Winward Racing captured the 24 Hours of Nürburgring overall victory in 2026, delivering Mercedes-AMG its first N24 triumph in a decade. The result came when the favorite No. 3 Max Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG entry suffered a driveshaft failure while leading the grueling Eifel endurance classic.
The Winward entry capitalized on that mechanical misfortune to secure the checkered flag in what ranks as one of motorsport's toughest 24-hour tests. The Nürburgring's Nordschleife segment, combined with the full track layout, demands extraordinary reliability and pace across three days and nights of continuous racing.
Mercedes-AMG has dominated modern GT racing, yet the brand had gone without an N24 overall win since 2016. That drought makes this 2026 victory particularly sweet for the Stuttgart manufacturer and its Winward Racing operation. The team's ability to finish strong while managing the relentless physical and mechanical demands of the marathon event proved decisive.
The No. 3 entry's driveshaft failure illustrates how quickly fortune shifts in endurance racing. Even with Max Verstappen's name attached to the car and the entry running as the pace setter through much of the race, mechanical gremlins can derail victory. Winward benefited from superior durability or execution in that critical area.
This result reinforces Mercedes-AMG's engineering strength in customer racing programs. Winward Racing has established itself as one of the marque's most competitive customer teams, and this N24 win places the squad among the elite operations at the Nürburgring.
The 24 Hours of Nürburgring attracts manufacturers worldwide and ranks alongside Le Mans and Daytona as a crown jewel on the endurance