Weather forecast for the Nürburgring 24 Hours: rain is expected

Max Verstappen is set to make his highly anticipated debut at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, but the four-time Formula 1 World Champion will need to contend with far more than unfamiliar machinery and a treacherous circuit. The weather at the Nordschleife looks set to be a formidable adversary in its own right.

Qualifying: Cold, Changeable and Unforgiving

Those showers have the potential to be severe, with a risk of thunderstorms and even hail. The bulk of the precipitation is expected on Thursday, though Friday cannot be considered safe either. Thursday will also bring a notable westerly wind, adding another layer of difficulty, particularly on a circuit already renowned for its complexity. By Friday, the wind is forecast to ease.

The full qualifying and race schedule for Verstappen's Nürburgring debut can be found here.

Race Day and Beyond: Drier, But Still Bitterly Cold

The race itself gets underway at 3 pm local time on Saturday (2 pm BST), and the forecast brings a degree of cautious optimism. While an isolated shower cannot be entirely ruled out in the opening hours, the probability of staying dry is considerably higher than during qualifying. Temperatures, however, remain stubbornly low — no higher than nine degrees, against a seasonal average of 17 degrees for this time of year.

One saving grace on Saturday afternoon is the prospect of sunshine, which should make conditions more manageable during the early stages of the race. The evening and night are also expected to be relatively clear — but that clarity comes at a price. Clear skies overnight will again drag temperatures back towards freezing. For the spectators braving the circuit through the night, a winter coat is not optional.

The Nürburgring 24 Hours has already sold out for the first time in its history, driven in large part by the extraordinary interest surrounding Verstappen's debut — meaning tens of thousands of fans will need to dig deep into their wardrobes before heading to the Eifel.

Sunday brings the most encouraging conditions of the weekend. The morning will remain cool but dry, and the afternoon — when the race reaches its climax — should see sunshine return with no rain in the forecast. Temperatures will nudge upward to around 12 degrees Celsius by the 3 pm finish, which, while still well below the seasonal norm, represents the warmest moment of the entire event.

The weather, in short, will do nothing to make Verstappen's debut straightforward. But then again, neither does the Nürburgring itself.