Verstappen swaps Monza glory for Nürburgring mayhem

Fresh off his Italian Grand Prix triumph at Monza, Max Verstappen isn’t exactly planning on putting his feet up with a cappuccino in Milan.

Instead, the Red Bull ace is packing his race suit and heading to the German Eifel Mountains for the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). Because when you’re Max Verstappen (or should we call him Franz Hermann?), one checkered flag a week just doesn’t cut it.

The four-time world champion has long dreamed of tackling the Nordschleife in proper competition. And now, that dream is happening – though not without an administrative pit stop first. Before Max can throw a GT3 car into the Green Hell’s Karussell, he has to… go back to school.

The Dutchman will need to sit through a classroom session on Friday, learn about yellow flags, and take an exam to get his DMSB Permit Nordschleife. Apparently, 61 F1 wins aren’t enough proof that he knows which pedal makes the car go faster.

It’s a foregone conclusion that Verstappen will ace the paperwork, after which he’ll take to the track on Saturday with a Porsche Cayman GT4 CS run by Lionspeed to rack up the mandatory laps for his entry-level B Permit.

That should be but a brief detour before he moves up to the coveted A Permit – where the real toys live.

If all goes well – and let’s be real, it’s Max Verstappen – he’ll upgrade to the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 as early as Sunday, with the prancing horse decked out in Red Bull colors.

Why He’s Doing It

For Verstappen, this isn’t just about adding another trophy to an already groaning cabinet. It’s about freedom and exploring motorsport beyond F1, and the Nordschleife is the Everest of racing circuits.

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Helmut Marko, never shy with an opinion, fully supports the adventure.

“At a time when our Formula 1 car wasn’t running properly, he was there with great enthusiasm. It was an important distraction for his well-being,” said the Red Bull advisor.

So Red Bull is basically letting Max have his fun, knowing that he’ll still deliver on Sundays.

A New Benchmark Awaits

Earlier this year, Verstappen caused a stir by setting an unofficial lap record on the Nordschleife in a GT car. This time, though, it’s no demo run under a pseudonym. He’ll be racing under his own name, shoulder-to-shoulder with NLS regulars, in equal machinery.

For the fans, it’s a treat: F1’s most relentless racer taking on the world’s toughest racetrack. For Verstappen, it’s just another weekend at work – only this time the office has 154 corners, blind crests, and the occasional wild boar.

One thing’s for sure: the Nordschleife won’t tame Verstappen. If anything, it’s about to find out what happens when pure obsession meets 20.8 kilometers of asphalt mayhem.

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