Max Verstappen has obtained his A-license, the coveted permit to participate in GT3 races at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. This was announced on Saturday evening, following his first endurance race on ‘the Ring’. The four-time Formula 1 champion can now participate in events such as the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, a race that is high on his wish list. “I have achieved my goal,” he responded enthusiastically.
On Saturday, Verstappen drove his first race on the legendary German circuit. He represented Verstappen.com Racing and Lionspeed GP in the Cup3 class of an NLS race (Nürburgring Long Distance Series). As he did not yet have an A-license, the power of his Porsche Cayman GT4 was significantly reduced. Nevertheless, Verstappen made his mark on the Nürburgring: in the qualification, he was fifteen seconds slower than his fastest rival, who was driving at full power.
Goal Achieved
Verstappen was supposed to drive in two different cars, but due to technical problems, he only drove one. In the four-hour race, he completed the required fourteen laps without any issues. After his stint, teammate Chris Lulham took over. The duo eventually finished eighth in their class and 27th in the overall standings. A special committee of the German federation decided after the race that Verstappen had earned his license – even though he had not driven in both cars as initially planned.
With his A-license in hand, Max Verstappen is now eligible to participate in one of his favorite races: the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring. He has already driven this race multiple times on the simulator, but now he is permitted to actually step into a GT3 vehicle. Earlier this year, he tested a Ferrari 296 GT3 under the pseudonym Franz Hermann, setting an unofficial lap record. The 27-year-old Red Bull driver commented, “I’m glad I succeeded, this was the goal for this weekend.”
“Of course, I prefer to drive a faster car, but I was determined to get my license and did everything that was asked of me. Thanks also to the organization for their cooperation. I look forward to driving on the Nordschleife many more times in the future. It’s truly a great circuit.”
