Max Verstappen rules out 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027

BAKU – Max Verstappen said he does not plan to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027, but he is still considering competing in 24-hour races at the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps.

Le Mans will take place on June 12 and 13 2027, an off-weekend for Formula 1 but between the scheduled races in Monaco and Portugal. Nurburgring and Spa are also scheduled for F1 off-weekends in 2027.

Verstappen, a four-time F1 world champion for Red Bull, dropped out of this year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours due to a driveshaft issue while leading. He is also interested in making his debut at Spa, if it works with his schedule.

“Nurburgring and Spa, probably. Le Mans, not. That’s not on my list for now,” Verstappen said on Sept 23, ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku. “I know there is no clash, but it still needs to work out in my schedule, and then I’ll do it. And Spa is an exciting option to do it.”

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, a two-time Le Mans winner, and McLaren’s Lando Norris are among other F1 drivers who have expressed interest in competing in endurance races in the future.

“If there’s a chance that things can work out, maybe, but I don’t know if this is next year, the year after, three years, four years, I have no idea,” Norris said. “

It’s not something I’ve been thinking about at all, but it’s something I would like to do in the future.” REUTERS