Driver for RedBull in Formula 1, Max Verstappen nevertheless opted for Mercedes for his team in GT3.
When you’re a fan of motorsport, you’re a fan to the end. Max Verstappen, current number one F1 driver at RedBull, also owns a GT3 team. His team, GT3 Verstappen Racing, announced this Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with the car manufacturer Mercedes to operate its cars during the 2026 season.
The Dutchman’s team will therefore use one of its competing brands in F1 to compete in the 2026 GT World Challenge, in sprint and endurance format. It was also Max Verstappen himself who tested the Mercedes cars in December in Estoril (Portugal), before giving the green light.
“We are delighted that Verstappen Racing has chosen to enter a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in GT World Challenge Europe. With 2 Seas Motorsport, the project is supported by a very experienced team who have already achieved numerous successes and championship titles with our car,” said Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing.
Verstappen and lice and GT3?
Although he is not a seasoned GT3 driver, Verstappen still has a say in the choices of his team, which he perhaps intends to represent. It is also possible that he will line up as a driver on rare occasions, notably during the 24 hours of the Nürburgring. However, he will not regularly take the place of his two new recruits.
By announcing a new partnership with Mercedes, Verstappen’s team also validated the arrival of two drivers: the Spaniard Dani Juncadella and the Frenchman Jules Gounon. The first is one of the best referenced GT drivers currently, winner of the 24 hours of Daytona and Spa-Francorchamps. The French driver is also the winner of the double round of the clock at Daytona and Spa-Francorchamps, and has been driving for Mercedes-AMG since 2021, which will increase his knowledge of the new models for the year 2026.
