Former F1 driver disqualified and loses license during same race Max Verstappen competes in
Max Verstappen’s Nurburgring 24 Hours did not go as he would have anticipated, as his car suffered an apparent mechanical problem, but he was not the only driver to have a disaster at the famous race, as one former F1 star was disqualified and lost his licence.
The four-time world champion had been leading in Germany on Sunday morning by more than half a minute in his Mercedes AMG GT3 car.
Verstappen and his team, Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, will have been disappointed with this result.
As Juncadella took over from Verstappen, he had to slow down with a problem affecting the rear-right of the car and lost the lead before pulling into the pit lane, but after an hour the car had not returned from the garage, ending any chances of victory for Verstappen in his debut Nurburging 24 Hours.
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While this will have disappointed the Dutch driver, he will be thankful he did not suffer the same fate as former F1 star Timo Glock.
The German driver had been at the wheel of the Benetton-liveried #69 McLaren 720S-GT3 in the early hours of the morning when he was clocked doing 112kph through a 60kph slow zone.
These zones signal that there is an accident or a track blockage, and they exist to negate the need for a safety car. It is also common for recovery vehicles, including trucks, to be on the track in these areas.
So, to ensure drivers approach with care for their safety, the zones are highlighted by boards, flags, and light signals.
Glock arrived at the zone in question at an extreme speed in the view of the stewards, and so they have decided to throw the book at him, as the German was given two penalty points.
However, having received two points at a previous event, Glock will be unable to take any further part in the 2026 race.
Alongside Glock's penalty, the car was also handed an 82-second penalty. This comes on top of a 33s sanction previously for failing to comply with the minimum pitstop time.
The stewards' notice determined a sanction of: "Immediate disqualification of the driver T. Glock for this event and a general withdrawal of the DPN license."
The reasoning stated: "The Stewards examined all evidence and heard from the competitors representative. After they determined that the driver T. Glock received two penalty points during this event – previously he did receive two penalty points at the 24h qualifiers – the stewards imposed the above penalty."
Topics: Formula 1, Max Verstappen
Brendan McGilligan