May 15 (Reuters) - 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).
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Ken Ferris)
