F1 News: Max Verstappen Wins 24-Hour Race Alongside Grand Prix on Insane Weekend

The reigning champion has had a successful race weekend.

May 5, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) reacts after / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Over a gruelling weekend, Max Verstappen claimed victory in both the virtual Nurburgring 24 Hours and the Imola Grand Prix, exhibiting a showcase of versatility and immense stamina.

Max Verstappen's racing weekend can only be described as a whirlwind of relentless competition and skilful navigation through both the real and virtual worlds. As the Formula 1 world focused on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Verstappen was simultaneously participating in the gruelling virtual Nurburgring 24 Hours event, where he and his Team Redline colleagues drove to victory.

In Imola, the young Dutchman clinched another race victory, delivering an impeccable performance after a difficult Friday and Saturday. Meanwhile, not content with just one form of racing, Verstappen was also immersed in an endurance sim race, which he managed to balance remarkably with his Formula 1 commitments.

“It's a 24-hour race and I think there are four of us on the car. But of course, I don't have a lot of time, Saturday night and Sunday morning,” Verstappen shared. Surprisingly, the Red Bull star managed to clock in seven hours of sleep amidst this hectic schedule: “Seven hours, I would prefer to sleep more, but on a race weekend, seven hours is absolutely fine.”

Criticism concerning his divided attention between the tracks was met with a cool head: “[If something goes wrong on Sunday] they'll say so. It doesn't matter to me anyway. Look, as I just said, I think I'm professional enough that I know what can and can't be done.”

Support from Team Redline was unequivocal, with spokesperson Luke Crane jokingly commenting on his mixed responsibilities, calling F1 Verstappen's "hobby", as quoted by Crash.net.

“We are the team that allows him to express himself in F1. We allowed him to still do Imola, because we are that kind of team. We don’t want to ever stop our drivers from doing their hobbies. We’re very supportive, we’re never going to hold people back.”