For Max Verstappen, this weekend was all about earning a DMSB Permit A, the licence drivers need to compete on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in top-level cars, including the GT3 class.
The reigning Formula 1 world champion reported to the track on Friday to sit through a theory exam, which enabled him to take part in the seventh round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS) on Saturday.
In that race, he lined up alongside Verstappen.com Racing driver Chris Lulham in a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS, prepared by Lionspeed GP and slightly de-tuned in terms of power.
Verstappen’s goal was to complete at least 14 laps over the course of the four-hour race, split between two cars — the #89 and #980 entries. In car #980, Verstappen fulfilled the requirement of 14 laps, but after sustaining damage in qualifying, he was unable to turn a wheel in car #89. As a result, he did not fully meet the conditions to be awarded the DMSB Permit A. However, the DPN committee reviewed the case, and ultimately decided to grant Verstappen the licence anyway.
“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 reflected on his Nordschleife racing debut. “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.
“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.”
With the DMSB Permit A now secured, Verstappen will not need to compete in NLS8, the next race of the endurance series on Sunday. Instead, the path is clear for him to enter the ninth round of the NLS in two weeks’ time. Then, he will also be eligible to race a GT3 car, most likely Emil Frey Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3.
Verstappen is now also cleared to compete in the top class of the Nurburgring 24 Hours — something he is very keen on. “There is only one circuit like the Nordschleife,” Verstappen said.
“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. 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.”
