Akshay Gupta wins Nurburgring NLS Round 2 as Max Verstappen faces disqualification

Indian racing driver Akshay Gupta continued his strong start to the 2026 season by winning the AM sub-class in the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS), finishing 43rd overall out of 132 starters in the highly competitive Porsche Endurance Trophy Nürburgring (Cup3).

Gupta, competing in the Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport (Cup3) car #949, shared driving duties with 19-year-old German Darian Donkel and 24-year-old German Aaron Wenisch in his debut race in the Porsche GT4 category.

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The team qualified 12th in the Cup3 class (17 entries) for the four-hour endurance race. Donkel began the opening stint, moving up to 8th by its conclusion, followed by Wenisch, who climbed to 7th. Gupta brought the car home with a comfortable 1 minute 53-second lead over the second-place AM competitor.

“This is my first race in a Porsche GT4. The car is completely different in terms of driving dynamics compared to what I’ve driven over the past two years. It’s a mid-engined RWD car versus the front-engined FWD I was used to, with an additional 145hp and lighter weight. It’s a lot to adapt to in a short span, but I’m loving every minute of it,” Gupta said.

The race featured a dramatic twist at the front of the field. Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen initially crossed the line in first overall but was later disqualified, reshuffling the final classification.

The victory comes after a disrupted start to the season, as the opening NLS round was cancelled due to heavy snowfall, denying drivers valuable track time. Fellow Indian Arjun Maini, competing in the SP9-PRO (GT3) class, qualified 12th and finished 11th, maintaining his strong presence in top-tier endurance racing.

Gupta added, “We are happy with the first place in the AM category and are aiming to win the AM or ProAM championship this year. This victory reassures us, but we still have work to do to improve our lap times. We have three weeks until the next race to get better.”

This result signals Gupta’s growing momentum in Porsche GT4 racing, following multiple podiums and race wins in previous NLS seasons, and marks a strong statement early in the highly competitive Cup3 championship.