Max Verstappen flies to Virginia the week after a gutting Nürburgring defeat

Max Verstappen flew from Avignon, France, to an airfield near Manassas, Virginia, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, a 9-hour transatlantic hop in his Dassault Falcon 900EX, PH-DTF. The trip comes just two days after a heartbreaking end to his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut, where a driveshaft issue on his Mercedes-AMG GT3 car wiped out a 30-second lead with hours to go, per a report from The Telegraph.

The same week the Dutch driver lands in the U.S., the motorsport world is still digesting his near-win at the Nordschleife — an event that sold out for the first time in its 56-year history, according to ESPN, thanks to Verstappen’s presence. His arrival in Virginia suggests a quiet retreat or private business after a grueling endurance race that saw him race through the night, execute a hair-raising double overtake, and trade paint with rival Maro Engel before mechanical failure ended his shot at victory.

The flight continues a pattern of movement between European race hubs and his Monaco base seen in recent days: Verstappen shuttled between the Netherlands, Germany, and southern France in the lead-up to the 24-hour event. With his F1 future uncertain — he has threatened to quit the series over its new electric-hybrid regulations, per ESPN — this American visit may also signal a widening of his motorsport horizons beyond the grand prix calendar.