Confirmed: Max Verstappen receives his "Nordschleife driver's license"!

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Max Verstappen has successfully completed his racing debut on the Nordschleife: The Formula 1 World Champion competed in the seventh round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) with a Porsche Cayman to obtain the required "Nordschleife driver's license" for the GT3 class - and successfully!

The 27-year-old Dutchman, who had already completed the training course on Friday , was unable to meet all the criteria for obtaining a DMSB Nordschleife Permit (DPN) Category A in the four-hour race on Saturday. Nevertheless, the race was sufficient to obtain the Nordschleife license he was aiming for.

"I'm happy that everything went smoothly and I got my DMSB Nordschleife permit," reveals Verstappen, who took off from Cologne shortly after the race on his private jet and will not participate in the second race on Sunday. "I really enjoyed it, but that's always the case here."

Experiences for Verstappen "really very valuable"

"It was good to do stints in traffic during the race, both with faster and slower cars," said the world champion, who apparently had no problem getting the necessary "Nordschleife driver's license." This, in fact, had caused heated debate in recent days .

"There was a 'Code 60' period, double yellow flags, and a regular yellow period. I drove in the wet, the dry, and mixed conditions," the Red Bull driver summarized. "I gained experience of where there is grip and where there isn't, and I also made a start. It was really valuable to gain more experience on this track."

Although Verstappen completed the required 14 laps of the Cup3 class in the #980 Cayman, which he shared with teammate Chris Lulham , the world champion did not race in the second #89 Cayman, also scheduled to drive in the SP7 class. This was due to Lulham's accident in qualifying.

DPN committee still grants the permit

The live stream showed Verstappen and Lulham entering the Nordschleife in pairs in the two Lionspeed Porsche Caymans. However, only Verstappen returned a few minutes later. What exactly happened during the approximately 20-kilometer Nordschleife remains unclear.

However, the damage to the #89 Cayman was so extensive that the duo couldn't participate in the subsequent race. At least Lulham was able to leave the pit lane, which meant the car officially started. And that was enough for the Formula 1 driver to receive his "Nordschleife driver's license."

The DPN decision-making body, which includes representatives from the DMSB (German Motor Sport Federation) and 24-hour races, as well as (former) drivers from the Nürburgring Endurance Series, can grant an exception in such cases. And that was the case with Verstappen, as the body met on Saturday evening to discuss the matter.

Verstappen with a strong Nordschleife debut

The Dutchman proved on Saturday that he is not only in contention for the top spot in Formula 1, but also on the Nordschleife - even though his Porsche Cayman was throttled by around 125 hp compared to the competition in the Cup3 class and was also around 35 kilograms heavier.

But in the rainy qualifying, Verstappen was only 15 seconds slower than the pole-sitter in his class. At the start, however, the Cayman's performance deficit became clear: Aerial shots showed that Verstappen was barely moving compared to the competition, and the faster cars were flying past him on both sides.

The Red Bull driver then drove an unremarkable race, completing the 14 laps required for the A-Permit before handing over the cockpit to teammate Lulham. The Briton brought the Porsche Cayman home after four hours in seventh place in class and 27th overall out of over 100 starters.

Verstappen raves about the Nordschleife: "It's a challenge, and today we saw that some sections of the track were dry and others were wet," reports the Dutchman. "The surface also varies around the circuit, which makes it difficult to put together a perfect lap, but that's exactly what makes it so special."

Emil Frey plans GT3 start with Verstappen

Thanks to his new Nordschleife license, Verstappen could already compete in the next NLS race on September 27th with Emil Frey Racing's Ferrari 296 GT3. "We're ready whenever he wants to drive," Lorenz Frey-Hilti grins to Motorsport-Total.com .

"We know the Nordschleife. We've already tested there with him, with the Ferrari," the Swiss driver recalls the Nordschleife test in May, when Verstappen even set a track record. "If he calls us, we'll come to the Nordschleife."

"We would be delighted to be able to drive there. Let's see if he has the license and if he still wants to," adds Frey-Hilti. Everything now depends on Verstappen. "We're ready. His car is ready whenever he wants it."

"The sooner we know, the better it is for our planning. We'll probably hear in the next few days whether he wants to drive." However, there's a lot to suggest that Verstappen will return to the Eifel as soon as possible: "Competing in a 24-hour race here in a GT3 car would be fantastic," he grins.