Max Verstappen is set to take on another form of racing as F1 takes a week off after the reigning champion dominated the Italian Grand Prix.
The four-time champion took an unexpected victory at Monza, completing the fastest F1 race in history at just 73 minutes, as well as posting the fastest qualifying time ever.
F1 takes a week off this week as teams prepare for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but the Dutchman will not be taking a week off from being behind the wheel of a car.
Verstappen is set to make his long-awaited appearance in the Nurburgring Endurance Series, something Helmut Marko had previously claimed he “wasn’t even talking about”.
Max Verstappen was seen racing a GT3 car earlier this year under a fake name
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This weekend, the seventh and eighth rounds of the NLS will be held at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, where Verstappen will take part in his first endurance rounds, as each race will last four hours.
Marko, Red Bull’s motorsport advisor, confirmed that Verstappen would be taking part in the event. The Dutchman has obtained the necessary contractual approval to race around the track dubbed the “green hell” despite the risks to the 27-year-old's F1 season.
Racing in GT cars will not be as simple as turning up and driving for the reigning F1 champion, as he has to complete a series of tests to take part in the races.
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Participation in the event requires official licensing documents from the German Motor Sport Federation (DMSB). To obtain the required documents, Verstappen must head back to school on Friday.
Former Mercedes Motorsport boss Norbert Haug chimed in and said: “Ridiculous that the racer has to prove a Nordschleife permit in order to be eligible to race there. I suggest introducing a rule that waives this requirement once a driver has four world titles."
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Max Verstappen's GT3 team are taking part in the endurances races this weekend
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This isn’t the first time dominant champions of their sport have had to pass through the strict DMSB regulations.
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi initially tried to enter the Nurburgring 24 Hous race in 2024, but was forced to withdraw after not being granted an exemption to the rules.
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Vertsappen will be forced to attend a course and complete an exam to gain an entry-level B permit.
This would allow the Dutchman to drive a Porsche Cayman GT4 CS run by the Lionspeed team. The drivers who drive for his Verstappen.com team, Chris Lulham and Thierry Vermeulen, earned their licenses the exact same way.
Max Verstappen is likely to be racing in a Porsche GT4 for his first endurance race
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For the reigning F1 world champion to be allowed to gain an A license and race GT3 machinery, he will need “at least two classified race results” covering “a minimum of 14 race laps in total.”
It remains to be seen what Verstappen will race and alongside whom, but most importantly, he needs to pass the exam he will take on Friday for a chance to begin his endurance career.