Opinion: What’s Next in Verstappen’s Nordschleife Quest?
Sportscar365 looks at what Max Verstappen could do with Nordschleife A-Permit…
Max Verstappen caused a stir when he showed up to the Nürburgring this past weekend, competing with Lionspeed GP in the seventh round of the NLS season in order to obtain his Nordschleife A-Permit.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion, fresh off victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, hopped behind the wheel of a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport, completed 14 laps of the Green Hell and secured the permit that will allow him to race faster machinery in official events in the future.
Observing the online discourse from onlookers and pundits less familiar with the Nordschleife and its unique procedure, one sentiment seemed to pop up quite frequently: Why is Verstappen, widely considered to be one of the greatest drivers in Grand Prix history, forced to drive a ‘slower’ Porsche?
In the end, the answer is simple: rules are rules. That’s the great thing about the Nordschleife permit system. It puts everyone on equal footing, no matter if you’re a novice or a world champion. Everyone learns the ins and outs of racing at the Nordschleife in the same way, which is no bad thing as it’s a challenge that is not to be underestimated.
Of course, now that Verstappen has his A-Permit in his pocket, the logical question becomes: what next? Will we see the Dutchman racing GT3 machinery on the Nordschleife?
The answer to that seems more than likely to be a resounding ‘yes,’ and it might happen sooner rather than later.