India, May 17 -- Max Verstappen's highly anticipated endurance racing debut at the Nurburgring ended in late heartbreak on Sunday, clearing the way for the #80 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Maro Engel, Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller, and Maxime Martin to claim a historic overall victory.

What Happened To Max Verstappen At Nurburgring 24h?

Verstappen had earlier set the "Green Hell" alight during a sensational midnight stint. Taking over the #3 sister Winward Mercedes, the Dutchman put on a wet-weather clinic, charging through the field to seize a 15-second lead. However, with just over three hours remaining on Sunday morning, a catastrophic driveshaft failure hit the car, forcing a heartbreaking retirement for Verstappen and his crew....