Max Verstappen has obtained his A-license for the Nordschleife Nürburgring. While most Formula 1 drivers enjoyed a free weekend, the Dutchman went through the entire process to get his starting permit for the German circuit, also known as the ‘Green Hell’. Many experts, including advisor Helmut Marko, did not understand why a four-time world champion had to go through so many steps before he could participate in races on the Nürburgring, but Verstappen himself understands the rules of the Deutscher Motor Sport Bund.
“The most important thing was to get my license, so I had to do that race in a dialed-back GT4 car,” Max Verstappen reflects on his weekend on the Nordschleife in Baku. “Of course, that’s not the most fun car to drive, but you still learn a lot from such a day. Like dealing with different weather conditions and what it’s like to drive as a slower car among traffic. I just tried to stay out of trouble, and in the end, a lap on the Nordschleife is always fun. It’s also my hobby to drive in racing classes outside of Formula 1.”
‘Rules are Rules’
Verstappen went through the entire process to secure the coveted A-license for the Nürburgring, including a few practice laps behind an instructor and a race in a heavier car with 125 horsepower less than the regular vehicles. Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko labeled the entire system as ‘terribly bureaucratic’, but the four-time world champion didn’t have much trouble with it.
“They were very helpful,” Verstappen says about the organization behind the issuance of licenses for the Nordschleife, the Deutscher Motor Sport Bund (DMSB). “They made everything run as smoothly as possible. Of course, it’s better to drive a lap around the circuit and get some explanation at the same time, rather than sitting in a classroom,” the Dutchman gives an example of how the DMSB somewhat accommodated the Formula 1 champion. “The circuit is not entirely new to me, I’ve driven around the circuit a thousand times (in the simulator, ed.) and already tested earlier in the year. However, the rules are the rules, and I had to adhere to them. But at the same time, they were also very flexible. I think it all went very well in the end.”
