{"id":149819,"date":"2025-09-17T06:39:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T06:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/149819\/"},"modified":"2025-09-17T06:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T06:39:09","slug":"why-verstappen-doing-the-nurburgring-24-hours-would-be-good-for-f1-and-him","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/149819\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Verstappen doing the Nurburgring 24 Hours would be good for F1 \u2013 and him"},"content":{"rendered":"

Max Verstappen<\/a>\u2019s efforts on the Nurburgring Nordschleife have rightly attracted a lot of attention in recent weeks \u2013 and it\u2019s good for Formula 1 and motorsport as a whole, as well as the Dutchman himself.<\/p>\n

Now that he has the required DMSB Permit A<\/a>, Verstappen can contest a Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie race in a full-house GT3 car. And, more importantly, he can do likewise in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, a race that the 27-year-old has expressed an interest in.<\/p>\n

While some might argue that he should be focused on F1, Verstappen\u2019s performances in 2025 haven\u2019t exactly suffered. Indeed, Michael Schumacher<\/a> was one of several drivers to point out the potential benefits of racing outside F1, with his Group C sportscar outings making him a more-rounded driver even before he got his big break.<\/p>\n

Experiencing different cars and circuits can only be a good thing when it comes to adding to a driver\u2019s repertoire or skillset. It gives them more in the mental library from which they can draw when required.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a fallacy among some fans that current drivers aren\u2019t as versatile and adaptable as their predecessors \u2013 that they would somehow struggle in other cars.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that few current F1 drivers attempt other categories \u2013 their schedules are often too full for that \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean they wouldn\u2019t be any good at them if they tried. Fernando Alonso<\/a> demonstrated as much with his competitive 2017 Indianapolis 500 showing, plus his two Le Mans victories and World Endurance title with Toyota.<\/p>\n

\"Fernando <\/p>\n

Fernando Alonso, Andretti Autosport Honda<\/p>\n

Photo by: Steven Tee \/ Motorsport Images<\/p>\n

Anyone who has seen current stars grapple with older machinery, with no downforce, H-pattern gearboxes and crossply tyres at events such as the Goodwood Revival will also know that top drivers are top drivers whatever the car underneath them.<\/p>\n

Read Also:<\/p>\n

Verstappen\u2019s Nurburgring lap record pace<\/a> in his Emil Frey Racing Ferrari<\/a> 296 GT3 test, whatever the exact specification of the car at the time, shows something similar. And, let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s pretty cool.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, this shouldn\u2019t be a surprise. F1 is the pinnacle of the sport and four-time world champion Verstappen is already one of the greats. But on the other, it\u2019s worth remembering how motorsport has changed since F1 drivers regularly competed elsewhere in the 1950s and 1960s.<\/p>\n

Many of the drivers of the day appeared in different disciplines. In other words, if Jim Clark was faster than Roy Salvadori in a grand prix car, it\u2019s not really a shock that he\u2019d be quicker in a touring car, GT or sportscar.<\/p>\n

PLUS: Jim Clark\u2019s greatest races<\/a><\/p>\n

But now there are many specialists at a high level across different championships. Some of those drivers got very close to getting into F1 themselves, should have done, or made it to F1 before heading elsewhere. Think people such as six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, Le Mans legend Tom Kristensen or sportscar ace Sebastien Buemi. Rocking up and beating them at their own games, in the sorts of cars they know inside out, is not a given, even for F1\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n

GT3, which is now two decades old, probably has more professional drivers in the world than any other category. With Balance of Performance in theory keeping the cars evenly matched (four different marques have won the 24 Hours over the past five editions), manufacturers have employed the best pros they can. The margins are usually measured in hundredths or thousandths of a second.<\/p>\n

\"#980 <\/p>\n

#980 Lionspeed GP, Porsche Cayman GT4 – Max Verstappen, Chris Lulham<\/p>\n

Photo by: N\u00fcrburgring GmbH<\/p>\n

There\u2019s not a whole heap of time left in the cars for anyone \u2013 Verstappen included \u2013 to suddenly find. As with F1 itself, it\u2019s all about stitching together small gains and being consistent.<\/p>\n

Perhaps one area in which Verstappen will need to be careful is dealing with traffic, which will be almost constant. Some of the drivers in the 24 Hours are amateurs or those with far less experience than the 225-time grand prix starter. Verstappen could find himself in trouble if he tries an unorthodox move; he can\u2019t rely on everyone having an Alonso or Lewis Hamilton<\/a>-level of awareness to avoid shunts like he could have had at the Hungaroring this year.<\/p>\n

But Verstappen is smart enough to know that. His wheel-to-wheel antics have always been about deliberately playing with the line of acceptability rather than a lack of ability to stick to it. He\u2019ll surely dial it back for an event that is for enjoyment rather than a world title.<\/p>\n

Verstappen dabbling in GT racing is also good for the other branches of the sport. F1 has grown so big as to dwarf the interest in other parts of motorsport. New fans, who have perhaps come to F1 via Drive to Survive, might not even have heard of GT3 or (perish the thought!) the Nordschleife. But now they will.<\/p>\n

Interest in Indycar racing spiked when reigning world champion Nigel Mansell ventured across the pond for 1993. Autosport\u2019s own online traffic showed how much interest there was in Alonso\u2019s Le Mans debut in 2018, even though Toyota had no meaningful opposition.<\/p>\n

Verstappen racing in GT3 could widen the horizons of some F1 fans, once again demonstrate the quality of top grand prix drivers and enhance the reigning world champions CV, even if he\u2019s only doing it for fun. It\u2019s a win-win-win, with one caveat.<\/p>\n

\"#980 <\/p>\n

#980 Lionspeed GP, Porsche Cayman GT4 – Max Verstappen<\/p>\n

Photo by: Jan Brucke\/VLN<\/p>\n

Thanks to the nature of the greatest circuit in the world and the big pace disparities between the multiple classes there, the Nurburgring 24 Hours is one of modern motorsport\u2019s more risky endeavours. Nobody wants to see a repeat of the sort of crash Robert Kubica<\/a> suffered in the 2011 Ronde di Andora Rally.<\/p>\n

Such incidents, and the 1985 deaths of rising F1 stars Stefan Bellof and Manfred Winkelhock in sportscar crashes, have understandably sometimes caused F1 team bosses to be less than enthusiastic about their drivers indulging in extra-curricular motorsport.<\/p>\n

But the sport is safer than it once was and Red Bull is doing everything it can to keep Verstappen happy, so it\u2019s not a surprise it hasn\u2019t stopped these GT3 outings. The risk of Verstappen leaving the team is probably higher than of him getting injured.<\/p>\n

So, hat\u2019s off to Verstappen for doing something different. Next year\u2019s Nurburgring 24 Hours doesn\u2019t clash with an F1 round, so let\u2019s hope he takes the plunge. And, if it goes well, perhaps the Dutchman should consider taking on the challenge of the triple crown<\/a> that Alonso hasn\u2019t quite managed yet\u2026<\/p>\n

PLUS: Who is the greatest motorsport all-rounder?<\/a><\/p>\n

In this article<\/p>\n

Be the first to know and subscribe for real-time news email updates on these topics<\/p>\n

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