Max looks forward to GT3 race debut at Nordschleife: 'Can't wait'
Published on 24 September 2025 by Niels Hendrix
Max Verstappen is on the eve of his GT3 race debut. The 27-year-old Dutchman will take this new step during the next round of the NLS, the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, coming Saturday 27 September at the world-famous Nürburgring Nordschleife. Over a hundred cars will participate in the tough 4-hour race, that will start at noon.
Max will be sharing the cockpit of a Ferrari 296 GT3, run by the Swiss Emil Frey Racing team in the Verstappen.com Racing x Red Bull livery, together with Chris Lulham, the 22-year-old British racing driver, who is competing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cup for Verstappen.com Racing.
“It is my passion to do these kinds of GT3 races too. I can’t wait!”, says Max. “I’m passionate about racing, also outside of Formula 1. Every lap at the Nordschleife is a different kind of experience. The atmosphere is also really good and there are a lot of endurance fans present. It’s my hobby to race in other categories than Formula 1. My dream is to eventually participate in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.”
Having done thousands of virtual laps at the Nordschleife in his simulator, Max knows why the 24.358 km long circuit is nicknamed the ‘Green Hell’. “The Nordschleife is at the top of my list of tracks I want to race on, as it’s extremely challenging and demanding, with its enormous length and tight historic layout”, Max explains.
After testing in a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the Nordschleife back in May, under the pseudonym Franz Hermann, Max proceeded with the next step two weeks ago by acquiring a special racing license: the DMSB (Deutscher Motor Sport Bund) Permit Nordschleife, that allows him to participate in a GT3 race at the Nordschleife. And so, Max now debuts in GT3 racing.
As a remembrance of this special moment, Verstappen.com has launched limitedly available T-shirts and hoodies ‘For the Love of Racing’: https://www.verstappen.com/new
These items and more Verstappen.com Racing merchandise will also be available at the Verstappen.com merchandise stand in the paddock of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie round 9. For a livestream, livetiming or tickets (starting from €25 – including grandstand, paddock and grid access), check: nuerburgring-langstrecken-serie.de
