Overview
- The Winward/Verstappen No. 3 Mercedes, which had led for hours, slowed about three hours from the finish on Sunday with an ABS warning and growing rear‑right vibration, then lost its bid when a broken driveshaft forced long repairs.
- After rejoining late, the No. 3 was classified 38th, while the sister No. 80 Mercedes of Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Maxime Martin won overall from 25th on the grid.
- Verstappen’s debut featured standout night double stints and a decisive overtake on Engel during a tense duel through traffic before the team managed pace up front.
- Race control issued strict slow‑zone penalties, with three drivers disqualified for speeding in Code 60 areas, including former F1 driver Timo Glock.
- Organisers reported a sell‑out and a record 352,000 in attendance, reflecting the event’s surge in interest tied to Verstappen’s entry, and Verstappen said he hopes to return subject to his F1 schedule.