How to watch Max Verstappen's Mercedes race debut at the Nurburgring

Max Verstappen will swap Formula 1 for endurance racing as he gears up for an assault on the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

Four-time world champion Verstappen will take part in this weekend’s NLS2 race at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife to gain some preparation ahead of his planned entry in the 24 Hours.

Verstappen will team up with Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella in a Red Bull-liveried No.3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 car in the NLS2 round.

The race has been brought forward by a week to 21 March at the request of Mercedes in order to allow Verstappen to take part.

The Dutchman would not have been able to contest the original date, which clashed with the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on 28 March.

Verstappen famously celebrated a debut GT3 win on his first outing at the iconic German circuit in September last year with Ferrari.

The Nurburgring 24 Hours takes place on 16-17 May, between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.

But first, Verstappen will complete in the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie NLS2 on Saturday.

Here’s all the information you need to follow along below…

How to watch Max Verstappen race in Nurburgring NLS?

The ADAC Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie provides free live coverage of qualifying and the race via its official channels.

The official NLS YouTube channel will broadcast the race, as well as providing live timing and onboard feeds.

NLS schedule - 21 March:

Qualifying - 7:30am UK time (8:30 CET)

Formation lap - 10:42am UK time (11:42 CET)

Race start - 11:00am UK time (12:00 CET)

On the revered Nurburgring 24 Hours, Verstappen said: “The Nurburgring is a special place. There’s no other track like it. The 24h Nurburgring is a race that’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I’m really thrilled we can make it happen now. Last year, I was able to get my DMSB Permit Nordschleife and participate in NLS9, that we won.

"That preparation is very valuable, as we have learned a lot that we can take into our programme this year with NLS2 and the 24-hour race. We’ve got a strong line-up with Dani, Jules and Lucas and great support from Red Bull and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. Now it’s about putting in the right preparations before the events, so we can maximise everything in the races."