Undaunted Verstappen looks forward to 'Green Hell' challenge
Max Verstappen is ready for his official Nordschleife GT3 debut as he takes another step closer to achieving his dream of racing in the Nurburgring 24 hours.
Every lap at the Nordschleife is a different kind of experience- Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen is primed and ready to take on the 'Green Hell' once more. This time, however, will mark his professional debut at the iconic German track.
Partnering him in the Ferrari 296 GT3 car will be friend and teammate Chris Lulham, the 22-year-old British Racing driver who was pivotal in Verstappen's first triumph as team principal.
The cars fielded by the Swiss Emil Frey Racing team, will be covered by the Verstappen.com Racing x Red Bull livery, as they seek out glory in what is largely referred to as the most dangerous race track in the world.
The four-time world champion, undaunted by danger, reaffirms his passion for racing and his desire to expand his motorsport horizons well beyond the confines of Formula One.
“It is my passion to do these kinds of GT3 races too. I can’t wait!”, said the Azerbaijan GP winner to his own website.
“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.
After winning four world titles, for Verstappen there's a dream still left unchecked.
"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.”
“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,” concluded the Dutchman.
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Verstappen's journey toward 'Green Hell' debut
The track where many other drivers have laid down their lives in pursuit of the thrill of racing, and which nearly claimed Niki Lauda's in a fiery crash in 1976, is the track Verstappen is fearlessly eager to race on.
In order to do so, the Dutchman, despite being a 4-time F1 World Champion, had to undergo a theoretical exam, and training laps around the iconic track.
Then he had to complete a qualifying session and two sets of 7 laps each during the race. All this just so he could secure his A Permit to race at the Nordschleife.
Not only did Verstappen meet the requirements, but he also turned heads while doing it, setting a blistering qualifying pace in the wet which saw him beat the closest driver in his class by around 25 seconds.
In terms of race pace, things were not all that different, with the Red Bull Racing driver posting the fastest lap of his category by a 20-second margin.
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