Verstappen Disqualified at Nürburgring, But the Passion for Racing Continues
Max Verstappen’s team suffered a disqualification after claiming victory in the second GT3 race at the Nürburgring. This event served as a prelude to his debut in the prestigious 24 Hours of Nürburgring, which will be held in May.
Verstappen, along with his teammates Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, seemed to have achieved victory in the four-hour ADAC Barbarossapreis event of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, competing for Verstappen Racing with a Mercedes-AMG GT3.
However, two hours later, the technical commission discovered that the team had used seven sets of tires instead of the six allowed. This resulted in the disqualification of Verstappen’s team, awarding the victory to Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper in the Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3.
Saturday’s race was a relief for Verstappen, who has openly expressed his criticism of the new F1 cars, describing them as “Formula E with steroids” due to the emphasis on energy recovery and boost systems.
Verstappen’s team had secured pole position and won the race, on the track, by more than a minute, even though the driver had to regain ground after losing the lead on the first lap.
Verstappen had already won a similar event with Chris Lulham in a Ferrari 296 GT3 last September, in a highly publicized debut on the circuit.
This time, the four-time F1 world champion was competing with his own team in preparation for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in May.
Verstappen Racing will participate in that event, which will take place on May 16th and 17th.
In the race, Verstappen will team up with Juncadella, Gounon and Lucas Auer.
The German circuit, nicknamed “The Green Hell”, has gained legendary status since its inauguration in 1927, but was removed from the F1 calendar in 1976 because it was considered too dangerous.
Verstappen has not hidden his desire to explore other racing disciplines outside of Formula 1, including his interest in participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His growing frustration with F1 only intensifies the interest in his activities outside the premier category.
After the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen called the new F1 cars “a joke” and stated that those who enjoy the new overtaking with boost systems don’t understand real racing.
The Red Bull driver, who has a contract with the team until 2028, has made it clear that he would consider leaving F1 if he stopped enjoying it.
