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Motorsport

What can F1 champion Max Verstappen do with his new FIA platinum race license?

Max Verstappen Jos Verstappen FIA Christian Horner Franz Hermann Le Mans (Event) Red Bull F1 Helmut Marko the Le Mans 24 Hours

It’s no secret that Max Verstappen dreams of competing in the Le Mans 24 Hours. And now, after his GT3 test with Emil Frey Racing at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife – where he drove under the pseudonym Franz Hermann – there is growing speculation that the Nurburgring 24 Hours is also on his wishlist.

A specific FIA license is required for these kinds of endurance races, and Verstappen has recently obtained one.

Speaking ahead of the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, he revealed he applied for the license two weeks earlier. “I applied because at some point I was going to have to do it anyway, so it was better to just get it over with,” Verstappen told media including Motorsport.com. “It’s super easy. It’s just a form. You fill it out, you pay, and a week later you get a response.”

That response was clear: Verstappen falls under the platinum category – the highest of all FIA license levels.

“I was actually hoping for a bronze license!” joked Verstappen. “Maybe I’ll appeal the platinum license to at least get a silver one, but I don’t expect that.”

Why platinum right away?

Verstappen immediately falls into the highest category because he holds a Formula 1 superlicense. F1 drivers are automatically classified as platinum when applying for a FIA license.

However, they still have to apply for such a license themselves. Not all F1 drivers do this, and only six F1 drivers currently appear on the FIA category list: Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Franco Colapinto, Nico Hulkenberg, Lando Norris, and Lance Stroll.

Max Verstappen, Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 496 GT3 (Photo by: Max Verstappen)

The platinum license is also granted to drivers who have finished in the top five of a Tier 1 championship. As well as Formula 1 this includes WEC, Supercars, Formula 2, Formula E, and IndyCar. If a driver performs at a level comparable with other platinum drivers, they may also be awarded a platinum license.

What can Verstappen do with the license?

In 2015 the FIA introduced the current licensing system. It’s primarily intended to create a level playing field in championships where teams consist of multiple drivers, especially in endurance racing.

Anyone who wants to participate in events such as Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 24 Hours of Spa, or championships such the World Endurance Championship or the IMSA SportsCar Championship, must have a license. The system is designed to prevent drivers of vastly different skill levels from competing in the same class.

With the FIA license in hand Verstappen can, in theory, compete in events such as the Le Mans 24 Hours. Verstappen has been open about this being a goal for him, although Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has been rather cooler on the idea.

While it was common for drivers to compete in F1 and sportscars in previous eras, greater professionalism and calendar expansion has militated against that in recent decades. In any case, Le Mans generally clashes with the Canadian Grand Prix – so this may have to wait until Verstappen calls time on his F1 career.

To compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours, Verstappen must go through a separate process owing to the particular nature of this event, which uses the legendary Nordschleife as well as the Grand Prix circuit. The orientation process includes classroom sessions, and drivers must participate in two Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) races – during which they must stay out of trouble to obtain the required Permit A to race in the GT3 class.

The Nurburgring 24 Hours does not clash with Formula 1 this year, but there’s no longer enough time for Verstappen to compete in the two required NLS events, meaning participation is unlikely. No exceptions to this rule have been granted – for example, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi was also unable to race because he hadn’t completed the process.

With the FIA license, Verstappen can also take part in the biggest GT3 race of the year: the 24 Hours of Spa. In the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, which includes this race, Verstappen is already involved through Verstappen.com Racing, competing with the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Thierry Vermeulen, Chris Lulham and Harry King are already on the entry list, and there is also a ‘TBA’. However, the chances this refers to Verstappen himself are very slim.

The team, which carries Max’s number 33, is registered in the Gold Cup, which allows a lineup of at most three gold-rated and one silver-rated driver. Since Verstappen holds a platinum license, he is automatically excluded unless the team moves up a category.

However, a Pro team for the 24 Hours of Spa is only allowed three drivers in total. In any case, the race clashes with the Austrian Grand Prix this year.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner recently said he admires how passionate Verstappen is about motorsport beyond F1. He emphasised that Red Bull wouldn’t simply stop him if he wants to explore other racing ventures – but everything has to align perfectly.

“It would be very difficult to take that away from him,” said Horner. “But of course, the focus has to remain on his main job… it’s out of the question for him to skip a race.”

Openings in autumn

In Spain, Red Bull driver advisor Helmut Marko told ORF: “First of all, I find it remarkable that someone who is a four-time world champion has to be classified. But alright, totally fair: if you want to make Max smile, start talking about GT racing.

“At the moment, the focus is clearly on Formula 1. We want to win this world championship. But I think in the fall, opportunities will arise – and I assume Max has already looked into that carefully. Of course, he’ll need our permission for it.”

When asked whether Verstappen would receive that permission, Marko was unequivocal.

“Yes, he will. After all, a GT car is relatively slow. I’m only afraid that if he actually joins a race, everyone will feel the need to prove themselves – and that they’ll make things unnecessarily difficult for Max.”

Could Max race with father Jos?

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, with his father Jos Verstappen (Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images)

Max has previously expressed the wish to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours alongside his father, Jos. As a former F1 driver, Jos Verstappen was entitled to a platinum license, but this has since been downgraded to gold.

This is because Jos had been inactive in motorsport for more than five years, and upon his return – being over the age of 40 – he received a FIA license one category lower than normally assigned based on status, as stipulated in the FIA driver classification rules.

Jos has been very active in rallying in recent years but he doesn’t see Le Mans happening anytime soon. “I’m rather critical about it. I’m way too slow for him,” Jos said earlier this year. “That’s why I’d rather rule it out for now.”

If they were to race together at Le Mans, it could potentially be in the top Hypercars class. In the WEC, only bronze-rated drivers aren’t allowed to drive those cars.

However, this class is occupied by manufacturer (or aligned) entries which usually have fixed driver line-ups, so the chances of the Verstappens making a guest appearance in this environment are relatively slim.

In the LMP2 class – which in the WEC is now only active for Le Mans – the two Verstappens could enter. The LMGT3 class isn’t an option, since that category requires at least one bronze-rated driver, alongside either another bronze or a silver-rated driver.