Max Verstappen is the toast of the motorsport world following his maiden GT3 victory at the Nurburgring this the weekend. In his first-ever race in the specialised Nurburgring Langstreke Series (NLS), he walked away with a convincing win in a Ferrari 296 GT3 that he sponsors.
The Dutchman drove with fellow sim racer, Chris Lulham, in the Emil Frey Racing-prepared Prancing Horse. It’s perhaps not surprising the multiple F1 world champion crossed the line with a sizeable 24.5-second margin. After all, Verstappen also won back-to-back Monza and Baku GPs in September.
VERSTAPPEN WINS DEBUT GT3 RACE
Italy’s Corriere della Sera hailed the sight of the Red Bull star triumphing in a Ferrari. “Verstappen is the king of the Nurburgring, in a Ferrari.” Adding that it was ‘fantastic publicity’ for Maranello and speculated closer ties with the Ferrari F1 scuderia.
Verstappen only qualified third after being stuck in traffic. However, he surged to the lead with an aggressive outside pass in turn one. He quickly built a cushion of over a minute before handing over the Ferrari to teammate, Lulham, who managed the gap to the end.
24-HOUR RACE THE GOAL
“It was fantastic. The car worked brilliantly in the dry. To win here for the first time is simply lovely. Ultimately, I’d like to race the Nurburgring 24-hour in 2026. So, we’ll have to do more NLS races next year, to qualify for a licence,” Verstappen said.
The chaotic atmosphere around Verstappen was a reminder of his global fame. “We’re used to quite a bit, but this is a different ballgame. Fans were pressing against the garage doors before the race,” said one Nurburgring security guard. Organisers increased security for the F1 champion’s debut race.
VERSTAPPEN IS A TRUE RACER
Verstappen’s father, Jos, also praised his son’s ever-growing appetite for racing away from Formula 1. “He still gives 100 percent to the sport and the team. Red Bull must be very happy to have Max. He’s just a really nice guy who loves to race and win,” said Jos. – with GMM
