Verstappen Impresses Rivals: Victory at Nordschleife and Impact on F1

Verstappen: Victory at Nürburgring Could Make Him an Even Better Driver

Max Verstappen’s recent victory in the GT3 endurance race at Nordschleife has not only solidified his already high position among his Formula 1 colleagues, but could also have made him an even more complete driver, according to his rivals. Verstappen, with Red Bull’s permission, participated in the four-hour Nürburgring Endurance Series race on the 13-mile Nordschleife circuit, nicknamed “the Green Hell”. The four-time world champion carried out tests there earlier this year under the alias “Franz Hermann”, before obtaining his permit on the weekend between his victories in the F1 Grand Prix in Monza and Baku. Verstappen and his teammate Chris Lulham, a simulator driver turned real-life racer, won in an Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296, finishing 24.5 seconds ahead of the next car.

“We have been preparing for that for a while… it was a very nice two days,” Verstappen told reporters in Singapore on Thursday. “Running a bit in the wet, in the dry, just getting more and more experience was nice. And, of course, winning, that’s an extra bonus.”

Max Verstappen

Christopher Lulham (L) and Max Verstappen on the podium after winning the GT3 endurance race. Verstappen’s focus has shifted to securing his third consecutive F1 victory at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend; doing so could vindicate McLaren’s repeated claims that the Dutchman is a standout competitor in this year’s drivers’ championship. The ability to seamlessly switch between series is impressive, Verstappen competed against a field of drivers with regular experience on the Nordschleife circuit, considered one of the most dangerous circuits in the world. It hosted the German Grand Prix and where Niki Lauda’s infamous accident occurred in 1976. His GT3 victory raised an inevitable question ahead of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix about whether the experience has made Verstappen, comfortably the best Formula 1 driver at the moment, even stronger.

“Does it make me a better driver? I’ve been doing this for so many years on the simulator, so doing it now in real life is not very different,” said Verstappen. “But it definitely doesn’t hurt, I think I can say that.”

Max Verstappen

Alex Albon, Williams driver and Verstappen’s teammate for two and a half years at Red Bull, agreed. “There’s a lot to gain from driving different cars, it’s like your ‘vocabulary’,” Albon said. “You read a book, you increase your vocabulary. You drive different cars, you increase what we call our ‘toolbox’. You learn different ways to drive fast and discover different techniques, different challenges, different criteria in terms of limitations with the car and how you drive around it.”

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Lando Norris of McLaren stated that this underlines the fact that the Red Bull driver is the benchmark against which the rest of the F1 grid must measure themselves. “The fact that he can participate in any series and probably be the best demonstrates how good and great he is,” said Norris. “I’ve said it many times. I think he was born to be, and always will be, one of the best, if not the best, in Formula 1.” What caught the attention during the media day in Singapore was the excitement of other drivers when talking about Verstappen’s extracurricular activity. While other drivers, such as the winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nico Hülkenberg and Fernando Alonso, have participated in other events, the fact that Verstappen chose the fearsome Nordschleife as his first race outside of F1 impressed his rivals. Another former teammate, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, was impressed and would like to find a way to join Verstappen in the future.

“I think it’s just incredible,” said the Frenchman. “Nordschleife is an iconic race track. I think it’s crazy. There’s really nothing like it. It’s great that Max has the opportunity to organize this kind of thing. I think, ultimately, it’s great. He got to a point where he has his team, he has his cars.

Pierre Gasly

“He has a good setup to just go and do these types of races. I think it’s great for the sport. Ultimately, I wouldn’t mind joining him in the future in some of these races,” he added. The eyes of Haas rookie Oliver Bearman lit up when asked if he had seen any highlights of Verstappen’s race weekend. “I’m a big Max fan,” Bearman said. “It was really cool to watch him.” “I saw some highlights and I also saw his pole lap, where he had to overtake a car on the grass. It was pretty cool.” There was an extra element for Bearman to enjoy, as he had crossed paths with Verstappen’s teammate, Lulham, early in their careers. “I was competing with him in karting when I was 7 or 8 years old,” Bearman added. “He was always very fast and very, very good and then, of course, he moved on to sim racing and was like the best sim racer in the world. And now, you know, he’s been doing the GT World Challenge this year, but racing with Max at the Nordschleife, that must be an incredible experience.”