Max Verstappen has recalled his participation in last week’s GT endurance race at the Nurburgring, in which the Formula 1 champion obtained a permit to compete in a 24-hour race.
The Red Bull driver jumped aboard two separate cars in the CUP3 class in the ADAC ACAS Cup at the Nordschleife last Sunday, delivering a superb qualifying performance.
After clocking a lap time 25 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor in that class, Verstappen completed 14 laps in two Porsche Caymans, a requirement for the permit.
By acquiring it, Verstappen is now eligible to race in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, which takes place next year between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Verstappen detailed his experience of last weekend’s race, and the differences with racing an F1 car.
“I mean, I know that I needed to get my permit, so I had to do that race in in a GT4 car,” he said.
“Of course the car itself is not the most exciting to drive, but on the other hand, you still learn a lot from a day like that.
“It rained a bit but it was dry, so you know you get more experience on the track – dealing with traffic as a slower car, is not always the easiest.
“And the rest, I was just staying out of trouble, really. At the end of the day, I think any kind of lap that you drive around there in any kind of car is always fun.
“When you try to push it a bit, you see a lot of what is happening around you.”
Verstappen: 24 hour race at Nurburgring ‘my dream’
The Nurburgring 24 Hours takes place across the Nordschleife, the 15.7 mile circuit once dubbed by Sir Jackie Stewart as the ‘Green Hell’.
Verstappen initially tested a Ferrari GT car at the circuit earlier this year, after the pseudonym Franz Hermann, and was said to have unofficially set a new lap record.
Referring to other forms of racing as his “hobby,” Verstappen explained how it was his ambition to compete in the 24 hour race.
“The atmosphere is really good, a lot of passionate, endurance fans are always there anyway,” he said. “And it’s kind of my hobby as well, racing in other kinds of motorsport.
“Of course, my dream is eventually to do the 24-hour race, so I knew that that license needed to come. It was the perfect opportunity to do so.”
Verstappen may get his wish, too, with Red Bull’s senior advisor Helmut Marko revealing that the Milton Keynes-based squad has given Verstappen permission to race in the event.
“I think it’s great that a Formula 1 driver, who has many obligations besides racing – simulator, marketing and PR appointments – still finds the time for something like this with such enthusiasm,” the Austrian told sport.de.
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