For Max Verstappen, the past few days revolved around obtaining a DMSB Permit A, which is the credential needed by racers to participate on the Nürburgring Nordschleife using high-performance vehicles, such as those in the GT3 category. The current Formula 1 World Champion arrived at the circuit last Friday to complete a theoretical examination, which then qualified him to enter the seventh event of the Nürburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS) on Saturday.
During that competition, he shared the track with Verstappen.com Racing participant Chris Lulham, both piloting a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS. This car was provided by Lionspeed GP and had slightly reduced power output.
Verstappen aimed to complete at least fourteen circuits throughout the duration of the four-hour race, alternating between two vehicles — entries #89 and #980. Driving car #980, Verstappen successfully reached the required fourteen laps. However, due to damage sustained during qualifying, he could not drive in car #89. Consequently, he did not fully meet the criteria for receiving the DMSB Permit A initially. Nevertheless, the DPN committee assessed the situation and ultimately decided to award Verstappen the permit regardless.
“I’m pleased that things unfolded well and that I’ve received the DMSB Permit Nordschleife. I enjoyed it, as I always do here,” Verstappen mentioned, reflecting on his initial Nordschleife race. “It was also valuable to do those stints under race conditions with other racers, encompassing both faster and slower cars. There was a ‘code 60’ pause, plus double and single yellow flag situations.
“I drove in the rain, on a dry track, and in conditions in between. I picked up on areas with varying levels of grip and performed a start as well. It was beneficial to broaden my experience on this specific track.”
#980 Lionspeed GP, Porsche Cayman GT4 – Max Verstappen
Photo by: Nürburgring GmbH
Now that he has successfully gained the DMSB Permit A, Verstappen won’t need to participate in NLS8, which is the next contest in the endurance series scheduled for the coming Sunday. Instead, he can now look forward to entering the ninth NLS event in two weeks. At that point, he’ll also be authorized to compete in a GT3 class vehicle, most probably the Ferrari 296 GT3 fielded by Emil Frey Racing.
Verstappen is now also qualified to compete in the premier division of the Nürburgring 24 Hours competition — a prospect he welcomes enthusiastically. “There isn’t another course that compares to the Nordschleife,” Verstappen commented.
“It represents a challenging track; as we observed today, across a long lap, there may be a dry patch followed by a wet one. Also, the asphalt varies depending on where you are. This makes it hard to put everything together seamlessly, and that’s what gives it its unique appeal. Participating in a 24-hour race here in a GT3 car would be incredible.”
