Max Verstappen has opened up on the allure of taking part in high-profile endurance races away from Formula 1.
The four-time F1 World Champion is set to take part in the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May, dovetailing alongside his usual F1 role.
Max Verstappen explains Nurburgring 24 Hours plans alongside Formula 1
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Away from the Formula 1 paddock, Verstappen set about achieving his DMSB Permit (colloquially known as a Nurburgring Ring Licence), which will allow him to take part in top-level GT3 racing at the German venue.
Following months of speculation, Verstappen has been confirmed as taking part in the Nurburgring 24 Hours endurance race in May.
The event is scheduled for the weekend of May 14-17, taking place between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix.
Verstappen will compete behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 car under the banner of the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing outfit.
He will share driving duties with Lucas Auer, Jules Gounon, and Daniel Juncadella, with the car appearing in a Red Bull-branded livery.
At present, the event is the only non-F1 race Verstappen is confirmed for, but there is the possibility the Dutch driver could appear in one of the qualifying events scheduled during April, should the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix be cancelled.
Asked whether it’s important to him to get enjoyment in another racing series away from F1, at a time when the four-time F1 World Champion has made it clear he isn’t enjoying the driving dynamics, he said, “Well, I mean, this was, of course, already planned, regardless of what I’m driving this year.
“I mean, I wish I had a bit more fun at the moment here [in F1], of course, but, at the same time, I’m also very happy that, also with the team here, they let me do all these things.
“It’s just something that I’m, of course, looking forward to. Besides that, if something happens with the calendar, I’ll have a look at what’s possible.”
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With Verstappen being open and honest about his thoughts on the new F1 regulations, which demand the drivers to fight some of their natural instincts in order to maximise speed through diligent energy management, the Dutch driver was asked whether his enjoyment of racing is based purely on the speed of the cars he’s driving.
“Not really because, I mean, then the pleasure would be still very high here, right? Because it’s the highest speed,” he said.
“But it’s just a way of working with people. It’s a bit of a different environment as well, that you’re in the paddock.
“I would say probably a little bit more old school, less political, which I probably enjoy a bit more. I can probably be a bit more myself. That’s what I enjoy.
“Plus, of course, these races, like all the big endurance ones I want to do, are something that when I was a kid, my dad [Jos] was doing as well.
“I think I don’t need to be only a Formula 1 driver. I can also do other things, especially since I’ve done this already for a while, and I’ve achieved everything that I wanted to achieve.
“So that’s why I want to explore also other things, and I don’t want to do that when I’m 40 years old. So now I think it’s the perfect age to do it.”
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