Max Verstappen has officially obtained the licence required to compete in the top category of GT3 machinery at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, following a special decision by the DMSB permit committee on Saturday.
The four-time F1 world champion had been targeting the Category A DMSB Permit Nordschleife (DPN A) during his NLS debut, but his path to qualification was complicated after one of his entries, the #89 Cayman in SP7, failed to complete a racing lap due to damage sustained in qualifying.
Despite the setback, the governing body’s DPN-Committee granted Verstappen the licence after reviewing the circumstances.
His other car, the #980 Cayman run alongside Chris Lulham in Cup 3, covered the mandatory 14 laps without incident, satisfying the sporting requirements.
Smooth Debut on the “Green Hell”
Verstappen underlined the value of his track time, highlighting the variety of conditions he experienced across his stints.
“I’m happy that everything went smoothly and that I obtained the DMSB Permit Nordschleife. I had fun, but that’s always the case here,” Verstappen said.
“It was also good to drive those stints in race conditions with traffic, so both faster and slower cars. There was a ‘code 60’ neutralisation, double yellows and yellow flags.
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“I drove in the rain, on a dry track, and in between. I learned where there is more and less grip and did a start as well. It was nice to gain more experience on this circuit.”
The Dutchman skipped Sunday’s races but is already planning to return for the NLS round on 27 September, where he is set to race an Emil Frey Ferrari with an eye on an overall victory.
Eyes on the 24 Hours
With the Permit A secured, Verstappen is now cleared to enter the headline Nürburgring 24 Hours in the future, a race he has long been eager to tackle.
“There is only one circuit like the Nordschleife,” he explained. “It’s a challenging track: today we saw that on such a long lap it can be dry in one section while wet in another.
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“The asphalt also varies depending on the place. That makes it difficult to connect everything together, and that’s what makes it so special. To race here for 24 hours in a GT3 car would be amazing.”
Verstappen’s achievement not only confirms his versatility across motorsport disciplines but also sets the stage for a potential headline debut in one of endurance racing’s toughest events.
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