Qualifying sixth in this Cup 3 class during Saturday morning’s wet qualifying session at the Nurburgring, Max Verstappen has impressed as he makes his racing debut on the famous circuit.
With a best lap time of 10:21.591 in difficult conditions, he was 15.3 seconds behind the class leader but still a mighty 68.4 seconds ahead of the next driver in his class. The four-time Formula 1 world champion has most certainly proven his pace despite this being so different to his usual forte.
Competing in a detuned Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS, he’s racing in a class so he can receive a DMSB Permit Nordschleife Grade B. This means the car has had its horsepower reduced from 425 horsepower to approximately 300, and its weight increased to 1,350 kgs. Each car in the class shares these restrictions with a 4.2 kg/hp rule of thumb.
Stemming from his goal of competing in the 24-hour race at the famous Green Hell, Verstappen is racing for the specialised license which allows him to do this. It requires 14 incident-free laps and completion of 20% of the total race distance.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 07, 2025 in Monza, Italy.
Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on during the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 07, 2025 in Monza, Italy.
Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images
As you’d expect, with the Dutchman in attendance, 50,000 visitors are expected over the weekend – a substantial increase over what’s usually seen.
This weekend’s racing follows a test session, where Verstappen drove undercover as “Franz Hermann”, reportedly breaking the unofficial GT3 lap record while testing with Emil Frey Racing. Alongside thousands of simulated laps, Verstappen is going into this weekend well equipped to achieve his objective.
Sharing the car with his Team Redline sim racing driver Chris Lulham, he is driving under a Lionspeed GP entry. Completing part one of his permit yesterday, if he is successful, he will continue in GT3 machinery during the NLS8 event on September 27 with Emil Frey Racing.
“Racing is not just my profession, but also my hobby,” he said in a post on Verstappen.com.
“This weekend I am at the Nordschleife with the goal to qualify for the mandatory race permit needed to race here in a GT3 car, which I would love.
“The Nordschleife is at the top of my list of tracks I want to race on, as it’s extremely challenging and demanding, with its enormous length and tight historic layout. I can’t wait!”