Why Max Verstappen isn’t the only reason the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours has sold out
The Nürburgring 24 Hours has sold out for the first time in its history, and there’s more to it than just a certain Formula 1 driver
In this week’s episode of the evo podcast, Richard Meaden and John Barker recount their best (and worst) tales of racing at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. It’s one of the most dangerous and demanding races on Earth, but it has a draw for spectators and competitors that no other race can match. Having sold out for the first time since the inaugural race held in 1970, this year it’s bigger than ever.
Dickie Meaden recounts memories of his very first time racing at the N24 in 2006: 'There was all sorts of crazy stuff, it was a bit like the Galapagos islands where things only exist to race there.' That year there were over 200 cars on the grid, which makes the 60-car grid of the Le Mans 24 Hours look a little weak by comparison…
> Why racing the Nürburgring 24 Hours feels like both heaven and hell
The big news for 2026 is that Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is participating in the number 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3. Drivers at the N24 come from all walks of life as a byproduct of the varied grid, but never before have we seen a current Formula 1 champion take on the challenge. Verstappen is known to indulge in plenty of GT racing in his personal time on simulators (including virtually winning the N24 in 2024), and more recently in the real-world too, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see him make an appearance.
The vast majority of N24 newcomers this year will no doubt be Verstappen fans, but it’s not only this that makes the 2026 edition such a special one. 2024’s grid is the largest in over a decade, with 161 cars forcing race organisers to adapt the pit and paddock areas to accommodate more than the previous 150-car limit. As a result, there’s some very special metal entering this year’s race, as we discuss on this week’s podcast.
For 2026 there's everything from a Dacia Logan to the wild one-off BMW M3 Touring GT, a total of three HWA Evo Rs and even some modern classic GT3 racers such as a pair of BMW Z4 GT3s. There are also a few mystery entries including the new 992 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup MR from Manthey Racing, and what is very likely a special entry from Toyota GR driven by none other than Akio Toyoda. The car entered is currently down as a GR Yaris, but rumours suggest that we might be about to see the GR GT3 enter its very first official race.
To listen to our first-hand tales of the world’s most demanding race, you can listen to episode 49 of the evo podcast on your favourite platform here now.
