Max Verstappen won the Nürburgring GT3 race between F1 race weekends in September. He had continually made it clear that he is interested in many other motorsports and doesn’t limit himself to Formula 1. He launched his very own GT racing program, Verstappen.com Racing, this year and worked on getting himself a license for the Nordschleife 24-hour race.
His love of racing
Verstappen has made it a priority to broaden his horizons when it comes to endurance racing. He spent two days racing the GT3 Nürburgring circuit in Germany. He explains that he isn’t doing it to win but simply for his love of racing.
“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. We’ve been preparing for that, of course, for a while. It was just two very nice days. Again, racing a bit in the wet and the dry, just getting more and more experience was nice. And then, of course, to win it, yeah, that’s an extra bonus.
As the co-founder of Verstappen.com Racing, Verstappen is heavily invested in GT3 racing as well as F1 . Red Bull’s primary driver affirms that his other racing pursuits aren’t practice for Formula 1. He enjoys racing but continues to practice his racing in the way he’s always done, on the simulator.
“But does it make me a better driver? I mean, I’ve been doing this already for so many years on the simulator. So for me, doing it now in real life is not very different. But it definitely doesn’t hurt. I think I can say that.”
Working overtime
Verstappen has been on the road more than usual. After the F1 Italian GP, he raced the Nordschleife circuit in Germany on a de-tuned GT4 Porsche Cayman. With the busy schedule of Formula 1, he still managed to fit in the weekend to obtain his Category A permit. With the F1 Azerbaijan GP in between, he then returned a week later for the Nürburgring GT3 race followed by the F1 Singapore GP.
“I’m taking a bit of a break. After this weekend, I’ve done six weekends in a row, so it’s quite a bit.”
Scheduling conflicts
Max Verstappen has been with Red Bull for 10 years and has signed a contract to remain with the Formula 1 team until 2028. Though F1 remains his priority, he is looking forward to returning to the 24-hour GT3 racing.
“It depends on a lot of things, to be honest. It depends on F1, first of all. I’m suspecting, of course, that with the rules next year, it’s going to be very complicated to start with and some unknowns anyway, right? So it probably will be a little bit more hectic than the end of a regulation where things are a bit more straightforward.
As the owner of Verstappen.com Racing, he must also coordinate the GT3 team program and prepare his drivers for their season. Verstappen is fluid with specifics as it is too early to tell what the plan will be next year.
“Plus also the program of the GT3 team, which car that we are going to race next year, stuff like that. So a lot of things that still have to come together before I can really plan it well in advance for just my drivers already in the team, plus myself.
If the schedules align, he will certainly be returning to get himself behind the wheel in the GT World Challenge. He can’t guarantee which races he will be doing but one thing is certain. His passion for motorsports will drive him there no doubt.
“So for sure, we want to be back there. I just don’t know at the moment, of course, myself how much or how many races I can do next year. But if there is an opportunity and I feel good about it, plus whatever is happening in F1, then for sure.”
He’s still got time
The Dutch driver is not fazed by the packed schedule. He reassures that he knows what comes with the territory of being an F1 driver and is making the most of his spare time. He is under no pretenses that he will eventually retire from the sport.
“I mean, fun of course is still my main goal. So yeah, it’s a lot of races, but that’s what I signed up for. So for me that is not something that I’m sad about or disappointed with. I also know that it’s not going to be forever doing this.
Verstappen is always ready to participate and makes it sound quite easy to do. He keeps his mind a few steps ahead, as he explains that he has a long life to live. With is interest in GT3 Racing, Verstappen is not worried about missing races outside Formula 1 just yet.
“It’s also just making sure that everything is well run with the GT3 team, and that they are up and running. And then for me, it’s quite easy to, if I want to, jump in and participate. I think we all know that 24 races is a lot, for sure. Sometimes you miss out on some other great races, but at the same time I’m still very young, so I can still catch up on those kind of races later on.”
The same Verstappen
Verstappen is still committed to juggling both F1 and GT3 racing next year. He will try his best to make it work given the large number of variables still up in the air.
“Yeah, but like I said before, it depends just a lot on what happens in F1 and what manufacturer that we are racing with in the GT3 team as well.
The four-time World Champion is not new to winning. He continues to be the same person on and off the track. He enjoyed talking to the other drivers in Nürburgring and keeps it real.
“The races out there, being on the podium, for me, before I got to Formula 1, it’s the same thing, right? All the drivers were super nice. I also don’t feel or don’t act like a different person with them. So we had good fun out there.
Verstappen applauds the fans on their passion and is always happy to see them out and about before a race. He knows they will always be there and appreciates their role in making his 24-hour GT3 race debut memorable.
“There were, of course, a lot of fans under the podium, but of course in general around the garage, on the track, before the race. But that’s nice to see that the passion is there. And I think in general, the German fans, racing fans, they’re always there for these kind of endurance races. And I’ve seen that before. And I’m just very happy that they came out to support. And I think it can only get bigger from here.”
