Verstappen conquers 'Green Hell': F1 star stuns in Nürburgring GT3 debut

In a weekend that blended the precision of Formula 1 with the raw endurance of GT racing, Max Verstappen etched yet another triumph into his storied career. The four-time F1 World Champion, fresh off a Grand Slam victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, traded his Red Bull RB21 for a Ferrari 296 GT3 and stormed to an emphatic win in his maiden GT3 outing at the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife. The 27-year-old Dutch sensation, partnering with British teammate Chris Lulham, claimed overall victory in the ninth round of the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) – the 57th ADAC Barbarossa Prize – on Saturday, September 27. The four-hour sprint around the 25.3-kilometer "Green Hell" circuit, notorious for its 73 corners and unpredictable weather, saw the #31 Verstappen.com Racing entry – run by Swiss squad Emil Frey Racing and sporting Verstappen's signature blue-and-red livery with Red Bull accents – outpace a grid of 110 cars, including 10 in the ultra-competitive SP9 GT3 class.

Flawless start in the shadows

Qualifying on Friday proved tricky, with thick fog and mist blanketing the track, delaying proceedings and forcing drivers to navigate the iconic loop blind in places. Verstappen, earning his DMSB Nordschleife A-Permit just two weeks prior in a restricted Porsche Cayman GT4, slotted the Ferrari into third on the grid behind the pole-sitting #34 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo of Christian Kroges and the #6 Haupt Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3 of Frank Stippler. But come race day, under drier conditions, Verstappen unleashed his trademark aggression. From the rolling start, he pounced into the lead at Turn 1, slicing past his rivals with surgical precision. "The first two stints went really well; the car worked perfectly in the dry," Verstappen reflected post-race, his grin as wide as the Hatzenbach corner. "We had a bit of bad luck in qualifying, but in the race, everything with the traffic worked out fine. I think I didn’t make any major mistakes."

Over his double stint – clocking roughly two hours and 14 laps – Verstappen built a commanding cushion, peaking at 1 minute and 10 seconds ahead of the chasing Ford Mustang. En route, he etched his name into the record books with the race's fastest lap: a blistering 7:51.514, just 2 seconds shy of the NLS GT3 benchmark set at 7:49.578. Handing over to Lulham with a 65-second buffer, the Brit held firm through a flurry of yellow flags and Code 60 slowdowns, crossing the line 24.496 seconds clear of the #9 Ford Mustang GT3 shared by Fabian Scherer, Dennis Fetzer, and Nordschleife veteran Jann Mardenborough – marking the car's return after a tragic 2015 incident. The #6 Mustang of Stippler and Patrick Kolb rounded out the SP9 podium in third.

For Ferrari, it was their first NLS win since June 2017, a feat that prompted an official nod from the Maranello marque on social media: "A big congratulations to Max Verstappen and Chris Lulham for their victory in the 4 Hours of Nürburgring with the 296 GT3." The irony wasn't lost on fans, with Scuderia supporters online quipping about the Red Bull driver's affinity for the Prancing Horse.

From F1 Phenom to Endurance Enthusiast This triumph caps a red-hot September for Verstappen, who earlier this month became the first driver in F1 history to achieve three consecutive Grand Slams – pole, win, fastest lap – including a dominant display in Baku that ignited faint hopes of a fifth straight title, despite trailing McLaren's Oscar Piastri by 69 points heading into this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix. Yet, Verstappen's foray into the Nordschleife underscores his insatiable hunger for diverse challenges. The son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, Max has long balanced his grid-leading F1 schedule with sim racing – where he fields Verstappen.com Racing – and occasional real-world jaunts. This GT3 debut follows a May test session in the same Ferrari 296, where he reportedly lapped the 'Ring faster than any GT3 car on record unofficially.

"It's great! To win my debut race here is amazing," Verstappen beamed from the pit wall, where he joined Lulham in celebrating with a champagne spray that hilariously fizzled on the bottle's cork. The victory evoked emotional responses from peers; five-time Nürburgring 24 Hours winner Timo Bernhard admitted it left him "emotional," praising Verstappen's adaptability. Even rivals like Lando Norris tipped their hats, though Norris cheekily noted Verstappen's freedom stems from his title fight fading.

Teasing the 24-Hour Dream

As the checkered flag fell, Verstappen's gaze turned to the horizon – specifically, the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours, slotted between the F1 calendar's Miami and Canadian rounds. "Of course, we really want to race the 24-hour race here at the Nordschleife," he said. "If that’s going to be next year, I don’t know yet. We need more experience, so hopefully we can enter a few more NLS races next year." With the NLS finale looming on October 11 – sans F1 conflict – another outing isn't off the table. Verstappen's passion for endurance echoes his broader ethos: "For me, it's very important to be able to do those things outside F1. My dream is to eventually participate in the 24-hour race." Le Mans whispers persist, though the Indianapolis 500 remains a hard pass.

Back to the Black-and-Orange

For now, Verstappen pivots to Marina Bay, where humidity and tight walls await. Red Bull's RB21 showed flashes in Baku, but McLaren's duo looms large. A Singapore podium could reignite the championship members – or at least buy more track time at the 'Ring.

In an era of specialized racers, Verstappen's versatility – from virtual grids to the Green Hell – cements his status as a modern benchmark. As one X post put it: "From the Baku Grand Slam to the Nordschleife conqueror... Max is loving racing right now!"