The relationship between AMG works driver Maro Engel and Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was long considered strained, mainly due to a verbal exchange on social media and the fact that the two did not contest the Nurburgring 24 Hours in the same car.
Following his victory at this year's endurance classic, which was also favoured by the retirement of the #3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes shared by Verstappen, Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, Engel is now clearing up the rumours of potential tension.
"The relationship between Max and me was absolutely great," the AMG driver said. “I think it is mainly the media and external people talking about it. It was incredibly fun to work with him and to race with him.”
Engel was particularly impressed by how Verstappen "approached this race", both on and off the track.
"He was very fast, no question about it, and he integrated himself just like anyone of the other seven guys," the German explained, making it clear that Verstappen received no special treatment within Winward Racing.
However, there was no specific conversation to clear the air between Engel and Verstappen. Tensions between the pair flared online when the AMG works driver claimed last year that the Formula 1 star had set his unofficial lap record on the Nordschleife, which he achieved during test sessions in the Emil Frey Ferrari, with a different Balance of Performance (BoP).
"We already had brief contact about that last year, where I explained to him that I received the information from a team member because I did not want to rely on rumours. Unfortunately, this team member was misinformed," Engel revealed in hindsight.
With that, the matter was "already settled" for him. At the same time, he admitted that the issue received "a lot of media presence" afterwards, which was "absolutely fine". However, there was never a real conflict or even arguments with the Formula 1 star according to the long-time Mercedes factory driver.
Duel with Max Verstappen "great fun"
"I hope that we will soon get the opportunity to meet up for a coffee in Monaco or at the playground with the kids, to talk a little bit more about our duel on the track, which was incredibly fun," he added.
Engel referred to the intense battle against Verstappen during the night stages of the 24-hour race, when the two Winward Mercedes rivals even touched wheels at one point, forcing Engel onto the grass. However, this was a "misunderstanding in lapped traffic", the German emphasised.
The duel "was a lot of fun for both of us," Engel said happily. "There was also a rally episode when an incredible amount of binding agent was scattered at Hatzenbach. It looked like I was at the beach. Max was drifting ahead of me, significantly slower because the grip was obviously not there, and I was drifting behind him."
"It was great fun," the AMG works driver added with a grin, well aware that his Winward team followed the heated duel with growing nervousness. It was therefore "understandable that the team asked us to tone things down a bit."
"I saw really great racing action," said Christoph Sagemuller, head of Mercedes-AMG motorsport. “Sometimes maybe a bit too much for my taste, but that is fine. We wanted to put on a show and give something back to the fans."
Nevertheless, the AMG official followed the hard battle between Engel and Verstappen with "mixed feelings".
"We all love racing action,” he added. “But ultimately you always have to ask yourself what risk you take in which phase of the race.
"So, I just tried to calm the guys down a bit and tell them: 'Hey, it is still a long way to the finish line!'"
As the race progressed, the #3 Winward Mercedes temporarily extended its lead to more than 30 seconds on Sunday morning. For the #80 Winward Mercedes shared by Engel, Fabian Schiller, Luca Stolz and Maxime Martin, it would have therefore been difficult to return to the front on their own.
The failed driveshaft around three and a half hours before the end then brought the final decision to the race, leaving the #80 as the winner.
