” he told Motorsport Week.
He did not point the finger at the circuit specifically, and framed the danger as something the sport carries wherever it goes.
He still described the 24 Hours as “one of the best races, I would say, in the world.”
Norris on Verstappen’s F1 future
Norris’s support carries some added weight given where Verstappen’s head has been in recent weeks. The four-time world champion has been openly unhappy with the 2026 regulations.
He called the new rules “anti-racing” and compared the increase in overtaking to Mario Kart. After the Japanese Grand Prix, he hinted he was weighing up his future in the sport.
Norris has voiced his own frustrations with the 2026 cars. But on the question of Verstappen’s future, he was measured.
“Max has earned the right to go and do whatever he wants. He’s won four championships,” he said. “It would be a shame for the sport if that does happen, because he probably is one of the best drivers you’ll see in Formula 1 ever.”
However, he also saw an upside.
“I enjoy watching the GTs on the weekend, and if he gives me something to go watch and watch him in other categories, that’s also a good thing for me,” Norris told ESPN.
When Verstappen lines up for the start of the 24 Hours on 16 May, Norris will be cheering on his F1 rival, who is also a good friend off the track.
