(Motorsport-Total.com) – The break between Miami and Montreal was well used by Max Verstappen, who let loose on a completely new playground at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. The four-time Formula 1 world champion made headlines on the Nordschleife and could have even won the race if it hadn’t been for a technical defect.
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But what hasn’t happened yet, still can. Because for Verstappen, this was not supposed to be his only excursion into the Green Hell and GT racing: “I want to win this thing, so I want to go back,” he made clear before the Formula 1 race in Canada. “I feel like I still have unfinished business.”
Will Verstappen now participate in the 24-hour race every year? “The calendar has to allow it, of course. But yes, it is definitely a race I want to do more often,” he says.
Because unlike what often seems to be the case in Formula 1 at the moment, the Dutchman had a lot of fun: “It was just a great week,” he says. “I think we executed it very well. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, it is still a mechanical sport. We had this defect that of course cost us the win because until that point we had everything under control.”
“But the whole experience, also driving in the wet, the changing conditions, sharing it all with my teammates – that was something I really enjoyed.”
Colleagues also involved at night
Just the presence of the four-time world champion brought a completely different level of attention to the race than usual. Many of his Formula 1 colleagues also turned on the TV especially because of Verstappen.
“I had his onboard camera running on my TV. I think I fell asleep around 2 a.m. and then woke up to the news that he had to retire the car,” says his teammate Isack Hadjar.
“When you’re in very tight high-speed sections and have to squeeze through tiny gaps while a car behind you flashes its lights – that’s crazy,” says the Frenchman.
Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto was also really excited: “Honestly, I spent almost my entire weekend watching that. I cheered him on even when he wasn’t driving. It just shows the level he and his teammates are at,” he says.
Oliver Bearman, who says he only knows the track virtually in the simulator and “for one lap with my dad in the SUV,” also kept tuning in: “He proved they had what it takes to win. Really cool to see,” says the Haas driver.
“It was hard not to follow it. There were some great highlights all over social media,” admits Pierre Gasly. “I have respect for the performance and dedication. It didn’t surprise me to see him so competitive in this category.”
Lance Stroll, who himself likes to push GT3 cars to the limit at track days in his free time, was similarly impressed: “Hats off. He is so talented, so fast, and so brave. I saw him make crazy moves in the middle of the night.”
No surprise among the competition
Other colleagues did not actively follow the race but were by no means surprised by the strong performance of the Dutchman. Carlos Sainz comments dryly: “I couldn’t watch the race, but I heard Max was pretty good – but I expected that too.”
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Nico Hülkenberg provided some laughs. When asked if he watched, the Haas driver strictly denied it. But he had heard that Max “killed it” again (meaning dominated). To a reporter’s joking remark that it was rather the car that was “killed,” Hülkenberg chuckled: “No, I don’t think so. Unsurprisingly, he did pretty well.”
One who knows exactly what it’s like to dive into other racing categories as an active Formula 1 driver is Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, champions endurance racing: “Endurance races have a certain magic,” he says.
“You need this incredible ability to deal with traffic, you have to share the car and setup with other drivers, you have to function as a team. And on top of that, you need luck, and that’s exactly what Max lacked last time. You don’t just win 24-hour races, you need a few attempts.”
That drivers like Verstappen long for “pure racing” outside of Formula 1 is not seen by the veteran as criticism of the premier class but as an opportunity for motorsport. “Formula 1 is only one percent of the entire motorsport environment. When top drivers from Formula 1 open fans’ eyes to a new series, that’s great. Formula 1 is the premier class and wonderful, but the other series are in a way just as magical.”
Russell positions himself: Joint team with Verstappen?
Verstappen’s excursion has definitely sparked desires in the paddock. Not a few drivers expressed the wish to do a guest start here and there. World championship leader Kimi Antonelli also wanted to get the license for the Nürburgring this year – only to receive a rejection from his employer.
“He can try it after four world championships,” said deputy team principal Bradley Lord on Nitro. “He should focus fully on Formula 1 for now.”
Antonelli’s teammate George Russell knows that Verstappen is in a different position than the other drivers in this regard. “We chase a world championship, but he is obviously in the luxurious position to do what he enjoys,” says the Brit.
When asked about the idea of not only driving the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring one day but explicitly sharing the cockpit of a Mercedes with Max Verstappen, he grins: “Never say never. Who knows?”
“Max is obviously one of the best. Like every driver, you always want to measure yourself against the best – that’s how it was for me with Lewis as a teammate, and I think the same about Max.”
Asked about this, Verstappen himself knows he holds a luxury position: “I have titles in Formula 1 and am of course busy with my whole GT3 project. So I think we are in a somewhat different situation.”
“I think his focus is fully on Formula 1 at the moment. But it’s cool, you know, many drivers have written to me and followed it. That’s always nice to see.”
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