Analysis
NLS NLS2
Max Verstappen’s Nurburgring disqualification: What really went wrong
The use of an additional set of soft tyres during qualifying came to be Winward's undoing in last weekend's NLS round
Heiko Stritzke
Published: Mar 25, 2026, 5:07 PM
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#3 Winward Mercedes
Photo by: Speedpictures
Max Verstappen, Daniel Juncadella, and Jules Gounon were stripped of victory in NLS2 at the Nurburgring Nordschleife due to a tyre infringement, and Motorsport.com has uncovered what exactly went wrong.
The #3 Winward Mercedes AMG GT3 was disqualified from the 58th ADAC Barbarossapreis due to the use of an additional set of tyres. It is now understood that the error occurred during qualifying when the team was evaluating different compounds of tyres.
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With air temperatures at a chilly five degrees Celsius on Saturday morning, Winward decided to test Michelin’s soft compound. This move was still within the team’s original plan.
Four sets of mediums were reserved for the race (one for each stint), one fresh set of mediums was for Verstappen’s final qualifying attack, and one set for the early stages of practice.
But when Juncadella reported the first set of softs felt "off”, Winward decided to send Gounon out on a second set of the same compound. This set wasn’t in the original schedule, but this option was available to the team.
Winward wanted to be 100% sure the lack of performance by the soft tyre wasn't just down to a bad set or parameters outside the operating window. Furthermore, this also ensured that Gounon was safe by avoiding the worn set of tyres.
In between, Verstappen did a "short" GP-track-only lap to practice driver swaps, which Verstappen isn’t used to, and to wait out a Code 60. This didn't impact the tyre count.
Gounon’s subsequent two qualifying laps on the fresh softs confirmed what Juncadella had experienced: that the compound was too soft for the track that was already warmed by the rising sun. Still, Verstappen got his assigned set of mediums for the closing stages of qualifying.
#3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO: Max Verstappen, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon
Photo by: Gruppe C Photography
DSQ could have been avoided
So, by the end of qualifying, Winward Racing had already used three sets of tyres. The team could have stayed within the six-set limit by reusing Verstappen’s qualifying mediums for his final race stint or a shorter opening stint.
Instead, the team stuck to the original plan and used the four brand-new sets of mediums as originally planned. Verstappen made the most of it, dropping seven sub-eight-minute laps during his 13 laps.
So there was no performance advantage in the race as every SP9 Pro team uses four sets for a standard four-hour race. Winward simply paid a heavy price for a morning test session.
The only gain was data-wise: Winward learned for sure that the Michelin Soft isn't the way to go once the sun is up.
It’s an expensive lesson, but one that wouldn’t have made half as much noise if the four-time F1 world champion hadn't been behind the wheel. Had the mistake occurred at the season opener, it likely would have flown under the radar — but NLS1 was cancelled due to winter weather.
The tyre usage for the #3 AMG:
Quali Stint 1 (Juncadella): Soft I
Quali Stint 2 (Gounon): Soft II*
Quali Stint 3 (Verstappen): Medium I
Race Stint 1 (Verstappen): Medium II
Race Stint 2 (Juncadella): Medium III
Race Stint 3 (Gounon): Medium IV
Race Stint 4 (Verstappen): Medium V
*This set was not in the original plan
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