Four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen had to abandon all hopes of a victory in his debut at the Nürburgring 24 Hours due to a technical glitch on Sunday.
His Mercedes team was leading the race with some three and a half hours to go. The Dutchman handed over to Dani Juncadella, who immediately encountered problems on just his second lap behind the wheel.
Jucandella had to return to the pits, where an inspection revealed critical damage, forcing the car out of the race, which was won by the other Mercedes team.
For Verstappen, this marked yet another stroke of bad luck at the Nürburgring, where he's been taking part in a series of shorter races in recent months.
At an event in April, he had a victory revoked because his team used seven instead of the allowed six sets of tyres. During another of Verstappen's starts, his car had also suffered a mechanical failure.
During the F1 breaks, Verstappen has been exploring other motorsports categories.
The Red Bull driver has had a disappointing start to the current F1 season and has expressed his frustration with the new regulations, suggesting several times that he was considering his future in the sport.
