Verstappen's team qualifies fourth on Nuerburgring 24 Hours debut

Max Verstappen's Red Bull-backed Mercedes team qualified fourth on Friday for the four-times Formula One world champion's ​24 Hours of Nuerburgring endurance debut.

Spanish co-driver Dani ‌Juncadella set a time of eight minutes 12.005 seconds in the final session over 25km at a famed and fearsome German ​track known as "The Green Hell".

Pole position went to ​the #84 Red Bull Team ABT Lamborghini in 8:11.123 ⁠with German Luca Engstler at the wheel.

"I felt ​good in the car. Of course, our goal was to ​get into the Top Qualifying 3 (session). That isn’t an easy task with this level of competition," Verstappen said on his website after ​lapping sixth fastest in the second stage.

"There are ​a lot of fast cars but we managed to do it. The ‌last ⁠lap was just fast enough. Luckily it was dry and the car felt good.”

Verstappen, who has said competing in the race is a 'bucket-list' ambition and has been ​able to race ​thanks to ⁠F1 having a weekend off, is sharing his GT3 car with Juncadella, Andorra-based Frenchman ​Jules Gounon and Austrian Lucas Auer.

The debut ​has ⁠triggered huge interest with weekend tickets selling out for the first time in the event's history.

The race, with 161 entries ⁠making the ​largest grid in more than ​10 years across 23 classes, starts on Saturday at 1500 local time (1300 ​GMT, 7pm Bangladesh time).